Tread Lightly! 2022 Accomplishments

Helping Make Stewardship of the Land Important to the Off-Road Community

As the vast American wilderness was beginning to be explored, settled, and exploited in the late 19th Century, little thought was given to the environment and even less to the idea that some wild spaces should be preserved for future generations. In time, however, the writings of Henry David Thoreau and Ralph Waldo Emerson inspired a new generation of artists like John Muir and George Catlin to spur the United States government to establish the National Parks system and support the concept of environmental conservation. Over 150 years later, in 2022, there are many groups and organizations, like Tread Lightly!, devoting time and resources into preserving America’s backcountry and public lands for future generations, while instilling a responsibility of stewardship for today’s off-road and overlanding enthusiasts.

2022: Tread Lightly! to the Rescue 

Starting in 1985 as a campaign to address the impact of off-road vehicles in Utah, in 2022, Tread Lightly! and its partners lead a national initiative to protect and improve access to public lands and trails by promoting an interactive outdoor ethics program aimed at helping off-road enthusiasts be aware of their impact on the environment. Executive Director Matt Caldwell adds: “Tread Lightly!’s goal is to balance the needs of the people who enjoy outdoor recreation with our need to maintain healthy ecosystems minimum impact education and on-the-ground public land stewardship.”

Tread Lightly! and Quadratec recognize that one of the best ways to promote responsible outdoor recreation is to get off-road enthusiasts involved in the care of their favorite recreational areas…

This is done through education and projects that help keep areas open for many to enjoy, like land clean-ups, trail restoration and better signage. They offer hunter education curriculum, online environmental awareness courses, teaching materials for off-roaders, as well as education for boaters and fishermen. But it isn’t easy work, explains Matt.

“The largest hurdle we face today is the influx in recreation that we have seen in the last two-plus years. In many cases, land managers and travel management plans were not designed for this influx and with the speed at which it occurred, the land managers weren’t necessarily able to act fast enough. This is why Tread Lightly!’s mission is more vital than ever. Tread Lightly! comes alongside the land managers to be a resource, sometimes funding, sometimes manpower, sometimes education.”

In 2009, for example, Tread Lightly! in cooperation with the National Forest Service created the RIDE ON Designated Routes educational promotion aimed at keeping motorized vehicles on designated routes and areas open to motorized vehicle use. The cornerstone of Tread Lightly! is the T.R.E.A.D. principles.

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What are the T.R.E.A.D. Principles?

Every responsible off-road enthusiast should know the basics of minimizing impact in the great outdoors.  Below are some great tips using the T.R.E.A.D. principles, guided by Tread Lightly! in 2022.

Travel Responsibly:

Travel responsibly on designated roads, trails or areas.

• Travel only in areas open to four-wheel-drive vehicles.
• For your safety, travel straight up or down hills.
• Drive over, not around obstacles to avoid widening the trail.
• Straddle ruts, gullies and washouts.
• Cross streams only where the road crosses the stream.
• When possible, avoid mud and avoid wheel spin which can cause rutting.
• Avoid damaging your differential to prevent oil and fluid spills on the trail.
• Comply with all signs and respect barriers.
• Choose the appropriate winch for your vehicle size.
• Attach towing cables, tree straps, or chains as low as possible to the object being winched. Let the winch do the work; never drive the winch.
• When using a tree as an anchor, use a wide tree strap to avoid damaging the trunk of the tree.

Respect the Rights of Others:

Respect the rights of others, including private property owners, all recreational trail users, campers and others so they can enjoy their recreational activities undisturbed.

• Be considerate of others on the road or trail. Learn the basics of trail etiquette.
• Leave gates as you find them. If crossing private property, be sure to ask permission from the landowners.
• Yield the right of way to those passing you traveling uphill. Yield to mountain bikers, hikers, and horses.
• When encountering horses on the trail, move to the side of the trail, stop, turn off your engine, remove your helmet and speak—you want the horse to know you are human. Ask the rider the best way to proceed.
• Proceed with caution around horses and pack animals. Sudden, unfamiliar activity may spook animals—possibly causing injury to animals, handlers and others on the trail.
• Do not idly ride around in camping, picnicking, trailhead or residential areas.
• Keep speeds low around crowds and in camping areas.
• Keep the noise and dust down.

Educate Yourself:

Educate yourself prior to your trip by obtaining travel maps and regulations from public agencies, planning for your trip, taking recreation skills classes and knowing how to operate your equipment safely.

• Obtain a map, (motor vehicle use map where appropriate) of your destination and determine which areas are open to off-highway vehicles.
• Make a realistic plan and stick to it. Always tell someone of your travel plans.
• Contact the land manager for area restrictions, closures, and permit requirements.
• Check the weather before you go. Prepare for the unexpected by packing necessary emergency items.
• Buckle up! Seat belts are mandatory. Know your limitations. Watch your time, your fuel, and your energy.
• Take an off-highway drivers course to learn more about negotiating terrain in a four-wheel-drive vehicle.
• Make sure your vehicle is mechanically up to task. Be prepared with tools, supplies, spares and a spill kit for trailside repairs.

Avoid Sensitive Areas:

Avoid sensitive areas such as meadows, lake shores, wetlands and streams. Stay on designated routes.

Other sensitive habitats to avoid include: living desert soils, tundra, and nesting or breeding areas.

• Do not disturb historical, archeological or paleontological sites.
• Avoid “spooking” livestock and wildlife and keep your distance.
• Motorized and mechanized vehicles are not allowed in designated Wilderness Areas.
• Pack out what you pack in and carry a trash bag on your vehicle to pick up litter left by others. Respected access is open access.

Do Your Part:

Do your part by modeling appropriate behavior, leaving the area better than you found it, properly disposing of waste, decreasing the use of fire, avoiding the spread of invasive species and restoring degraded areas.

• Carry a trash bag on your vehicle and pick up litter left by others.
• Pack out what you pack in. Practice minimum impact camping by using established sites, camping 200 feet from water sources and trails.
• Observe proper sanitary waste disposal or pack your waste out.
• Protect the soundscape by preventing unnecessary noise created by a poorly tuned vehicle or revving your engine.
• Before and after a ride, wash your vehicle to reduce the spread of invasive species.
• Build a trail community. Get to know other types of recreationists that share your favorite trail.

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Restoration for Recreation

Since its establishment, including in 2022, Tread Lightly!’s Restoration for Recreation is the organization’s main project. It aims at protecting and maintaining recreation areas by refurbishing worn roads, eroded trails, and damaged bridges, as well as improving area maps, trail signage, and access points for recreational hiking, riding, and off-roading. The program relies on funding from the private and public sectors as well as the resources and hard work of its volunteers.

This program’s work is more important than ever, especially in the face of decreasing budgets for environmental projects, backlogged maintenance work at remote recreational areas on Federal and State levels, and constantly changing government priorities. “There is plenty of work that needs done from trail restoration projects to educational activities,” says Caldwell. “We have been very blessed to have amazing support and hope that it will continue moving forward.”

To get involved in any of the Tread Lightly! programs, to volunteer, or to take advantage of its educational opportunities for yourself or your organization, visit TreadLightly.org.

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By the Numbers Tread Lightly! in 2022 

5 
stewardship projects completed

16 
Tread Lightly! courses offered

19
Tread Lightly! events attended

83 
miles of off-road trails enhanced

216
online course participants

578
volunteers

2,297
volunteer hours

36,085 
pounds of trash removed from public lands

27,419,719+ 
social media views

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Project Quadratec 50 for 50 

Under the umbrella of Restoration for Recreation and in partnership with Jeep parts manufacturer Quadratec, Tread Lightly! began a new campaign called “50 for 50,” designed to support volunteer maintenance projects and education programs all over the United States. It’s aim is to support at least one project in each state that improves access to public lands.

They are reaching this goal by giving small, but vitally needed, monetary grants to help individuals and groups that want to organize trail clean-up projects, off-road maintenance work, and other small projects that support the stewardship of the land.

In 2022, Tread Lightly! and Quadratec recognized that one of the best ways to promote responsible outdoor recreation is to get off-road enthusiasts involved in the care of their favorite outdoor areas and espouse an ethic of good stewardship.

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Editor’s Note: A version of this story previously appeared in the Tread July/August 2022 issue.