Friends of Uwharrie LEO Project

Greetings,

Uwharrie National Forest, approximately 51,000 acres of National Forest System lands, is located in the Montgomery, Randolph and Davidson Counties of North Carolina. Uwharrie is a natural playground full of endless possibilities for nature lovers, outdoor enthusiasts, folklore lovers and families.

Friends of Uwharrie is a non-profit (501 3C) organization whose purpose is to promote, develop, and maintain environmentally sound off highway vehicle outdoor recreation opportunities in the greater Uwharrie National Forest area. Our goal is simple, bring ohv enthusiasts together as one family with the goal of keeping our trail system open. We provide volunteer labor along with financial resources, received through donations or grants, to complete special projects in Uwharrie that the US Forest System cannot afford to fund.

Last year 1.2 million recreationists visited Uwharrie, over 21,000 OHV trail passes were sold to off road enthusiasts.

As the number of trail users rises, so does the number of complaints about negative behaviors on trails.  Currently, the Law Enforcement Officer and the K9 Officer who are responsible for patrolling all of Uwharrie National Forest does not have on-trail transportation.  The USFS cannot afford to purchase this equipment.  After 5 months of negotiations with the authorities that govern how the LEO operates within Uwharrie, Friends of Uwharrie has been granted special permission to provide a side by side to be used specifically by this LEO and K9 unit.

The rules are very specific. The vehicle must remain unmarked by the dealership from which it was obtained but brand names may stay on it. No advertisement of the dealer, group, or donor may be publically shared that specifically to whom it is presented but FoU may post public advertisements for the provider. The majority of advertisements will be via Facebook, our current page reaches anywhere from 4,000 to 50,000 individuals on a daily basis.  Friends of Uwharrie is in the process of accepting donated funds from willing recreationists and will use the collective funds to provide the needed gear and vehicle.  We have received permission to donate the vehicle and gear to the LEO on behalf of the entire 4wd community with no acknowledgement given to a singular resource.  The vehicle must be new or like new with warranty and must be able to be serviced within driving distance of Uwharrie. We must be able to modify the passenger seat to accommodate the K9 Officer. Several models that we have looked at have cargo area in the rear but the area heats up while in use which is detrimental to our K9 Officer’s well-being.  The USFS will maintain the vehicle for its life span under their “fleet management” budget.  Donations to this project are tax deductible.

Your donations will benefit you, the 4wd community in Uwharrie directly by increasing your safety on OHV trails.  The vehicle will have a heavy trail presence and will be visible to thousands of people each year which will be a huge advertisement for the manufacturer in itself. Our officer will operate it with pride and will know that our community sees him as a valuable much needed resource.

If you can help us with this endeavor, please contact us via email [email redacted] or visit us on Facebook   www.facebook.com/FriendsOfUwharrie.

 

Thank you for your kind consideration,

 

Robin Touw, FoU Admin/Media/Grants