13 Dec Announcing the 2023 Tread Lightly! Ambassador of the Year Presented by Corbeau Seats

In 2021, Tread Lightly! kicked off the Ambassador of the Year award with the help of Corbeau Seats to honor an individual who went above and beyond to protect off-road trail access and embodies the Tread Lightly! ethic when they’re out on the trails. Tread Lightly! is thrilled to continue the tradition and honor a new Ambassador in 2023, Jerry Bain of West Virginia.  

September 30, 2023 was the first-ever “Tread Lightly! Day West Virginia,” an event created to motivate volunteers across the entire state to take the Do Your Part Pledge to work together to clean up trash from recreation sites. In total, over 20,000 lbs. of trash were cleaned up across the state by 158 volunteers.

As Chairman of the Country Roads Coalition, Jerry organized and rallied these volunteers, brought together crucial stakeholders and worked with the DNR and DEP to select sites. This large-scale project day would not have been possible without his hard work and dedication to seeing it through.

Along with his work on TL! Day West Virginia, Jerry is a huge proponent of conservation and education to help improve motorized recreation opportunities across West Virginia.

“I am very honored to be named Tread Lightly!’s Ambassador of the year,” said Bain. “Receiving this award from an organization that I admire for their work and messaging is truly humbling. We have a lot of work to do to make sustainable and responsible motorized recreation a reality in West Virginia and I feel that Tread Lightly! is essential to meeting that goal. I believe adventure enthusiasts visiting Wild Wonderful West Virginia will understand why we want it to always remain as beautiful as when they arrived.”

Jerry will receive a custom office chair courtesy of Corbeau Seats, a $500 grant from Tread Lightly! for a project of his choice and a custom plaque honoring Jerry as the 2023 recipient. Thank you, Jerry, for your hard work and dedication to Protecting the Adventure!

“Tread Lightly! can’t achieve its mission without passionate and dedicated volunteers working to conserve and improve motorized recreation. Jerry Bain embodies that passion and dedication every day, which is why he’s been selected as our 2023 Ambassador of the Year. His work on Tread Lightly! Day West Virginia is the first seed planted to bigger and better events moving forward, and we’d like to thank him for seeing it through and helping us Protect the Adventure.”-Matt Caldwell, Tread Lightly! Executive Director 

“He has worked tirelessly for the betterment of access and stewardship of land in the state of WV while fostering relationships with state organizations to improve motorized recreation in a responsible way. He is currently spearheading the largest cleanup that Tread Lightly! has ever done. He is personable and just a good person all-around.”-Miranda Watson

“Jerry reached out to me at CRAWL Magazine several years ago to invite us to try out the Hatfield & McCoy trail system. He has been a non-stop force for wheeling in southern WV and assisting in public/private partnerships to open more opportunities. He’s been at the forefront of practicing stewardship on lands that have been left barely usable after major resource extraction activities have ended. He’s never afraid to pick up the phone or get in his rig to show legislators what can be done to increase responsible offroad tourism in the state.”-John Herrick Editor in Chief at CRAWL2 Media

“Jerry has worked tirelessly with the Hatfield McCoy trail system in West Virginia as well as various state departments and legislators to expand OHV use in West Virginia as well as increasing the number of full-size OHV trails in various Hatfield off-road areas. He has also led trail cleanups (including those associated with Tread Lightly!), planned and executed multiple OHV trips through his Adventure Appalachia organization, and worked to reaffirm unimproved county roads throughout the state, all in an effort to expand OHV access and increase opportunities for Adventure Tourism in WV. He is truly someone that supports Tread Lightly! principles while also promoting responsible, managed OHV use.”-Trent McGee