Del’s Jeep Rebuild – And a 4-Step Plan to Keep the Roads Open
By Del Albright
If you’ve been following me for any length of time, you know I’ve been wrenching on my Jeep again. Yep, the Ol’ Reliable needed a bit of love—a full rebuild with new guts and gear to get her ready for the high desert, backcountry rock gardens, and everything in between. She’s my tool, my teacher, my trail mate.
And as I stood over the hood—grease on my hands and freedom on my mind—I was reminded of something I’m asked all the time:
“Del, what can I do to help stop road and trail closures?”
Here’s my no-BS answer. It starts with four simple but powerful steps. If you’re serious about keeping trails open, these are the fundamentals:
Step 1: JOIN. Just JOIN.
Join your local club—Jeep, UTV, ATV, dual sport, snowmobile, or equestrian. Join your regional or state association (in California, that’s CA4WDC). Join a national organization if you have one you like.
Join something. Pay the dues. Attend meetings when you can. Volunteer when possible. But even if you can’t show up, your membership counts. Virtual is not enough!
It gives our lifestyle a backbone, a voice, a seat at the table. It shows that we’re organized, credible, and not just a bunch of rogue wheelers tearing up the land. We are caretakers, stewards, and patriots of the public lands we cherish.
No members = no power. It’s that simple.
Step 2: ADVOCATE. Be Seen. Be Heard.
Talk to your friends and family. Speak up online and in town halls. But better yet, “adopt” your local fed—whether it’s a USFS Ranger, BLM Manager, or someone else in charge of public lands.
This idea came from my friend Tom Crimmins (USFS, ret.), and it works. Make friends inside the agencies. Take them on trail runs. Invite them to your club events. Schedule coffee. Show up for public meetings. Shake hands and build bridges.
Because the truth is, our opposition—those who oppose our way of life —are already in the office. They’re on the mailing lists. They know the names and faces. We need to be there too.
Step 3: INCLUDE OTHERS. Grow the Movement.
We don’t win this fight alone. We win it by recruiting others. Bring new folks to your club meetings. Show them what we’re about—responsibility, respect, and real-world conservation.
Help them get started with letters, volunteer days, or even just a friendly trail ride. Let them see the difference we’re making—boots on the ground, hands in the dirt, hearts in the mission.
This is our chance to rewrite the narrative. We’re not villains. We’re the real stewards out here—boots deep in the trail, trash bags in hand, and winches ready to help the next guy.
Step 4: LETTERS. Make Your Voice Count.
Write your elected officials. Pick up the phone. Send an email or better yet, a handwritten letter.
One ride = one letter. That’s the deal I propose. Call it my One for One plan. For every one day you spend on tires, do something for landuse – no matter how small.
Let your voice echo where the decisions are made. Remind your reps that these roads, these trails, and this freedom—they matter to people who vote, pay taxes, and care deeply about the land.
Put It All Together: JOIN • ADVOCATE • INCLUDE OTHERS• LETTERS = J.A.I.L.
Let that acronym sink in. Because our public lands don’t belong in JAIL, locked away behind bureaucratic bars. They belong in our hearts, in our rigs, and under our boots—open to all, forever.
So yeah, I’m rebuilding my Jeep. But I’m also rebuilding our fight to keep public lands in public hands.
Are you in?