YTC becomes partner of nonprofit group Tread Lightly!

SANTA ANA, Calif.—Yokohama Tire Corp. has become an official partner of Tread Lightly!, a U.S-based nonprofit organization dedicated to promote responsible outdoor recreation through stewardship and educational programs.

Alan Holtschneider, TYC's director of marketing, said the tire maker will assist Tread Lightly! by assisting with forest cleaning, building infrastructure, trail remediation and off-road post-event clean-ups.

Holtschneider said YTC has been been "a huge participant of off-road activities via motorsports and our Geolandar line of tires. That's why Tread Lightly!'s staunch belief in 'Protecting the Fun' completely aligns with our values. Yokohama fully supports Tread Lightly!'s ongoing mission to protect off-road trail access and public lands."

Tread Lightly!, a national nonprofit, has a mission to promote responsible recreation through stewardship programs and ethics education. Through its training and initiatives, the organization strives to instill an ethic of responsibility in outdoor enthusiasts and the industries that serve them.

Yokohama's initial project with Tread Lightly! was in the Shawnee National Forest outside of Herod, Ill. Yokohama helped repair a kiosk, pavilion frame and roof.

"Without this help, these would have likely had to be torn down in a few years, but the effort Tread Lightly! took in this section will reestablish a 20-mile loop in the forest roads and restore a section that's in danger of closure due to a washout," Holtschneider said.

Matt Caldwell, Tread Lightly!'s executive director, said with Yokohama's help, more work can be done "to conserve the trails and public lands we all use and enjoy."