Share and Care
Share with Others How to Care for our Public Land
By Del Albright, Motorized Recreation Advocate
SHARE AND
CARE!
Please share
with others how to care for our land and motorized sports.
"Share and Care" is a simple slogan that reminds us what we should do on our lands and waterways. Please share your knowledge and awareness of the environment, showing other people how to care for the land while still enjoying our motorized sports and trails. The future of our sport lies with each of us doing our part, whether small or large. Sharing is a form of education that is essential in this day and age.
All of us in
Cal4wheel have seen four-wheeling incidents that made us grimace. Not everyone
knows the rules these days. Maybe their mamma didn't "bring them up
right." Perhaps they have never been exposed to doing it right. Or maybe
they are so new to our sport that they have no clue how tenuous our wheeling
can be in some areas.
The
opportunities we enjoy hinge on using our rigs while respecting the land and
ensuring the sustainability of our lands and trails. We cannot take our
recreation for granted.
The worst
thing we can do is sit back and let someone destroy our opportunities through
ignorance. Now, if they are deliberately being stupid, well, then that
requires law enforcement. But many people JUST DON'T KNOW or have not
been taught how to care for the land while still enjoying it.
So what do we
do about it, and what does "share and care" really mean?
Take the
TreadLightly! Awareness 101 Course: study the land use sections on your
favorite forums and blogs; live by the Code of Ethics of your organized
groups/clubs; and be the example of how to recreate responsibly!
Here are some
more simple things we can all do to "Share and Care" for our future:
Follow the
rules! While this seems simple, not all the rules are well-signed on some
trails. So, take the time to research and learn before you go.
Set the
example (and start with the TreadLightly! Principles). People watch what you
do. Show your neighbors and fellow wheelers the right stuff! Be sure to pick up
that trash that everyone else missed. Always put out that campfire completely.
Stay on the
trail. Be that person who tackles the obstacle rather than going around it and
widening the trail.
Never be the
drip. Always maintain your rig so that it does not leak on the trail.
Never do
resource damage. Be that person who avoids driving over brush/vegetation when
pulling off the trail.
Camp where
legal. Know and follow the land management agency's specific rules on where to
locate your camp.
Be courteous.
Treat others on the trail as you would like to be treated.
Yield to
uphill traffic, horses, motorcycles, and bicycles. Yield to larger convoys on a
tight spot in the trail.
Share your
knowledge, concerns, care, and experiences around the campfire and on the
trail. Holding it in does no good. Instead, let others know what you have
learned in your wheeling experiences.
We all need
to take it personally -- this land is ours. Then, show others how to keep
it that way.
"Share
and Care." We can all do it and have a sustainable future in
four-wheeling.
##
HELPFUL LINKS:
DEL'S BOOKS (LAND USE, WILDFIRE, DEATH VALLEY, COWBOY POETRY, AND MORE)
WEBSITE (HOME PAGE)
PINTEREST (BOOKS, ARTICLES, AND MORE)
DEL'S ARTICLES (LAND USE, LIFE, WILDFIRE, VOLUNTEERISM, AND MORE)
More land use and volunteerism help here:
- MEETINGS:
- RUN A BETTER MEETING
- NEPA:
- LEARN MORE ABOUT NEPA
- LETTERS:
- WRITE A LETTER
- SPEECHES:
- GIVE A SPEECH
- FACILITATE:
- LEARN TO FACILITATE MEETINGS
- CLUBS:
- WHY JOIN A CLUB
- CONVOYS:
- ORGANIZE A CONVOY
- JOIN:
- JOIN THE RIGHT GROUPS
- TRAINING:
- GET VOLUNTEER TRAINING
- LEAD:
- LEAD VOLUNTEERS
- JOBS:
- CHOOSE THE RIGHT JOB FOR YOU
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