When considering motorized recreation, many outdoor groups immediately see conflict rather than conservation. Yet, the honest truth is that virtually all outdoor recreation—from hiking to hunting—relies on motorized transport to access wild places. As access to capable off-road vehicles increases, so does the impact on our public lands, often driven by inexperienced and uneducated users. This presentation will challenge the conventional view that protecting motorized access is incompatible with environmental stewardship.

Our Core Mission: Conservation

Tread Lightly! is a national nonprofit organization committed to protecting access to motorized recreation on public lands. While this is our focus, it does not mean we are solely interested in getting more vehicles into wild places. On the contrary, Tread Lightly! is fundamentally a conservation-focused organization. We provide essential education on trail use and ethics, conduct mitigation and rehabilitation work, and execute large-scale cleanups. With increasing ecological damage, we are rapidly evolving and pivoting our strategies to ensure sustainable use for the future.

Session Highlights:

This session will highlight our evolving strategies and showcase how we are adapting to meet changing environmental demands:

• Modified Education: New ways we are reaching the growing segment of uneducated off-road users to instill responsible recreation ethics. 

• Ecosystem Partnerships: Strategies to increase collaboration and project work that directly support and stabilize the ecosystems surrounding motorized trails.