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If it’s important to you, protect it.

In the winter of 2000, the famous Rubicon Trail was on the verge of being closed off for good.

But Del Albright wouldn’t let The Rubicon Trail go away without a fight. He started the organization, Friends of The Rubicon, mobilized off-roaders, and, with the help of BFGoodrich’s Outstanding Trails program, successfully saved that iconic trail.

It was a monumental moment for the sport of off-roading, but it wouldn’t have happened if not for a dedicated enthusiast like Del.

"I love the fact that I can go up in the high country, hike,and see stuff that man, mankind hasn't beat up, developed, or destroyed.”

Del’s made it his mission in life to help others protect what’s important to them and he’s been at it for over 40 years now. His lifelong dedication to responsible off-roading and the preservation of public trails has earned him enshrinement in the Off-Road Hall of Fame. But he still sees a great need for more people like you to get involved in protecting public lands and trails.

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Now Is The Time To Get Involved

“When it comes to advocacy, there’s been no better time to get involved.” – Del Albright

Throughout the decades, Del has helped to protect millions of acres of public lands. But today, he says that the threat of trail closures is much harder to spot. “They're hidden in legislation,” he says. “Rather than a major declaration that would double membership in off-road organizations overnight, they're sneaking up on closures these days to avoid the crisis reactions.”

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Join a Group

Most people don’t have time to keep track of what’s happening with the trails. But there are groups all over the country who are keeping track already. In his home state of California, Del’s California Four Wheel Drive Association pays attention every day to what’s going on with new legislation.

“That’s where you expand your power. Become a member, and let the group you believe in keep track of that stuff for you.”

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Advocate

After joining a group, the next step is to advocate on behalf of your pursuit. To help 4x4 drivers, hunters, and other outdoor enthusiasts stand up for their lands, Del created the Volunteer Leader and Land Stewardship Workshop (VLLS) to give hands-on training on how to give a speech, how to talk to a politician, how to start a club, and how to start a friends group to save your favorite sport.

Del’s workshop and other classes prepare people to galvanize groups and challenge politicians. He also stresses the value of doing more personal, grassroots actions.

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Include Others

Talk to your friends and neighbors about why you have that nice 4-wheeler. Give a ride to someone who doesn’t understand why saving a trail is important. Or “take out a family member who might have a lot of influence and be a blogger.” One person at a time, one act at a time, every off-roader and off-road ally can make a difference.

But when the time comes to stand up and stop the closure of a trail, it’s time to sit down at the keyboard.


Write Letters

The people who want to close public lands “are internet savvy. They're blog savvy. And they are committed to their cause,” says Del. So, join a group, advocate, include others, and “when your group says write a letter, jump up and write a letter.”

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What Tire Does Del Albright Use?

“When I started getting into advocacy and realizing that our lands were getting closed up, it didn't take long for BFGoodrich to stand out from other companies. They were the ones helping keep trails open. And it's been that way for 40 years at least, so that got me hooked on BFGoodrich.

We have maybe ten vehicles with BFGoodrich Tires on 'em. And I rely on that toughness, traction, the sidewall to get me home without a tire issue and to get me over whatever obstacles without even thinking about it. The BFGoodrich tires have performed.”

 

What Are You Building For?

“I build to set the example. That's what I build for. I build to be the example. You can write that down.”

Del Albright has been setting the example for over 40 years. You can learn more about him and take his classes at delalbright.com

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