Recreational Access and Conservation - Conservation and Public Service Activities	Short Cuts
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Tread Lightly! Pledge and Principles

Travel and recreate with minimum impact

Staying on designated trails and routes reduces the impacts of outdoor recreation. Travel only on land or water areas that are open to your type of recreation. Be sure your vehicle size is compatible with the road or trail conditions. Cutting switchbacks and taking shortcuts can destroy vegetation and cause others to use the unauthorized route. Most trails and routes are designed to withstand the effects of recreational use. Resist the urge to create new ones.

Respect the environment and the rights of others

Respect the environment by following the Tread Lightly! principles. Remember, designated wilderness areas are reserved for travel by foot and horse only. Respect and be courteous to other users who also want to enjoy the lands and waters you are using. Set an example of courtesy for all. Be considerate and honor other’s desire for solitude and a peaceful outdoor experience. Loud motors and noisy behavior will detract from a quiet outdoor setting. When driving, be especially cautious around horses, hikers and bikers. Pull off to the side of the road or trail, shut off your engine if necessary and let them pass.

Educate yourself, plan and prepare before you go

Educate yourself by having the right information, maps and equipment to make your trip safe. Land managers can tell you what areas and routes are open for your type of recreation. Travel maps are available at most offices. Know the local laws and regulations. On private land, be sure to obtain the owner or lands manager’s permission to cross or use their lands. As you travel, comply with all signage. Honor all gates, fences and barriers that are there to protect our natural resources, wildlife and livestock.

Allow for future use of the outdoors, leave it better than you found it

The future and quality of outdoor recreation depend on how we use it today. Stay on designated roads and trails. Avoid sensitive areas at all times. Especially sensitive areas susceptible to scarring are streambanks, lakeshores and meadows. Improper vehicle use can cause damage to vegetation. Stay on designated roadways and trails so that new scars are not established. Cross streams only at fords where the road or trail intersects the stream. Traveling in a stream channel causes damage to aquatic life. Hill climb only in designated areas. Hillside climbing may be a challenge, but once vehicle scars are established, other vehicles follow the same ruts and cause long lasting damage. Rains cause further damage by washing deep gullies in tire ruts. Permanent and unsightly scars result. While operating your Off Highway Vehicle, be sensitive to the life sustaining needs of wildlife and livestock. In deep snow, stay clear of game so that vehicle noise and close proximity do not add stress to animals struggling to survive.     

Discover the rewards of responsible recreation

Enjoyment of the great outdoors provides the opportunity to get away from it all. Family values and traditions are built with the thrill and excitement of outdoor recreation. Help preserve the beauty and inspiring attributes of our lands and waters for yourself and generations to come by recreating responsibly. Do all you can to help protect the forest, lands and waters that mean so much to you.