ELCR Teams Up with 'Tread Lightly!' on Respected Access is Open Access Campaign Targeting Equine Community

Lexington, Ky. – July 21, 2015 - Equine land Conservation Resource (ELCR) announces a new partnership with Tread Lightly! and AQHA to launch a Respected Access is Open Access campaign targeting the equine community. Tread Lightly! is a nonprofit organization with the mission "to empower generations to enjoy the outdoors responsibly through stewardship to further the goals of responsible and ethical recreation." The organization started the Respected Access is Open Access program to educate recreational users of public land about responsible use and proper stewardship. The overarching goal of the program is to maintain and enhance access to public or private lands by improving recreationists’ behavior. The message is simple – responsible and respectful behavior leads to continued access. This powerful message resonates in the hearts and minds of the entire outdoor recreation community. Equine Land Conservation Resource has teamed up with Tread Lightly! to bring this educational campaign to the equine community with support from the AQHA STEP (Stewards for Trails, Education and Partnerships) program. The campaign will focus on raising awareness of the consequences of riding wet trails ranging from resource damage to increased conflict with other trail users through educational articles and placement of printed public service announcements. “ELCR is pleased to partner with Tread Lightly! and AQHA to bring the Respected Access is Open Access educational campaign to the equine community,” said ELCR executive director Holley Groshek. “As private land continues to disappear, public land will become increasingly more important to our equine community. Creating awareness about good land stewardship is essential to keeping land open and accessible to horses and horse related activities.” Organizations or publications interested in supporting the educational campaign by placing public service announcements can contact Abby Gates at agates@elcr.org or 859-455-8383. About the Equine Land Conservation Resource (ELCR): ELCR builds awareness of the loss of lands available for horse-related activities and facilitates the protection and conservation of those lands. We work to ensure America’s equine heritage lives on and the emotional, physical and economic benefits of the horse-human relationship remains accessible. ELCR serves as an information resource and clearinghouse on conserving horse properties, land use planning, land stewardship/best management practices, trails, equine liability and equine economic impact. For more information about the ELCR visit www.elcr.org or call (859) 455-8383 About Tread Lightly! - Tread Lightly! is celebrating its 25th anniversary as a national nonprofit organization in October 2015. Founded in 1990 through a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the U.S. Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management, Tread Lightly! promotes responsible outdoor recreation through ethics education and stewardship programs. Tread Lightly! has more than 70 official partners from various industries and is likely the nation’s only non-profit holding MOUs with every federal and state agency in the U.S. Tread Lightly!’s diverse member base enjoys a wide range of outdoor activities including hunting, angling, camping, boating, biking, four-wheeling and much more. Become a Tread Lightly! partner or member today and start supporting access, education and stewardship at www.treadlightly.org For additional information, contact: Abby Gates Equine Land Conservation Resource Phone: 859-455-8383 Email: agates@elcr.org www.ELCR.org