PROTECTING ACCESS
AMPL is dedicated to protecting public land access for responsible, multi-use recreation. We represent a growing community of snowmobilers, mountain bikers, dirt bikers, backcountry skiers and snowboarders, horseback riders, and many other recreationists. AMPL provides a voice for recreationists who value and use the outdoors. We aim to help develop administrative and legislative solutions relevant to public land access at the local, state and national levels.
Encourage purchase of ORV (off road vehicle)/OSV (over snow vehicle) tags that fund trail and access point maintenance.
Improve and maintain existing trails and access points.
Work with Forest Service to stay up to date on and involved in relevant proposals.
Advocate for multi-use recreation in Forest Service pre-planning.
Work with various local, state, and federal agencies to advocate for public land access.
MULTI-USE ETIQUETTE
At AMPL, we believe all users should have equal access to our public lands, as long as they are recreating responsibly. When conflict occurs between user groups, it’s usually a result of poor trail or backcountry etiquette. We believe respecting our fellow public land users is imperative for cultivating a cooperative community and protecting access.
Some things we can do to help keep access for all:
Share the trails/trailheads. Ride, hike, or run with the mentality that your form of recreation is no more important than others.
Be proud of your public lands. Strive to become an advocate for your favorite types of recreation, and become a steward of the land. Every time you go out, try to leave your public lands better than when you arrived.
Stick to marked trails. Do your research. Use printed trail maps or apps on your phone to ensure you’re recreating on legal trails. When users ride illegally created trails, it reflects poorly on all of us, portraying us as irresponsible recreationists. The best way to make sure you are on appropriate riding trails is to use a map app that shows the trails in your area and designates whether they are motorized or non-motorized trails. Our current favorite trail app is OnX Off-Road!
Encourage cooperation and be friendly. Put a smile on your face as you pass other folks in the mountains, thank them for following the rules of right-of-way, and wish them a great day. This video is a great example of how to share the trail with other users.
LAND STEWARDSHIP
AMPL is dedicated to cultivating a recreation community that values and protects the lands we love and enjoy. We encourage all users to be good stewards of the land, leave no trace, and respect boundaries and closures. In order to maintain our public land access, we must recreate responsibly.
Work with Forest Service to improve Wilderness boundary markings.
Work to secure grants and public donations to improve and maintain trails.
Encourage our community to leave their public lands in better condition than when they arrived each outing. Pick up any litter (even if it’s not yours), avoid muddy trails and parking areas, and follow leave no trace practices.
COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT
We believe bringing all user groups together is a key tool in maintaining recreational access. We are stronger together.
In our extremely active and diverse recreation community, many of us partake in several outdoor sports, even within the same seasons. Our goal is to bring all of these groups together to be a stronger community, willing to share our public lands with others.
Work to unify all users to ensure a cohesive voice from the recreation community as a whole.
Host and participate in community-building events across all user groups.
RECREATE SAFELY
At AMPL, we believe a key part of recreating responsibly is doing so safely. With backcountry recreation comes inherent risk. No matter how we choose recreate, we need to hone our backcountry skills to ensure we all come home safely.
LOCAL AVALANCHE CONDITIONS
Consider taking an Avalanche course…
Avalanches pose a considerable risk to skiers, snowboarders, and snowmobilers throughout the western backcountry. Unfortunately, recreationists pass away in avalanches every year while playing in the mountains. Consider taking a formal, on-snow avalanche course to further your backcountry decision making skills. There are avalanche schools around the west that provide education to both human powered and motorized users.
FIND AN AVALANCHE COURSE NEAR YOU BY VISITING AVALANCHE.ORG