HUMMER Partners with Tread Lightly! To Protect Off-Road Recreation

Top truck brand HUMMER is set to make a big impact in the Sierra National Forest. Located east of Fresno, California, and close to Shaver Lake, the forest houses 12 OHV (off-highway vehicle) trails. Efforts to maintain a section of the popular Bald Mountain OHV route will lead to HUMMER's partnership with the U.S. Forest Service, local four-wheel-drive club volunteers, and the outdoor enthusiast ethics nonprofit organization Tread Lightly! The Bald Mountain route, which leads to the top of the mountain, is the only trail of the 12 OHV trails in the Sierra National Forest to be open all year. With HUMMER's funding and local volunteer assistance, Tread Lightly! is able to provide grants to projects dedicated to maintaining accessible land for responsible recreationists. Tread Lightly! encourages the responsible use of off-road vehicles on public lands.

The Bald Mountain project is part of HUMMER's Recreation Rescue, a wide-scale movement for protecting public lands and promoting volunteerism and conservation for OHV sites. The project will start with a volunteer workday on August 1 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tasks to be completed include the stabilization of an eroded section of the trail, the closing of unauthorized trails, and the development of a trail map and brochure. The map and brochure will emphasis Tread Lightly!'s stance on responsible recreation.

Martin Walsh, general manager of HUMMER, emphasized the importance of public land maintenance and environmental responsibility: "It is imperative that open access to public land remains available for future generations. The HUMMER Recreation Rescue projects are a great example of the private and public sectors working together to ensure the future of off-road recreation."

Similarly, the U.S. Forest Service expressed the importance of HUMMER and Tread Lightly!'s contributions through the Sierra National Forest OHV manager Greg Marks: "This project is a great opportunity for the Forest Service and the forest visitors to work with Hummer and Tread Lightly!, who are dedicated to providing recreational experiences while protecting the integrity of the forest." The Mountain Toppers and Clovis Independents, two local clubs in the Fresno area, are set to "adopt" the trail and maintain it when the trail project is completed.

More information about HUMMER's Recreation Rescue and the Tread Lightly! organization can be found at www.treadlightly.org

Source: GM Communications