by Matt Konkle
Managing Editor
Nestled among the many ridges that make up western North Carolina’s part of the Great Smoky Mountains sits the history-rich town of Maggie Valley.
And part of that history involves the WNC Jeep Fest, held each year in early June.
For this year’s event, 15 volunteers peeled off and headed into the nearby United States Forest Service’s Appalachian Ranger District of the GSM National Park to clean up part of a trail.
Organizers wanted to make sure the forest was left clean and ready for future motorized vehicles.
In all, despite constant inclement weather, volunteers removed 450 pounds of trash from the trail, which served to improve 11 miles of trail.
This Great Smoky Mountains National Park cleanup was the 22nd of 50 trail and public land restoration events Quadratec will help sponsor in each state by the end of 2023.
So far through its supported projects, the 50-for-50 Stewardship Grant has accumulated 5,302.5 volunteer hours with a total value of $158,213, pulled away 91,685 pounds of trash and improved 553 miles of trail.
Quadratec’s ’50-for-50’ stewardship grant fund helps project managers pay for equipment, fees, volunteer support, food, fuel, signage and other miscellaneous costs.
Quadratec has been a supporting partner of Tread Lightly! for more than 20 years, and a longtime fundraiser for Tread Lightly!’s stewardship programs. The company has also promoted Tread Lightly! and other trail restoration efforts through its Quadratec Cares ‘Energize the Environment’ program.
Clubs and individuals are required to be active, supporting members of Tread Lightly! to be eligible to apply for ’50-for-50’ grant funding. To learn more about the Quadratec ’50-for-50 program, visit Quadratec's 50 for 50 Trails Stewardship Grant Initiative.
