by Matt Konkle
Managing Editor
Protecting public land campsite access, also known as legal dispersed camping, is really just as important as maintaining access to motorized trails and other hiking locations.
Dispersed camping areas are sites not designated as normal campgrounds and usually do not have services like trash removal, tables, bathrooms, running water, or fire pits. And some who are newer to the camping scene may not know the importance of keeping these places as clean and undamaged as possible.
So Ron Harrington, owner of Ridgeback Guide Services in Pownal, Vermont, and 2022 Tread Lightly! Ambassador of the Year, recently took a group of volunteers into the Manchester District of the Green Mountain National Forest and helped install educational signage and stickers to drive home the importance of maintaining access to these locations.
The group, armed with a Quadratec 50-for-50 Trail Restoration Initiative Grant, drove in 20 Carsonite posts overall, complete with camping tips and stickers to ensure those who use the areas know how to leave it better than it was when they arrived.
“Working in the Green Mountain National Forest is near and dear to my heart, having used it for recreation all my life,” said Ron Harrington, Tread Lightly!’s 2022 Ambassador of the Year. “Installing carsonite posts with camping tips on the legal dispersed camping sites, will help motorized recreation visitors find the right spots to enjoy the beauty that our public lands have to offer.”
This Manchester Dispersed Campsite Signage project project was the 36th of 50 trail and public land restoration events Quadratec will help sponsor in each state through the end of April 2024.
”The work carried out at the dispersed campsite in the Green Mountains provided a rewarding experience by allowing us to see Vermont from a different perspective,” said Nick Beinar, Home Base Veteran Outreach Program Lead. “Our efforts aimed to educate visitors in the area on the most effective ways to protect the space they are recreating in, ensuring its preservation for future enjoyment.”
So far, through its supported projects, the Quadratec 50-for-50 Stewardship Grant has accumulated 6,777.50 volunteer hours with a total value of $204,313, pulled away 118,245 pounds of trash, and improved 827 miles of trail.
Quadratec’s ’50-for-50’ stewardship grant fund helps project managers pay for equipment, fees, volunteer support, food, fuel, signage and other miscellaneous costs.
Quadratec has been a supporting partner of Tread Lightly! for more than 20 years, and a longtime fundraiser for Tread Lightly!’s stewardship programs. The company has also promoted Tread Lightly! and other trail restoration efforts through its Quadratec Cares ‘Energize the Environment’ program.
Clubs and individuals are required to be active, supporting members of Tread Lightly! to be eligible to apply for ’50-for-50’ grant funding. To learn more about the Quadratec ’50-for-50 program, visit Quadratec's 50 for 50 Trails Stewardship Grant Initiative.
Recommended Reading:
Quadratec, Tread Lightly! ’50-For-50’ Public Land Cleanup — Maggie Valley, North Carolina
