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Arizona cleanup day draws OHV enthusiasts

Tread Lightly!’s Respected Access program attracts 250 volunteers

 

On March 1, nearly 250 volunteers braved the rain to help pick up more than 10 tons of trash detracting from the beauty of the popular Table Mesa Recreation Area north of Phoenix. The cleanup project is part of a larger effort to ensure continued access to public lands in Arizona by promoting outdoor ethics. Table Mesa has 55 miles of OHV trails, and it’s the trailhead to the Black Canyon National Recreation Area (an 80-mile trail) and an OHV training site.

The initiative — Respected Access is Open Access in Arizona — is supported by a coalition of partners including the Bureau of Land Management, Arizona Game and Fish Department, U.S. Forest Service and Tread Lightly!, a national nonprofit organization that promotes responsible outdoor recreation through ethics education and stewardship programs.

“We had an outstanding turnout, especially considering the rain,” said Tom Bickauskas, natural resource specialist with the Bureau of Land Management. “It’s a tremendous showing of support for our public lands. Stewardship is everyone’s job. When people can contribute in this fashion, it will keep public lands open to as many uses as possible.”

The volunteers were shooting, hunting and off-highway vehicle enthusiasts, and many were affiliated with Discount Tire stores in the Phoenix area.

“We are out here because we care,” said Mark MacGuinness, vice president of Discount Tire Direct. “We’re enthusiasts; we’re off-roaders; we’re shooters; we’re hunters; we’re fishermen, and we care about our access to the outdoors. We care about our public lands. We don’t just donate money; we show up!”

Nearly 250 volunteers (OHV, shooting and hunting enthusiasts) picked up more than 10 tons of trash at a recent cleanup event at the Table Mesa Recreation Area — approximately 11,557 acres north of Phoenix — used by OHV enthusiasts, hikers, campers and recreational shooters. The Tread Lightly management team helped organize, promote and staff the event.
Nearly 250 volunteers (OHV, shooting and hunting enthusiasts) picked up more than 10 tons of trash at a recent cleanup event at the Table Mesa Recreation Area — approximately 11,557 acres north of Phoenix — used by OHV enthusiasts, hikers, campers and recreational shooters. The Tread Lightly management team helped organize, promote and staff the event.

Outdoor billboards, public service announcements and outreach and education efforts are spreading the important message that Respected Access is Open Access in Arizona.

“The momentum is continuing to build, and we’re thrilled at the involvement of supporters like Discount Tire and so many responsible outdoor recreationists,” said Lori McCullough, executive director of Tread Lightly!, “Engaging the recreational shooting community in addressing these issues is the proactive solution to these problems, and we hope all recreational shooters will become ambassadors for this effort.”

Sponsors of the Table Mesa cleanup event include local, regional and national organizations: Arizona Game and Fish Department, Bureau of Land Management, Tread Lightly!, Discount Tire, Arizona Off Highway Vehicle Coalition, Arizona Desert Bighorn Sheep Society, AZFirearms.com, Barlow Adventure, Bass Pro Shops, Boone and Crockett Club, CEMEX, Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation, Legendary Guns, National Rifle Association, National Shooting Sports Foundation, Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, Safari Club International, Sportsman’s Warehouse, White Eyes and Wildlife for Tomorrow.

Tread Lightly! is celebrating its 25th anniversary as a national nonprofit organization in October 2015. Among the more than 70 official partners from various industries are: $25,000+ Contributing Official Sponsors: John Deere, Polaris and Yamaha; $10,000+ Contributing Official Sponsors: Arctic Cat and Kawasaki; and $5,000+ Contributing Official Sponsors: KYMCO and Warn.

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