11 Dec Tread Lightly! and RIDE ON Utah Team Awarded Regional Forester’s Award

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah (December 11, 2012) – Tread Lightly!, a national nonprofit dedicated to fostering a community of good resource stewards, is honored to be recognized by the U.S. Forest Service with a Regional Forester’s Award, alongside its public agency partners.

The award was presented to the RIDE ON Utah team under the category “Recreation and Connecting with Urban America.”

“We are thrilled to receive this award for our teamwork in communicating conservation ethics especially for this still-young initiative which was only formally announced about two months ago,” said Lori McCullough, Tread Lightly!’s executive director.  “We look forward to working side-by-side with our agencies partners to protect motorized vehicle access on public lands throughout the state of Utah and beyond so people can engage in any form of outdoor recreation, whether it’s motorized or nonmotorized related activities.”

The message RIDE ON Designated Routes was originally created by Tread Lightly! at the request of the U.S. Forest Service to communicate the importance of driving motorized vehicles only on routes or in areas designated as open to motor vehicle use.  The partnership RIDE ON Utah is a unique collaboration that unites Tread Lightly! together with all government agencies managing public lands within the State of Utah in an effort to communicate compelling and consistent ethics messages across boundaries.  Agency partners include the U.S. Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, Utah Division of State Parks and Recreation, Division of Wildlife Resources and Utah’s School and Institutional Trust Lands Administration.

“The collaboration between Utah agencies and Tread Lightly! has been  extraordinary,” said Martina Barnes, Utah State Liaison, U.S. Forest Service, Intermountain Region. “We’re grateful for the recognition of this award and glad we with teamed up with Tread Lightly!, a long-standing partner with the U.S. Forest Service and recognized as a national leader in promoting responsible recreation.”

More information on the RIDE ON Designated Routes and the RIDE ON Designated Routes Utahcampaign can be found on www.treadlightly.org.

Regional Forester Harv Forsgren presented the award to Martina Barnes, Utah State Liaison, U.S. Forest Service, Intermountain Region who accepted the award on behalf of the entire team. Pictured from left to right – Regional Forester Harv Forsgren; Martina Barnes Utah State Liaison, U.S. Forest Service, Intermountain Region; Deputy Regional Forester Marlene Finley and Acting Deputy Regional Forester Laurie Sonju.