Why Tread Lightly!...?

Tread Lightly!

Observer
Treading Lightly is one of the best practices that we as public land users can do to make sure that we can not only continue to use our public lands in a variety of recreational manners, but also make sure that the natural resources and experiences remain intact for future generations. Its not about restriction, but rather about responsibility for our public lands and to ourselves, our friends and families, other visitors, and future generations.

So what does it mean to "Tread Lightly"? Well, we've developed our 5 Principles to break it down to basics:

Tread Lightly! Principles

Travel Responsibly on land by staying on designated roads, trails and areas. Go over, not around, obstacles to avoid widening the trails. Cross streams only at designated crossings. When possible avoid wet, muddy trails. On water, stay on designated waterways and launch your watercraft in designated areas.

Respect the Rights of Others including private property owners, all recreational trail users, campers and others so they can enjoy their recreational activities undisturbed. Leave gates as you found them. Yield right of way to those passing you or going uphill. On water, respect anglers, swimmers, skiers, boaters, divers and those on or near shore.

Educate Yourself prior to your trip by obtaining travel maps and regulations from public agencies. Plan for your trip, take recreation skills classes and know how to operate your equipment safely.

Avoid Sensitive Areas on land such as meadows, lakeshores, wetlands and streams. Stay on designated routes. This protects wildlife habitats and sensitive soils from damage. Don't disturb historical, archeological or paleontological sites. On water, avoid operating your watercraft in shallow waters or near shorelines at high speeds.

Do Your Part by modeling appropriate behavior, leaving the area better than you found it, properly disposing of waste, minimizing the use of fire, avoiding the spread of invasive species and repairing degraded areas.


We gain a lot by Treading Lightly as a community. Please help us by promoting the Tread Lightly! ethics whenever you can. :D

For more information: www.treadlightly.org

Also, you can follow us with social media!

Facebook: www.facebook.com/TLoutdoorethics
Twitter: twitter.com/#!/tread_lightly
Myspace: www.myspace.com/treadlightlypage




Thanks for the support!! And please, feel free to ask here if you have any questions or desire for clarification, at all.
 
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jcbrandon

Explorer
Welcome to the Expedition Portal. Great to see Tread Lightly here and contributing to the conversation. And thanks for everything you do out there in the real world.
 

Tread Lightly!

Observer
Absolutely, it is our pleasure. Please let me know if there are additional resources that we can provide.

I will be doing my best to get information about Tread Trainer courses and other projects that we are involved in posted here. You all in the Expedition Portal / Overland Journal world have always been fantastic supporters of responsible use, so we definitely appreciate that!
 

craig333

Expedition Leader
Pretty sad we even need Tread Lightly. I always thought it just came naturally. Btw, still have my tread lightly charter member sticker on my jeep. Gotta love it when stickers stand the test of time.
 

Mr. Leary

Glamping Excursionaire
Welcome to ExPo, TreadLightly!

Trainer and supporter here. Everyone who is serious about this hobby should help this program. Its definitely worth it.
 

Tread Lightly!

Observer
do you guys have any student membership deals?

Currently, we do not. However, the link above goes to a "friend" of Tread Lightly! program for free, and get email updates on Tread Principles, the stewardship grants, and other TL! programs. Not to mention if you become a friend in May, you're entered for a $75 gas card (and who wouldn't like one of those right now...?)

However, our memberships do begin at $25/year. More information can be seen here: http://www.treadlightly.org/page.php/members-individual/Individual-Memberships

Pretty sad we even need Tread Lightly. I always thought it just came naturally. Btw, still have my tread lightly charter member sticker on my jeep. Gotta love it when stickers stand the test of time.

Thanks for rocking the sticker still!! While I am not sure I agree with the "sad" part, but I will say that i've long felt that in a perfect world, organizations like Tread Lightly! and Leave No Trace wouldn't exist since we would all play nice out there. But with an increase in people utilizing the outdoors in all forms, its nice to have these programs to be that gentle reminder that the way to maintain access and protect resources for future generations is through pro-active education.

Welcome to ExPo, TreadLightly!

Trainer and supporter here. Everyone who is serious about this hobby should help this program. Its definitely worth it.

Awesome to see Trainers on the forums! Thank you :D

Welcome to ExPo, I'm a proud Trainer!

Again, Thanks!
 

Tread Lightly!

Observer
Tip of the week:

With many areas in western states still receiving snow (the year of the endless winter?) and high snowpack levels throughout, it is important to take a few things into consideration before heading out.

1) Check with local land managers to see if seasonal opening dates on gated trails have been extended.
2) Minimize use of extremely wet trails to avoid the creation of ruts.
3) Go through patches of snow, not around. Chains were not invented so that we could drive around snow-bashing opportunities :D
4) Be prepared in case the weather changes on you. Think extra clothing, water, food, and gear to spend the night if things get real bad.

Most of all... have fun and be safe out there!
 

Tread Lightly!

Observer
Tip of the week:

Now that summer has officially begun (by our definition, not the calendar's)... lets talk sharing and courteous use.

1) Be aware that with very few exceptions, almost all motorized areas are open to the vast majority of other uses. This could mean hikers, equestrians, and of course other riders/drivers in the area. Slow down in tighter areas and where visibility is reduced.
2) Motorized users yield to everyone, everyone yields to equestrians. Stop and say hello to other users if given the opportunity.
3) Use caution around equestrians. While many trail horses are getting more accustomed to vehicular travel, they can still be easily spooked. Stop well ahead of them, and turn off your engine unless waived by. On quads and dirt bikes, stop on the downhill side of the trail, as a horse's instinct with uphill movement is to anticipate a predator.
4) In general, yield to uphill traffic. This is not a rule, it's a guideline. Use common sense please, and most of all be patient. We've all been in situations where its in the best interest of all parties to yield to downhill traffic.
 

greg mgm

Explorer
Very cool to see Tread Lightly here.
Who is the person behind the screen name?
Tell us about yourself. :bike_rider:
 

Tread Lightly!

Observer
Very cool to see Tread Lightly here.
Who is the person behind the screen name?
Tell us about yourself. :bike_rider:

I was waiting for someone to ask... :ylsmoke:

My name is Justin Lilly, and i'm a Master Trainer for Tread Lightly!, as well as the former program coordinator for the Stay The Trail program in Colorado (you've all probably seen the ads in Overland Journal). My background includes a bachelors of science in Land Use and Resource Management, as well as many summers working in parks, recreation, and forestry.

I currently live part-time in Alaska, part-time in Colorado. I have a 2001 Jeep Cherokee that has cost me many thousands of dollars, a couple relationships, and a collective few quarts of blood. I also enjoy riding dirt bikes, and the odd ATV on occasion. One of these days, i'll make it to the Overland Expo (hopefully).

And because I am in the land of the midnight sun, I will admit that my sleep has been affected and most my posts are fueled by coffee :coffeedrink:
 

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