BFGoodrich® Tires Recognizes Redbird State Riding Area as Part of the 2007 Outstanding Trails Program
DUGGER, Ind. - June 9, 2007 - Located between Greene and Sullivan counties in southern Indiana, Redbird State Riding Area (SRA) was honored today by BFGoodrich® Tires as part of its 2007 Outstanding Trails program. More than 200 off-road enthusiasts from the 4 Wheels to Freedom (4WTF) local four-wheel drive club were in attendance as BFGoodrich presented the club's president with a grant to continue conservation efforts and preserve scenic trails for Indiana's first state-owned Off-Highway Vehicle (OHV) facility. Redbird State Riding Area is the first of six trail locations that will be recognized by BFGoodrich this year.
BFGoodrich Tires, in conjunction with Tread Lightly!® and United Four Wheel Drive Associations (UFWDA), chose to honor Redbird SRA as one of the 2007 Outstanding Trails because of its beautiful 1,000-acre OHV area, designed to please every skill level from wild to mild. Redbird's family-friendly atmosphere also offers a large parking lot along with loading ramps, shelter house and restroom facilities.
"With more than 1,000 acres of area to explore, Redbird State Riding Area is truly a fantastic place to ride if you're an off-roader at heart, and definitely worthy of having the 2007 Outstanding Trails distinction," said Joe Mazur, light truck brand category manager for BFGoodrich Tires. "Off-roading is the heart and soul of BFGoodrich Tires, and we are delighted to team up with groups like 4 Wheels to Freedom to ensure that these lands will continue to stay beautiful and safe for future visitors."
4 Wheels to Freedom Four-Wheel Drive Club is organized as a nonprofit organization for the purpose of providing social, educational and recreational activities for its membership. 4WTF 4WD Club also participates in and supports civic activities for the betterment of the community. The 4WTF Club is a Charter Member of Tread Lightly! and The Indiana Four Wheel Drive Association as well as a member of United Four Wheel Drive Associations.
"Our enthusiast group is both pleased and honored to have played a part in the nomination of the Redbird SRA into the 2007 Outstanding Trails Program," said Steve Tam, 4WTF president. "In this day and age, opportunities for motorized off-road recreation seem to be shrinking at an alarming rate. Redbird stands out as an excellent example of how dedicated, responsible and focused off-road enthusiasts can work together with government, business and community organizations to ensure the future of our sport in a way that is acceptable to all groups."
After a careful selection process, the BFGoodrich Tires Outstanding Trails program recognizes the following six trails for 2007:
- Redbird State Riding Area, Indiana's first and only Off-Highway Vehicle (OHV) facility
- Crushers at Tillamook, located in the Coast Range Mountains of northwest Oregon
- The Rubicon Trail, one of America's wildest off-road trails
- Poughkeepsie Gulch, located in the San Juan Mountains of Colorado
- Whipsaw Trail in British Columbia, Canada
- Flat Nasty which offers more than 800 acres of Ozark Mountain terrain in Jadwin, Mo.
In its first season, the 2006 Outstanding Trails program honored five off-road trails. Black Bear Pass, near Ouray, Colorado, is a picturesque trail nestled in the San Juan Mountains. Pyeatt Draw, is a scenic and exciting trail situated in Payson, Arizona. Hell's Revenge, with its slick sandstone slopes, brings adventure to thrill-seekers in Moab, Utah. Historic Naches Pass, also known as the Longmire Wagon Train, takes off-road drivers over the Cascade Mountains in Naches, Washington. Last, but not least, Upper Tellico OHV Area, Trail #4, located in the Nantahala National Forest, is located in North Carolina where Tennessee, South Carolina and Georgia meet.
Both Tread Lightly! and UFWDA are nonprofit 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.
Tread Lightly!
Tread Lightly! is a national nonprofit organization whose mission is to proactively protect
recreation access and opportunities. 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, and it's leading the way to help remedy current and future recreation issues. Tread Lightly! is proud to be recognized
by the USDA Forest Service and its partners actively engaged in collaborating to implement solutions to the problems associated with
outdoor recreation.
United Four Wheel Drive Associations (UFWDA)
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).
BFGoodrich Tires
Using motorsports as a proving ground for more than 30 years, BFGoodrich Tires is involved in
every type of racing, including oval, sports car, drifting, drag, desert, dirt, rally (Dakar and WRC) and extreme rock crawling.
BFGoodrich Tires combines technological expertise with vast motorsports experience, delivering a high performance tire for every type
of vehicle.