Tread Lightly! Unites with Agencies for Box Canyon Restoration Project

Tread Lightly!, in cooperation with the Arizona recreational shooting community, multiple public agencies and private organizations, cleaned up the Box Canyon recreational shooting area in Arizona.

Recreational shooters and outdoor enthusiasts alike laced up their boots and strapped on their gloves to participate in a cleanup project outside of Phoenix as part of a larger pilot project in Arizona called the “Partnership in Shared and Respected Access.” The pilot project was established to protect access to public lands for the enjoyment of traditional activities like recreational shooting by nurturing individuals’ sense of good stewardship and demonstrating their commitment to the public lands in Arizona and across the country.

“Volunteers left this area the way it was supposed to look like,” said Tyler Raspiller, wildlife manager for the Arizona Game and Fish Department. Over 100 volunteers donated their time and energy and filled two 40-yard dumpsters with everything from shell casings to old mattresses.

The Box Canyon stewardship project, organized by Tread Lightly!, the Bureau of Land Management and Arizona Game and Fish Department, also had the support of heavy-hitting organizations like the National Rifle Association, Safari Club International, National Shooting Sports Foundation, Congressional Sportsmen Foundation and Public Lands Foundation. A good number of youth also turned out to lend a hand thanks to support from the Boy Scouts of America.

“This is the first of many stewardship projects we will execute in conjunction with the Partnership in Shared and Respected Access, along with education and outreach strategies to ensure continued access to the beautiful places we all enjoy,” said Lori McCullough, Tread Lightly! executive director. “I would like to extend a special thank you to the 100 plus volunteers who donated their time and energy to protect future access to Box Canyon. These dedicated stewards embody what it means to tread lightly.”

The Sturgis Motorcycle Museum and Hall of Fame recently named Marilyn Stemp and Steve Piehl to its board of directors.

Stemp is a pioneering figure in the motorcycle industry, founding IronWorks Magazine with her late husband, Dennis, and becoming the first female editor of a nationally circulated, mainstream motorcycle magazine. She also revived their trade magazine, Iron Trader News; edits the monthly Kiwi Indian News; contributes to several powersports media outlets; and is the founding editor of Sturgis Rider Daily. Stemp is a noted editor and writer of several motorcycle-focused books. Her consistent support for charitable efforts in the industry include the annual Biker Belles Celebration, Las Vegas BikeFest and as campaign chair for the Sturgis Motorcycle Museum’s development plan in 2014. She co-founded the Flying Piston charity events taking place in Daytona and Sturgis each year and is a National Ambassador for All Kids Bike. Stemp was inducted into both the Las Vegas Motorcycle Hall of Fame and the Sturgis Museum's Hall of Fame in 2018, and in 2022 she was recognized as one of the Top 100 Women in Powersports by DealerNews.