The Office of Vice Chief Alan B. Ensley is hosting a trail clean-up and maintenance day for the Cherokee UTV Backwoods Trail on Saturday, Oct. 3 from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Registration and door prizes tickets will be available from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. at the Cherokee Indian Fairgrounds.
This event is open to all members of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians and their spouses. A snack will be provided at registration, and a bag meal will be provided upon return to the Fairgrounds.
To promote social distancing, a few announcements will be made from the Grandstand area and they request that everyone remain “distanced” in their ride. It is asked that participants sign in and choose a trail they would like to provide maintenance for. There will be a master project board on site so organizers can track which area will be worked on. This can be a family or group project to do one trail. Bring gloves, tools, saws, etc. Trash bags will be provided.
The goal is to clear brush and debris back away from trails including fallen logs that need removed, and any trash along side of trail areas. This work will help maintain the current trail system and allow everyone to enjoy the beautiful scenery and trail ride on safer, cleared trails.
It is asked that all volunteers return to the Fairgrounds at 2 p.m. for the live door prize drawing to be held at 2:30 p.m. You do not have to be present to win, but you will want to. The door prizes available for this event include: Battery powered Stihl and Husquvarna Chainsaws, machetes, tote boxes, Stihl Loppers, and more.
“As we are all seeing more and more UTV riders in our area, it is important that we take care of our trails and develop an organized method for maintenance and trail building efforts, as well as promote safety in the backwoods,” said Trudy Crowe, one of the event’s organizers. “Some topics for future plans include: developing a UTV/Trail riding association for tribal lands and we desire to get feedback from the people who know and ride these trails frequently. We also are hoping to do a mapping and implement a trail identification system and promote future ride events. And finally, we hope to keep our current trails environmentally sustainable and add to the trail systems we currently have. This requires all riders to take on stewardship of our beautiful lands. We hope to see you there.”
Organizers are requesting that participants RSVP so that the number of bag meals can be planned for and prepared. This event was originally scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 26 but was postponed due to the passing of Bro. Bo Parris, an honorary member of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians.
Info: Trudy Crowe 788-5579 or Chavella Taylor 506-1066
– Special to the One Feather
