The Public Lands Foundation presents the Colorado ORV Coalition and Responsible Recreation Foundation with its 2013 Landscape Stewardship Certificate of Appreciation and this Citation.   The Foundation grants this recognition to honor private citizens and organizations that work to advance and sustain community-based stewardship on landscapes that include, in whole or in part, public lands administered by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM).

The Colorado OHV Coalition and the Responsible Recreation Foundation have been partners with the BLM for over 10 years, and have had an effective and ongoing Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) since 2005. The MOU partners have met annually to develop a Plan of Operations.     And, the Coalition and Foundation cooperate with the BLM in providing training and educational information and to facilitate the management of trails, and trail systems.

The Coalition, in collaboration with the National Off-Highway Vehicle Conservation Council, U.S. Forest Service, BLM, and Colorado Parks and Wildlife, have coordinated an annual OHV management workshop since 2000.     The purpose of this workshop is to assist the BLM and other stakeholders in gaining knowledge and developing skills and partnerships that will result in long-term sustainability and improvement of trail systems.

The Coalition and the Foundation are a statewide resource for land managers and local communities. The partnership encourages a conservation ethic in Off-Highway Vehicle (OHV) and Over the Snow Vehicle (OSV) users by developing a greater sense of stewardship while cooperating on the construction, maintenance, and operation of roads, trails, and systems. The Coalition and Foundation are dedicated to responsible management of the Nation’s natural resources through the involvement of concerned citizen groups.

The activities to be undertaken through this partnership are in furtherance of the BLM, the Foundation and the Coalition mission by providing 1) enhanced educational opportunities and materials for the public, 2) enhanced training opportunities, and 3) enhanced roads, trails, and OHV/OSV riding areas.

The Coalition and Foundation, in partnership with the BLM and others, have developed the “Stay the Trail” educational campaign to address irresponsible off-highway vehicle (OHV) use and damage mitigation on public lands. Stay The Trail’s mission is to reinforce and highlight responsible OHV use, and to modify and mitigate irresponsible use in an effort to reduce resource damage on public lands. The goal is to create a statewide culture of responsible OHV use that will continue beyond the life of the project, effectively creating a stewardship ethic among all Colorado OHV recreationists.

The Public Lands Foundation is pleased to present the Colorado ORV Coalition and the Responsible Recreation Foundation with its 2013 Landscape Stewardship Certificate of Appreciation and this Citation for invaluable contributions to the stewardship of America’s public landscapes.

September 13, 2013