2013 Volunteer Hours

 

(Photo: Christina W.)

ATC had a post earlier this week on their Facebook page (love the picture!) regarding volunteer hours:

A record number of hours - 245,548 - was reported by volunteers for the A.T. during the federal fiscal year that ended 9/30/13. Those hours are roughly the equivalent of 118 full-time workers. Special thanks to all the volunteers who help to maintain and protect the #AppalachianTrail. THANK YOU!

It has been a remarkable year for our maintainers, beginning with a good dose of adversity .... the shelter fire. You can click on "shelter" in the label cloud to pull up all the posts. Dealing with the shelter fire damage turned out to be a good indication of how the rest of the year would go:  lots of volunteers turning out, tremendous effort by everyone, and some very major projects completed.

In 2012, Fran L, who had been collecting the volunteer hours, helped transition John O. into the position. John has kept up with everything on a big spreadsheet during 2013, a necessary and important job since hours are broken down between the National Park Service and the U.S. Forest Service (thank you, John!). Additionally, time is broken down further into categories for ATC.  Here is a summary of the Club's hours that are included in the 245,548 hours reported by ATC above:

AT Parks		1,539.40
AT Forest		499.60
Total		2,039.00

Some of the tasks, broken into hours:

Description	Hours
Trail Maintenance	1,021.50
Shelter	110.00
Boundary	74.00
Chainsaw	24.00

Planning projects has already started for 2014 so we have another wonderful year of trail maintenance to look forward to ..... coming up just around the New Year's corner!

♦ ♦ ♦

Volunteer trail maintainers ...... those who maintain individual sections, sawyers, those who turn out on work trips and anyone who contributes their time and effort, in whatever capacity to the Appalachian Trail ...... your work is important, your time and effort matter, and your dedication is remarkable. 

THANK YOU for a terrific year of AT Trail Maintaining!

AT Closed Due to Government Shut Down

 

Dear A.T. Volunteers:

As you all know now, at midnight September 30, the U.S. government shut down. All National Park Service units including the Appalachian National Scenic Trail are closed. All of our ATC Trail crews and seasonal staff are now exiting the woods and will stop working on federal lands for the duration of the shutdown.

A.T. maintainers and Trail club volunteers should cease work on the A.T. and its side trails immediately. The NPS Volunteers in the Parks program (on NPS and some state lands) is suspended. The Volunteers in the Forests program is also suspended. In the event of an accident, lack of those protections would expose A.T. workers, their clubs, and ATC to tort claims and medical costs. Therefore, all A.T. maintenance must cease for the duration of the shutdown.

National park lands are closed to public use. Except for two NPS-APPA NPS law-enforcement officers (Chief Ranger Todd Remaley and Park Ranger Travis Baker), all APPA park personnel have been furloughed, as have most of the staff in the six national park units crossed by the Trail. Incident reporting remains as in the past (see http://www.appalachiantrail.org/hiking/report-an-incident). We urge your compliance in honoring the closures on our national parks and avoiding use of national park lands during the federal government shutdown.
 
We have learned from the USDA Forest Service that—unless an area can be gated—it will remain open. This is also the case on state lands crossed by the A.T.

The ATC Mid-Atlantic Regional Office in Boiling Springs, Pennsylvania, is owned by the NPS, and the agency has determined that it must be closed for the duration of the shutdown.

For A.T. volunteers in the states of Maine, Massachusetts, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland, northern Virginia and the Catawba Valley in Southwest Virginia (NPS-APPA administered lands excepting state lands) the attached signs can be laminated and posted at bulletin boards at Trail heads warning the visiting public about the closure. For this task only, volunteers are covered by VIP until noon tomorrow, October 2, 2013. I have also enclosed a fact sheet from the Department of Interior.

If you have any other questions, please call your ATC regional office http://www.appalachiantrail.org/who-we-are/locations or me here at ATC-HQ.  We pulled your names from two lists, so there may be duplicates of this email, with apology.

Thank you for your outstanding service to the Appalachian Trail, ATC and our federal, state and local agency partners.


Bob

Robert Proudman

Director of Conservation Operations

Appalachian Trail Conservancy

799 Washington Street | PO Box 807

Harpers Ferry, WV 25425-0807

Appalachian Trail Junior Ranger Program (BRP)

 

AT Patch and Junior Ranger Rocker

While we were at Farm Fest Saturday, we talked to folks we knew and also met some interesting people for the first time. One of those people we met and talked to was Peter H., who is the Ridge District Interpreter. He was telling us that there was an AT Junior Ranger Program ... this was news to us!  Since we (AT volunteer maintainers) would like to see more kids outside in nature and interested in the AT in particular, this was an exciting discovery. Peter followed up with an email that included the program and a picture of the patch/rocker (see above). To quote some of his email information:

Now I am trying to get the word out to any/all folks about it. Basically, the visitor (teenager is target group) prints the booklet off from the internet and completes the work. Then they can send it/bring it by a Parkway Visitor Center (Humpback Rocks or Peaks of Otter) for checking and receive their patch (Appalachian Trail blue/yellow round patch with Junior Ranger matching rocker) for free (see attached image).

I think this is a great program to advertise to youth to get them involved in the AT.

 The booklet is primarily designed around the Humpback Rocks section of trail.  

[I am] trying to get the word out about the AT Junior Ranger program to all that can spread the word and use it. Let me know if you need anything else and please share far and wide. 

The booklet for the AT Junior Ranger has the following four sections so you can get an idea of what is included:

Activity 1 - Getting Started
Learn about the history and management of the Appalachian Trail from the Appalachian Trail map/brochure

Activity 2 - Map It

Activity 3 - Take a Hike
A Trail Assessment

Activity 4 - A Thru-Hiker's Journey
Read a real A.T. thru-hiker's journal and answer questions


LINKS:

• To download the booklet specifically for the AT Junior Ranger, go to this link:

Appalachian Trail Junior Ranger Program

• For other BRP programs for kids:

 For Kids

If you have/know of kids in this age range and you would like to get them interested in the AT or they already have an interest and you would like to further it, take a look at the AT Junior Ranger Program!  Thanks to Peter for this great information!!


(Photo: Peter H., BRP)

New Executive Director for ATC

Harpers Ferry, WV (July 16, 2013) – The Appalachian Trail Conservancy’s (ATC) board of directors has appointed Ronald J. Tipton as the new executive director/CEO who will lead the organization beginning in late August.

 

Tipton has spent most of the past 30+ years as an advocate for public land preservation and national park protection. A graduate of George Washington University with an undergraduate degree in American Studies and a law degree from GW’s National Law Center, Tipton first worked as a program officer at the National Academy of Sciences and on the oversight/investigative staff of the House Environment, Energy and Natural Resources Subcommittee.

Since 1978 he has been a part of the advocacy and/or management team of four non-profit national conservation organizations: The Wilderness Society, National Audubon Society, World Wildlife Fund, and National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA).

Tipton was the senior vice president for programs for NPCA from 2000-2008, when he became the senior vice president for policy. Currently, he is focused on expanding the number of national park units to increase the natural and cultural diversity of the park system as the country approaches the 2016 Centennial celebration of the National Park Service.

Bob Almand, chair of the board of directors for the ATC, stated, “Ron has the passion, management experience, and advocacy skills that the Appalachian Trail Conservancy is looking for, plus a strong connection to the Appalachian Trail and the Trail community. His high standards and experience will help move the organization forward to serve the next generation of Trail users.”

Read more:

 New Executive Director Selected For The Appalachian Trail Conservancy

Wenger Resigns As ATC Executive Director

 

Harpers Ferry, WV (June 10, 2013) – Mark Wenger, Executive Director and CEO of the Appalachian Trail Conservancy (ATC), has announced that he will be departing the ATC effective July 1, 2013. Steve Paradis, former Chief Operating Officer of the ATC, will serve as interim Executive Director/CEO until Wenger’s position has been permanently filled to ensure a smooth transition. The board of directors expects to fill this position by the end of this year.  

Wenger joined the ATC in 2012, replacing David Startzell, the prior Executive Director. Wenger leaves the ATC at a time of growth and development. The ATC has a membership of over 42,000 members, a vast network of over 6,000 volunteers and an operating budget of $7.3 million.

As a volunteer-based organization whose mission is “to preserve and manage the Trail – ensuring that its vast natural beauty and priceless cultural heritage can be shared and enjoyed today, tomorrow, and for centuries to come”. The ATC is the only organization dedicated solely to protecting and promoting the world’s most famous long-distance hiking Trail, providing outdoor recreation and educational opportunities for Trail visitors.

Founded in 1925, the ATC is a 501(c)(3) organization headquartered in Harpers Ferry, West Virginia, and has regional offices in Massachusetts, Virginia, Pennsylvania and North Carolina.  The ATC is both a confederation of 31 local Trail-maintaining clubs, with assignments to maintain the Trail, and a membership organization with support from all 50 states and more than 15 foreign countries.  Under agreements that date back to the 1930s, buttressed by federal legislation, the ATC leads a cooperative management system for the Trail in close cooperation with federal, state and local agencies and Trail-maintaining clubs.

Given the Trail’s historic legacy of volunteerism, many of the ATC’s programs are focused on supporting and encouraging volunteers.  Some of the key activities and initiatives include Trail management and support, conservation, advocacy, and environmental monitoring and research. Some of the ATC’s new initiatives include the Trail to Every Classroom and the Appalachian Trail Community™ program.

The Appalachian Trail (A.T.) is a unit of the National Park System, stretching from Georgia to Maine, at approximately 2,180 miles in length. Volunteers typically donate more than 220,000 hours of their time doing trail-related work each year, and about 2 to 3 million visitors walk a portion of the A.T. each year.

About the Appalachian Trail Conservancy

The Appalachian Trail Conservancy’s mission is to preserve and manage the Appalachian Trail, ensuring that its vast natural beauty and priceless cultural heritage can be shared and enjoyed today, tomorrowmorrow and for centuries to come. For more information about the Appalachian Trail Conservancy, visit www.appalachiantrail.org

Contact: Javier Folgar                                
Appalachian Trail Conservancy

Regina: Our ATC Ridgerunner

Regina on Humpback Rocks last year during Konnarock.

(Photo: Christina W.)

Last year, our ATC ridgerunner had another great season for her third year. Regina's main duty was to talk with hikers, encouraging stewardship of the trail. Other jobs included reporting blowdowns and trail conditions, meeting groups, Konnarock crews, and trail clubs, checking shelters and privies, removing rogue fire rings, picking up trash, and noting interesting wildlife and plants. Regina's Tye River Ridgerunner section covers Petite's Gap to Rockfish Gap. The ATC manages the position in partnership with the Washington-Jefferson National Forest Service.

This year, Regina will be back on the AT around mid-April. We look forward to seeing her on the Rockfish to Reeds AT!

Regina working with the Konnarock Crew in July, 2012

(Photos: Lori A.)

♦ ♦ ♦

For more information on the ATC's Ridgerunners:

ATC: Ridgerunners & Caretakers

Regina's Website:       Forgiveness Walks

Virginia Regional Director Announced

From: "Laura Belleville"
Sent: Thursday, March 14, 2013 6:07:10 PM
Subject: Announcing Virginia Regional Director

ATC Board, Stewardship Council, agency partners, volunteer leaders, and staff,
 

I am thrilled to announce that Andrew Downs has accepted the Southwest and Central Virginia Regional Director position. Many of you know Andrew from his work with ATC's Deep South office where he has been employed by ATC since 2007 as the Regional Trail Resources Manager. Andrew brings a diversity of experience to the Regional Director position. Most significantly he has extensive experience working with agency partners and volunteers. He has also managed and developed crew programs, secured funding for trail projects, and recently initiated the development of a Wilderness Skills Institute. Andrew holds a Masters of Science degree from North Carolina State.
 

Andrew is highly motivated, and is committed to effective management of the A.T. and to ATC. It is a pleasure to offer him an opportunity to professionally grow with our organization. He will be transitioning into his new role starting April 1st. We will allow him time to close out his projects in the southern office while taking the reins on projects and programs in Virginia. We expect that Andrew will be fully settled into his new role by mid-May.
 

Please join me in congratulating Andrew, and welcoming him as the new Regional Director.
 

Laura Belleville

Director of Conservation

Appalachian Trail Conservancy

P.O. Box 174

110 Southpark Drive

Blacksburg, VA 24063

www.appalachiantrail.org

 

The Appalachian Trail Conservancy’s mission is to preserve and manage the Appalachian Trail – ensuring that its vast natural beauty and priceless cultural heritage can be shared and enjoyed today, tomorrow, and for centuries to come. To become a member, volunteer, or learn more, visit www.appalachiantrail.org.

AT - Hurricane Sandy (UPDATED 10/31/12)

Wintergreen - October 30, 2012 (our AT Section 8 overlooks Wintergreen so conditions should be similar)

 

 

  Appalachian Trail Conservancy - Trail Updates

Hurricane Sandy impacted a large swath of the Appalachian Trail on October 29 and 30. In some areas, downed trees and flooding of small streams and low-lying areas may create hazardous or impassable conditions. Snow ranging from a few inches to more than three feet now blankets much of the A.T. from Shenandoah National Park in Virginia south to Winding Stair Gap, North Carolina, near the Georgia border.
Emergency response may be delayed or nonexistent due to heavily taxed resources and access issues. Cell and electronic communications may not be available. Hikers should always remember their obligations to potential rescuers, and stay safe and out of trouble. If you venture into an area of the A.T. that is open and appears to have received minimal damage, be prepared for the unexpected, and make sure someone back home knows of your plans.

Several areas that the Appalachian Trail passes through are closed or have issued alerts. Access roads may be damaged or impassable. Check with local agency for closures and more information.

Areas with known closures or advisories:
NH White Mountain National Forest http://www.fs.usda.gov/whitemountain
VT Green Mountain National Forest http://www.fs.usda.gov/alerts/greenmountain/alerts-notices/?aid=15249
New York State parks www.governor.ny.gov
NYDEC (state forests) http://nynjtc.org/
New Jersey State Parks http://www.state.nj.us/dep/parksandforests/
Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area: www.nps.gov/dewa
Pennsylvania State Forests (Michaux SF): www.dcnr.state.pa.us/forestry/stateforests/michaux/index.htm
Shenandoah National Park www.nps.gov/shen
Blue Ridge Parkway www.nps.gov/blri
Great Smoky Mountains National Park www.nps.gov/grsm/planyourvisit/temproadclose.htm
Monitor National Weather Service for up-to-date forecasts and local conditions as well as agency websites for closures and advisories. Snowfall maps can be found at www.nohrsc.noaa.gov/nsa.

When you finish your hike on the A.T., please report significant trail conditions and problems you discover (trees across the A.T.; missing or damaged bridges or storm-damaged shelters, and similar problems) to trailconditions@appalachiantrail.org.

Special Note to A.T. Maintainers: Please do not venture into the woods until any damage has time to settle, and follow local agency closures and permissions before venturing out. As you learn more, please let ATC know about conditions on the Trail.

Skyline Drive, just north of our AT section, with snow as a result of Sandy.

 

A Shifting Path

In its 75 years, the Appalachian Trail has regularly been relocated, rebuilt.

ATC Headquarters, Harpers Ferry, WVA (Photo: Dave W.)

HARPERS FERRY, W.Va. - Like the people who hike it, the Appalachian Trail is always moving.

Technically, today marks the 75th anniversary of its completion. But the 2,180-mile path stretching across 14 states from Springer Mountain, Ga., to Katahdin, Maine, is never really finished.

It took 15 years for hundreds of volunteers, state and federal partners, trail maintenance clubs and young workers with the New Deal-era Civilian Conservation Corps to build the original path. In the decades since, nearly 99 percent has been relocated or rebuilt, and transferred from private to public ownership.

That means the trail and about 250,000 contiguous acres are better-protected than ever from development and suburban sprawl.

TO READ THE REST OF THE ARTICLE (Richmond Times Dispatch):

Appalachian Trail Still Evolving After 75 Years

~*~*~*~

The 75th Anniversary Celebration in Harpers Ferry August 11 & 12 - all photos & captions by Dave W.:

Lots going on!

Left: Setting up the displays

Right: The ATC display

Left: Getting ready for the parade

Right: Listening to Gene Espy, the second AT thru-hiker

Carl and Angie are ready to guide young hikers on the mini-AT trail - a few of the states are shown below:

Left: VA - Hmmm.. wasn't someone going to make stiles to get over those fences?

Right: PA - Rocks, of course!

Left: VT - Lots of ponds
Right: ME - Crossing the Kennebec and climbing Katahdin

Hikers taking the requisite photo in front of ATC.

A.T. 75th Anniversary Festival, Aug. 11-12

When:    August 11-12, 2012 (Saturday & Sunday)


Times:   Event offerings run Saturday from 10:00 am to 9:30 pm and on Sunday from 8:30 am to 5:00 pm.


Where:   Harpers Ferry, WV



Background

The Appalachian Trail was completed in 1937. The 75th anniversary of the official completion date occurs on Tuesday, August 14. To celebrate this significant milestone, ATC is planning its first ever large-scale festival in Harpers Ferry, West Virginia the weekend before (August 11-12). Now that Harpers Ferry (and the adjacent town of Bolivar) is an official A.T. Community, this milestone offers a timely opportunity to engage the town in promoting the Appalachian Trail in ways that are beneficial to the community and the Trail itself.


Location/Venue

Appalachian Trail Conservancy Visitor Center & Mather Training Center and Lawn, Harpers Ferry, West Virginia

Event Highlights


Parade  (Saturday at 12:30 p.m.)
To register your class year, trail club, or organization, email lpotteiger@appalachiantrail.org by August 1. Staging times will be assigned. Individuals are not required to register in advance.


Special Guest Speakers (Saturday at 1:15 p.m.)

• Mark Wenger, Executive Director, ATC
• Pam Underhill, NPS A.T. Park Manger
• Rebecca Harriett, Superintendent, Harpers Ferry NHP
• Larry Luxenburg, President, A.T. Museum
• Harry Bridges, 50-year PATC member
• & more ..... see link

Programs (Saturday 2 - 6 p.m. and Sunday 12 - 5 p.m.)

• Eugene Espy, second thru-hiker (1951)
• Leonard Adkins, author of A.T. books, 5-time thru-hiker, trail maintainer
• Jeff Haas, Delaware Nature Society
• Lauralee Bliss, recent 2-time 2,000-miler
• Tom Banks, A.T. Leave No Trace Committee Chair
• & more ...... see link

Kids Activities (Saturday 10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.)


Music (Saturday 2:00 pm - 8:00 pm)


Saturday Evening Programs in Harpers Ferry & Shepherdstown, WV


Outdoor Exhibits (Saturday 10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m., Sunday 11 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.)


Special Events in Lower Town Harpers Ferry 



Organizers

Appalachian Trail Conservancy and Friends of the A.T. in Harpers Ferry & Bolivar.
ATC staff contact is Laurie Potteiger (304) 535-2200 x128, lpotteiger@appalachiantrail.org.


For more information & details:

A.T. 75th Anniversary Weekend Celebration in Harpers Ferry

Background/history information on the AT:

75th Anniversary of the Completion of the Appalachian Trail