POMONA, Calif. (Oct. 6, 2012) – BFGoodrich® Tires today announced that nominations are now open for the 2013 Outstanding Trails program. Off-road clubs in the U.S. and Canada may now submit trails in their area that they believe are worthy of a grant for maintenance or refurbishing. Nominations may be made via Facebook or Twitter.

Trails are selected based on uniqueness, terrain type and enthusiast following.

“Off-road communities demonstrate true enthusiasm for the sport and passion for our products,” said Rodrigo Alonso, light-truck brand category manager for BFGoodrich Tires. “Being able to give back to this community by helping maintain and refurbish off-road playgrounds is our way of showing appreciation.”

Now in its eighth year, the Outstanding Trails program is conducted in collaboration with Tread Lightly! and the United Four Wheel Drive Associations (UFWDA) and is dedicated to the responsible use and preservation of off-road trails while promoting the trails’ conservation efforts.  To date, the program has awarded more than $100,000 in grants to 30 off-road trails nominated by 29 clubs throughout the U.S. and Canada.

Consumers can visit BFGoodrich’s Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/bfgoodrichtires
or Twitter handle @bfgoodrichtires between Oct. 6, 2012 and Jan. 31, 2013 to post their nominations for trails to be considered for the competition. BFGoodrich will select three trails and announce the winners at the Easter Jeep Safari on March 31, 2013.

Previous winners of Outstanding Trails grants include:

Outstanding Trails and Clubs (2006-2012)

2012
Mirror Lake Trail, Calif. – Visalia Lock and Low 4-Wheel Drive Club
Blanca Peak Trail, Colo. – Creeper Jeepers Gang of Durango
Bents and Dents Trail, Ala. – Central Alabama Off-Road Society

2011
Interlake Trail 19, Ind. – Indiana Four Wheel Drive Association
Morrison Jeep Trail, Wyo. – Magic City 4-Wheelers Inc.
Dusy-Ershim OHV Route, Calif. ¬– Four Wheel Drive Club of Fresno

2010
Rausch Creek, Pa. – PA Jeeps
Drummond Island, Mich. – Drummond Island Off-Road Club
Yacolt, Wash. – Crystal Crowder
Johnson Valley, Calif. – Victor Valley 4 Wheelers
Holy Cross, Colo. – Big Horn Jeep Club

2009
Barnwell, Texas – Texas Motorized Trails Coalition
Fordyce Creek, Calif. – Friends of Fordyce Club

2008
Superstition Mountain, Calif. – San Diego 4 Wheelers Off-Road Club
Blacktail/Wild Bill National Recreation Trail, Mont. – Skyliners Four Wheel Drive Club, Inc.
Iron Range, Minn. – Northern Minnesota Jeepers Club
Pritchett Canyon, Utah – Moab Friends-For-Wheelin’ Club
Quinn Trail, Ontario, Canada – Ottawa Valley Offroaders Club
Beasley Knob, Ga. – Georgia Bounty Runners 4WD Club

2007
Rubicon, Calif. – The Rubicon Trail Foundation
Flat Nasty, Mo. – Capital City Crawlers
Tillamook, Ore. – Raven Off-Road OHV Club
Redbird, Ind. – Four Wheels to Freedom 4WD Club
Poughkeepsie Gulch, Colo. – Western Slope 4-Wheelers
Whipsaw Trail, B.C. – Rover-Landers of British Columbia

2006
Naches Pass, Wash. – Pacific Northwest Four-Wheel Drive Association
Upper Tellico, N.C. – Southern Four Wheel Drive Association
Pyeatt Draw, Ariz. – Rim Country 4 Wheelers
Black Bear Pass, Colo. – Creeper Jeepers Gang of Durango
Hell’s Revenge, Utah – Red Rock 4-Wheelers, Inc.

About the Outstanding Trails Program
The BFGoodrich® Tires Outstanding Trails program was established in 2006 to raise awareness for responsible use and preservation of off-road trails while providing support in the trails’ conservation efforts.

Both Tread Lightly!® and UFWDA are non-profit organizations dedicated to responsible and ethical outdoor recreation.  BFGoodrich Tires collaborated with these two groups to select the finest off-road trails and continues to work with these organizations on restoration and education initiatives.

United Four Wheel Drive Associations is the world’s leading representative of all-brand, four wheel-drive enthusiasts.  UFWDA benefits, developed and tested over the past 30 years, include four-wheel-drive safety and awareness education; such user ethics programs as adopt-a-road, conservation volunteer and volunteer trail patrol; assistance with new club formation; education seminars to aid four wheelers through complex state and federal programs affecting trail access;  internet forums designed to instantly connect members globally; and unlimited member access to its full-time legislative advocate and nationally recognized attorney who works exclusively for four-wheel-drive enthusiasts to protect access and prevent road and trail closures.  For more information on the UFWDA log on to www.ufwda.org or call 1-800-44-UFWDA (800-448-3932).

Tread Lightly! is a national nonprofit organization with a mission to promote responsible recreation through ethics education and stewardship.  Tread Lightly!’s strategic educational message, along with its training and restoration initiatives, are designed to instill an ethic of responsibility in outdoor enthusiasts and the industries that serve them. The program is long-term in scope with a goal to balance the needs of those who enjoy outdoor recreation with the needs of the environment. The federal government recognizes this by acknowledging Tread Lightly!® as a sole-source service provider of education and training on how to be environmentally and socially responsible while using motorized and mechanized vehicles in off-highway settings.

About BFGoodrich® Tires
Using motorsports as a proving ground for more than 40 years, BFGoodrich® Tires is involved in nearly every type of racing, including road racing, autocrossing, desert, closed course off-road, rally and extreme rock crawling. BFGoodrich Tires combines technological expertise with vast motorsports experience, delivering a high-performance tire for every type of vehicle. Visit BFGoodrich Tires at www.BFGoodrichTires.com on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/bfgoodrichtires  or on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/BFGoodrichTires.