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HUMMER AND TREAD
LIGHTLY! FUND IMPORTANT DUST ABATEMENT PROJECT
Phoenix, ARIZONA (January 21, 2009) – The
nonprofit organization Tread Lightly! and
General Motor's HUMMER division have teamed up
to fund an important research project in Arizona
to help reduce the dust caused by off-highway
vehicles (OHVs).
Although several trails across the country
have dust-related problems, little research has
been done to test the effectiveness, longevity,
and cost of dust suppressants and dust abatement
management, especially in Western environments.
According to the Environmental Protection
Agency, small dust particles kicked up by
motorized vehicles can pose a health risk to
riders and those nearby. Some riding areas
are in danger of closing if dust is not reduced.
"This project is extremely important, not
only for these Arizona trails, but also for all
of outdoor motorized recreation," said Lori
McCullough, Tread Lightly!'s executive director.
"We are glad that HUMMER has stepped up to help
us reduce health and environmental risks, while
still keeping riding areas clean and open."
The Bureau of Land Management's Phoenix
District and the Maricopa County Air Quality
Division are testing three commercially
available, non-toxic dust suppressants along
sections of the popular L6 Trail, northwest of
Phoenix. The testing began in October and
will run through March 11, 2009. The trail
will remain open to evaluate the longevity of
each suppressant in a real world setting where
vehicles drive on it daily. Results will
be made public for other land managers to
utilize.
The Arizona Off-Highway Vehicle Coalition and
The HUMMER Club provided several volunteers to
help with various aspects of the project.
Additional work included the development and
installation of an educational kiosk at the
trailhead and the rehabilitation of grounds near
the staging area.
The study was funded by a grant initiative
called HUMMER's Restoration Rescue, which was
created in 2008 under the umbrella of Tread
Lightly!'s Restoration for Recreation program.
For more information on HUMMER's Recreation
Rescue, please visit
www.treadlightly.org. For maps and
detailed information about the project, contact
the BLM Hassayampa Field Office at 623-580-5500.
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