Recently the “Bearded Jeeper” shared a video highlighting abandoned vehicle removal that he and other volunteers performed in New Hampshire. His messaging in the video was clear – if we take care of the trails we love, we will have them to recreate on for years into the future. If we do not, we will face closures.
The Bearded Jeeper said, ‘It is the responsibility of every one of us to keep the trails clean so future generations can continue to use them without them getting closed down. Remember to stay safe and tread lightly.”
He continued, “…we removed three burned and destroyed vehicles from local trails. We got special permission to go on the power lines and remove some of them. One that was on the main trail charred half the tree next to it and we are lucky it didn’t catch the whole forest on fire.”
Others can replicate their success. While theirs was a huge undertaking, not all efforts have to be. If you have the means to remove vehicles, refrigerators, large piles of trash – please do (with agency or owner approval, of course)! If not, you can join in simply by collecting any trash you find along the trail and packing it out – every little bit helps.
Following the Bearded Jeeper’s example will not only help keep trails and riding areas open, it will make for a better experience for everyone who uses the trail. Nobody likes to see trash when recreating.
Finally the Bearded Jeeper had something to say to anyone considering leaving an abandoned vehicle on the trail, “I don’t understand – if you have the means to drag a vehicle up the trail and dump it you can bring it to a local scrap yard and they will even pay you for it.”