- Fans can support their favorite off-road trail and club by voting online for first time ever at bfgoodrichtrails2011.outdoorhub.com -

MOAB, Utah (April 21, 2011) – The off-road power is in the hands of the people with BFGoodrich® Tires’ 2011 Outstanding Trails program. Three trails will be selected in 2011 –BFGoodrich Tires, in conjunction with Tread Lightly! ® and United Four Wheel Drive Associations (UFWDA), have chosen the Interlake Trail 19 located in Lynnville, Ind., and Morrison Jeep Trail in Shoshone National Forest, Wyo., to be 2011 Outstanding Trails — and now, for the first time ever, off-road enthusiasts will have the opportunity to vote for their favorite BFGoodrich-nominated off-road trail to be the third.

Fans in the off-road community can vote at bfgoodrichtrails2011.outdoorhub.com.  The winning trail will receive a $4,000 grant on behalf of BFGoodrich Tires for trail conservation and maintenance efforts.  The four trails up for vote are:

• Golden Spike Trail in Moab, Utah – supported by Red Rock 4-Wheelers

• Dusy-Ershim OHV Route in Sanger, Calif. – supported by Four Wheel Drive Club of Fresno

• Blanca Peak Trail in Blanca, Colo. – supported by Creeper Jeepers Gang

• Mirror Lake Trail in Sierra National Forest, Calif. – supported by Lock and Low 4-Wheel Drive Club

“Off-road enthusiasts are passionate about their trails, and we anticipate many will offer their input,” said Marcus Baffoe-Bonnie, BFGoodrich Tires country marketing manager.  “For the past six years, the BFGoodrich Outstanding Trails program has recognized off-road trails as well as the clubs that run them. Congratulations to Interlake Trail 19 and Morrison Trail for being named 2011 Outstanding Trails, and of course we wish the best of luck to the four trails that are up for vote!”

The Outstanding Trails Vote

Off-road enthusiasts can support their favorite club by casting their vote online at bfgoodrichtrails2011.outdoorhub.com.  Fans and supporters can vote as often as they choose beginning Thursday, April 21, 2011 at 9 a.m. EST and ending at 11:59 p.m. EST on Tuesday, May 31.  The “winning” trail will be selected based on popular vote and announced on Friday, June 3, 2011 atwww.BFGoodrichTires.com.

Following is a closer look at each of the trails, and their sponsoring clubs, up for nomination:

• Golden Spike Trail was developed at the 1989 Easter Jeep Safari as a connection between the Poison Spider Mesa and Gold Bar Rim trails.  The trail offers challenging obstacles, non-stop scenery and a road surface between obstacles that make for a comfortable, slow and steady pace.

Red Rock 4-Wheelers, Inc. is a non-profit club organized to bring together adventure loving individuals and families who share the common interest of active four-wheeling.  The club’s objectives are to encourage family recreation through safe and responsible operation of four-wheel drive vehicles and utilize public lands in a responsible manner as part of an effort to keep public land trails and roads available for multipurpose use.

• Dusy-Ershim OHV Route offers 33 miles of challenging obstacles and beautiful scenery high in the skies at an altitude of 10,200 feet.  The route features high mountain meadows, creeks, six natural lakes, unique granite mountains, cliffs and panoramic views.  The trail is rated “most difficult” and is a major challenge to travel, therefore having advanced driving skills is highly recommended.

The Four Wheel Drive Club of Fresno was founded in 1954 in Fresno, Calif.  The club has since built ten trails and currently maintains six.  The club coordinates with the forest service to perform clearing in the spring, closings in the fall and other various work projects throughout the year on the entire club’s adopted trails.  Some of the various work projects include building and maintaining toilets, maintaining campgrounds, trail cleanups and maintenance of trail signage.

• Blanca Peak Trail features a rocky six miles of trail with many granite outcroppings. The trail offers many challenging obstacles including Jaws 1 through 4, views of the valley, Como Lake and spectacular mountain scenery.

Creeper Jeepers Gang is a family oriented 4-Wheel Drive club, promoting safe and environmentally sensitive off road recreation and family.

• Mirror Lake Trail is located in the Sierra National Forest approximately 13 miles east of Shaver Lake on Highway 168.  The trail features beautiful lake scenery with steep boulders and large hills for the more experienced off-roader.

Lock and Low 4-Wheel Drive Club members are people interested in promoting family four-wheeling, fostering safety and education of responsible four-wheeling.

BFGoodrich® Tires 2011 Outstanding Trails

The Indiana Four Wheel Drive Association on behalf of Interlake Trail 19, and the Magic City 4-Wheelers, Inc., on behalf of Morrison Trail, have been chosen by BFGoodrich® Tires to  receive a $4,000 grant to use towards maintain the trails.  The grants will be used to preserve the scenic off-highway trail system and continue conservation efforts for two of America’s most beautiful areas for off-roading.

• Interlake Trail 19, in Lynnville, Ind., is a 3,500-acre property, owned and managed by the Indiana Department of Natural Resources.  The existing trail is a beautiful cruise through conifer and hardwood trees that are 40 to 50 years old.  On a sunny summer day, the shade offers a nice diversion from the open prairie-like trails of the central areas of Interlake.  The area not only offers motorized trail riding, but activities for all types of outdoor enthusiasts including hunting, fishing, horseback riding and mountain climbing.  A rock garden is being planned, which has the potential to be one of the longest man-made rock crawling courses in the region.

Indiana Four Wheel Drive Association (IFWDA) was formed in 1980 and acts on the common concern for motorized recreation while practicing stewardship of our natural resources.  IFWDA, through its association with other state and national organizations, works to promote and act on issues affecting four-wheel drive recreation.

• Morrison Trail, in Wyoming’s Shoshone National Forest, offers various types of terrain including arid canyons, alpine forests, high mountain meadows and small lakes at 10,000 feet.  Hitting the trail shortly after it opens in mid-July is a gift as off-road enthusiasts will have the pleasure of experiencing a carpet of beautiful wildflowers in the meadows.  The panoramic views from almost every part of the trail are breathtaking and inspiring.

Magic City 4-Wheelers, Inc. is a family oriented OHV club.  The club organizes annual race rallies, monthly trail rides and trail maintenance trips.  Magic City 4-Wheelers always follow the Tread Lightly! trail ethic and educate others when possible regarding proper trail ethic.  All club members are also members of the Montana 4X4 Association and UFWDA.

About the Outstanding Trails Program

The BFGoodrich® Tires Outstanding Trails program was established in 2006 to raise awareness for responsible use and preservation of off-road trails while providing aid in the trails’ conservation efforts.  Through 2010, the Outstanding Trails program has recognized 24 off-road trails and 24 clubs across 16 states and two in Canada.  The program has provided more than $90,000 in grants in support of the various trails conservation efforts.

Both Tread Lightly!® and UFWDA are non-profit organizations dedicated to responsible and ethical outdoor recreation.  BFGoodrich Tires collaborated with these two groups to select the finest off-road trails, and will continue to work with these organizations on restoration and education initiatives.

United Four Wheel Drive Associations is the world’s leading representative of all-brand four wheel-drive enthusiasts.  UFWDA benefits, developed and tested true over the past 30 years, include four wheel drive safety and awareness education; user ethics programs such as adopt-a-road, conservation volunteer, and volunteer trail patrol; assistance with new club formation; education seminars to aid four wheelers through complex state and federal programs affecting trail access;  internet forums designed to connect members globally and instantaneously; and unrestrained member access to its full-time legislative advocate and nationally-recognized attorney working exclusively for four wheel drive enthusiasts to protect access and prevent road and trail closures.  For more information on the UFWDA log on to www.ufwda.org or call toll free 1-800-44-UFWDA (800-448-3932).

Tread Lightly! is a national nonprofit organization with a mission to promote responsible recreation through ethics education and stewardship.  Tread Lightly!’s strategic educational message, along with its training and restoration initiatives are designed to instill an ethic of responsibility in outdoor enthusiasts and the industries that serve them. The program is long-term in scope with a goal to balance the needs of the people who enjoy outdoor recreation with the needs of the environment. The federal government recognizes this by acknowledging Tread Lightly!® as a sole-source service provider of education and training on how to be environmentally and socially responsible while using motorized and mechanized vehicles in off-highway settings.

Using motorsports as a proving ground for more than 40 years, BFGoodrich® Tires is involved in every type of racing, including oval, sports car, drifting, drag, desert, dirt, rally and extreme rock crawling.  BFGoodrich Tires combines technological expertise with vast motorsports experience, delivering a high-performance tire for every type of vehicle.  Visit BFGoodrich Tires at www.BFGoodrichTires.com or on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/BFGoodrichTires.

BFGoodrich® Tires Gives Enthusiasts the Power with its 2011 Outstanding Trails Program is a post from: RockCrawler 4x4 and Offroad Magazine

POCATELLO, ID (January 5) – A coalition of recreation advocacy groups filed an Amicus Curiae brief in the 10th District Court of Appeals related to the 2001 Roadless Rule this week, marking over a decade of involvement in the controversial issue. The recreation groups include the BlueRibbon Coalition (BRC), California Association of 4 Wheel Drive Clubs (“CA4WDC”), United Four Wheel Drive Associations (UFWDA) and the American Council of Snowmobile Associations (ACSA).

Environmental activists are appealing a 2008 decision by U.S. District Court of Wyoming Judge Clarence Brimmer declaring the Clinton era Roadless Rule illegal. That ruling came in a case brought by the State of Wyoming in 2007, which paralleled an earlier complaint filed by Wyoming in 2001. Brimmer’s 2008 decision minced few words, concluding the 2001 Rule “was driven by political haste and evidenced pro forma compliance with” environmental laws, using descriptors such as “flagrant” and “cavalier” in characterizing the “unequivocal” violations.

Brian Hawthorne, BRC’s Public Lands Policy Director, said, “With millions of acres of National Forests susceptible to disease and wildfire, it should be evident that a top-down, one-size-fits-all management program should never be the answer. Each roadless area is unique, and local conditions should be taken into consideration when actively managing these lands.”

“This marks a decade of involvement in the Roadless issue,” said Greg Mumm, Executive Director of BRC. “Force-feeding a ‘hands-off’ policy to manage Roadless Areas, like congressionally designated Wilderness, has been a goal of the preservationist groups for some time. BRC is proud to have protected recreational access to these lands and we are committed to continue this important effort.”

Noting the U.S. Forest Service will be revising the regulations for preparing Forest Plans, Paul Turcke, the attorney for the recreational groups, observed in their brief that “our Nation’s treasured forest lands must be actively and effectively managed. Such management necessitates detailed, site-by-site analysis; not politically convenient templates. That improper procedural means advance an agenda of less rather than more active human presence is of little legal import. This Court should seize the opportunity to place the 2001 Roadless Rule alongside the 2005 State Petitions Rule and similar misplaced efforts to manage our National Forests via election cycle emanations from the DC beltway, and to begin a return to professionally-driven and project-focused management that our forests and citizens deserve.”

The Recreation group’s filing can be found online. Learn more about the history of the Roadless Rule and latest updates on www.sharetrails.org.

RECREATION COALITION FILES BRIEF IN ONGOING ROADLESS LAWSUIT is a post from: RockCrawler 4x4 and Offroad Magazine