HUMMER and Tread Lightly! Launch Restoration Effort at Mendocino National Forest's North Fork Campground
05 April 2004 - 3:02PM
PR Newswire (US)
HUMMER and Tread Lightly! Launch Restoration Effort at Mendocino
National Forest's North Fork Campground STONYFORD, Calif., April 5
/PRNewswire/ -- The national nonprofit organization Tread
Lightly!(R) and General Motors' HUMMER division announced Saturday
a new initiative aimed at repairing damage caused by the 2001
"Trough Fire" at the North Fork Campground in the Mendocino
National Forest. The organizations have committed over $20,000 to
assist with the rehabilitation of the area. The project is part of
HUMMER Helps, an ongoing initiative with Tread Lightly!'s
Restoration for Recreation(TM) program aimed at promoting socially
responsible four-wheeling by enhancing recreational areas and
educating the public about responsible outdoor use. HUMMER and
Tread Lightly! launched the new initiative at a groundbreaking
ceremony at the North Fork Campground near California's Sacramento
Valley. "The North Fork area is crucial to Northern California's
recreational community," said Mike DiGiovanni, HUMMER general
manager. "This initiative will help repair significant damage
caused by the fire and restore basic resources that support the
activities that make this site so popular. We're proud to be part
of such a worthy effort that not only benefits the four- wheeling
community, but outdoor enthusiasts of every kind." The North Fork
Campground is a vital component of the Fout Springs Off- Highway
Vehicle recreation complex, one of the most popular OHV
destinations in Northern California -- boasting about 70,000
visitors a year. The "Trough Fire" caused significant damage to
trees, vegetation and infrastructure of the site. Recreation
activities in the area include all-terrain-vehicle riding,
4-wheeling, horseback riding,backpacking, biking, hang gliding,
water activities and camping. Community volunteers, local
dignitaries, GM and Tread Lightly! employees and various charitable
organizations gathered to launch the initiative and participate in
a day-long tree-planting and cleanup event hosted by the Blue
Ribbon Coalition, a national nonprofit organization that promotes
and protects responsible off-highway recreation. The four-month
restoration project is scheduled for completion in late August and
will involve: *Construction of a new Americans with Disabilities
Act-approved restroom facility with a barrier-free walkway *
Removal of fire-ravaged hazardous trees and re-vegetation *
Reconstruction of the pedestrian swimming/fishing access trail *
Replacing area picnic tables * Construction of an interpretive
bulletin board emphasizing responsible outdoor recreation "Our
momentum with our Restoration for Recreation program is surging,"
said Lori Davis, Tread Lightly!'s executive director. "The North
Fork project will mark a major victory in our quest to help
alleviate the backlog of needed maintenance on some of the nation's
favorite recreational sites." Last October, Tread Lightly! received
a $100,000 endowment from HUMMER to signify the launch of HUMMER
Helps. The annual endowment is administered as a grant giving
initiative to select outdoor enthusiast clubs who are Tread
Lightly! members and have pinpointed recreational areas in need.
The HUMMER Helps program was created to recognize HUMMER owners who
have utilized their vehicle's capability for acts of humanity, and
to sustain the lands where outdoor enthusiasts enjoy off-highway
activities. Based in Ogden, Utah, Tread Lightly! is a nonprofit
organization that is an ethical and educational force among outdoor
enthusiasts and the industries that serve them. Tread Lightly!
carries out programs designed to instill a proactive, low-impact
message among enthusiasts, manufacturers, advertising agencies, the
media and children of all ages. DATASOURCE: HUMMER CONTACT: Monica
Sheffield of Tread Lightly!, +1-800-966-9900; or Matt Banchek of
HUMMER Communications, +1-248-458-8375 Web site:
http://media.gm.com/ http://www.gm.com/
Copyright