Adopt-A-Highway

The members of Off Camber 4WD club recently volunteered for the Adopt-A-Highway program as part of their community service commitment.

Even though Off Camber 4WD is based in Atlanta, Georgia, they decided to commit to the Adopt-A-Highway program in North Carolina. The club's volunteers pick up litter along the entrance road to Upper Tellico OHV Area. This is Davis Creek Road, which becomes trail 1 when you leave the pavement.

The North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) established the Adopt-A-Highway program in 1988 in response to growing public concern regarding litter along the state's highways.

The Adopt-A-Highway program is instrumental in fighting the increasing litter problem in North Carolina and elsewhere. Adopt-A-Highway volunteers in NC save taxpayers approximately $4 million annually in roadside clean-up costs. North Carolina has one of the largest anti-litter programs in the nation with 6,000 participating groups and 120,000 volunteers statewide. These volunteers have adopted 12,000 miles of state-maintained roadsides.

NCDOT posts signs at each end of the adopted section with a group’s name to show its participation in the program. NCDOT also provides safety training, safety vests and trash bags.

Off Camber 4WD Vice President Ricky Bramlett came up with the idea for participating in the Adopt-A-Highway. He stated, "As the number of 4-wheeling locations continuously decline, we must try to do all we can to promote our sport. There are a lot of people out there that have no clue what we do. We think it is important that we give back to the communities where we wheel. In an effort to do so, I discovered the Adopt-A-Highway program. I contacted the NCDOT and signed us up to maintain a 2 mile section of Davis Creek Road entering into the Upper Tellico ORV area. We will make 4 trips per year and pick up trash. In return, we get a sign at each end of our section with Off Camber 4 Wheel Drive listed as the sponsor."

Everyone should be proud of the great example that members of Off Camber 4WD are setting in the community.

For full information on the Adopt-A-Highway program in North Carolina, go to the NC DOT web site.