by Matt Konkle
Torque Managing Editor
There are times owning a Jeep is all about what you can do in the vehicle. And there are also times it is all about what you can do with the vehicle that matters.
Stuff like heading into the remote wilderness to mountain climb, or fly fish, or go whitewater rafting. The Jeep carries you there and the rest is up to you.
Like almost everything else outdoorsy these past few years, whitewater rafting has seen a dramatic increase in participation and West Virginia is no stranger to some of the best East Coast spots. One of those is inside America’s newest National Park, New River Gorge.
However, like all outdoor activities, some of those who attend are not the best at disposing of trash and other associated debris.
So, armed with a Quadratec ’50-for-50’ Trail and Public Land Grant, the West Virginia Off-Highway Vehicle Coalition, in conjunction with its Adventure Appalachia event, held a public land cleanup around several whitewater access points and riverbanks.
The cleanup event drew 29 volunteers on August 19 and saw 750 pounds of trash removed from the park along with three miles of public land improved.
“Historically, Wild & Wonderful West Virginia is one of America’s best-kept secrets, but word is starting to get out. As new adventure travelers flock to our mountains and rivers, it is crucial that we show them how important our wild spaces are to us as residents,” said Jerry Bain, Chairman of the West Virginia Off-Highway Vehicle Coalition and host of the Adventure Appalachia event. “Without stewardship, our natural treasures can fall into disrepair quickly, as we have seen in the past. Doing our part keeps motorized recreation from becoming unsustainable.”
Volunteers pulled out plenty of glass from park riverbanks, along with debris and micro-trash including food wrappers and other small waste products. Additionally, they erased several illegal firepits and plenty of campsite trash.
“Working with Quadratec and Tread Lightly! to clean public spaces has allowed me to experience pride of ownership of our public lands, through actual hands-on care and preservation of this national asset,” said event participant and Tread Lightly! Member Julia Taylor Walters. “If everyone understands that we are the stewards of our public spaces, these resources can thrive and can be available for generations to come — and this is personally rewarding too.”
This clean-up was the fifth of 50 that Quadratec will sponsor over the next 20-plus months all over the country in partnership with Tread Lightly!.
The company kicked off its first trail maintenance project earlier this year at the Easter Jeep Safari in Moab, Utah, helping install fencing and create pathways to better protect petroglyphs on the Kane Creek Trail.
So far, through its supported projects, the '50 for 50' Stewardship Grant has generated 838 volunteer hours, cleaned up nearly 8,700 pounds of trash and improved more than 343 miles of trail and land tracts.
The ’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.
Participating in the New River Gorge Cleanup:
- Quadratec
- National Park Service
- Fox Creek Garage
- State Sen. Mark Maynard, R-Wayne County
- Mountain Made Offroad
- East Coast Overland Adventures
- Drive Line Service
- Go Fox Adventures
- Pine Grove Premium Outfitters
- Overlander Project
- Appawlachia.com
- Dirt Road Therapy
