YOUR NATIONAL
The Magazine of the National Forest Foundation
America’s Newest Long Trails NEW HIKES MAKE FOR BIG ADVENTURE
Camping Dos and Don’ts MAKING THE MOST OF YOUR CAMPING TRIP
Passport in Time VOLUNTEERS DIG THE PAST
Summer | Fall 2016
Board of Directors Executive Committee Craig Barrett, NFF Chair Retired, CEO/Chairman of the Board, Intel Corporation (AZ) John Hendricks, NFF Vice Chair Hendricks Investment Holdings, LLC (MD) Max Chapman, NFF Vice Chair Chairman, Gardner Capital Management Corp. (TX) Lee Fromson, NFF Treasurer Executive Vice President, Products & Operations, Simms Fishing Products (MT) Timothy P. Schieffelin, NFF Secretary Senior Wealth Director, BNY Mellon Wealth Management (CT) Caroline Choi, Vice President Integrated Planning & Environmental Affairs, Southern California Edison (CA) Peter Foreman, Sirius LP (IL)
Board of Directors David Bell, Chairman, Gyro, LLC (NY) Mike Brown, Jr., General Partner, Bowery Capital (NY) Coleman Burke, President, Waterfront Properties (NY) Robert Cole, Partner, Collins Cockrel & Cole, P.C. (CO)
SUPPORT YOUR NATIONAL FORESTS Donate today to ensure these resources last for tomorrow. $50 will plant 50 trees — helping ensure the health and vitality of our remarkable National Forests and Grasslands. $100 will send 10 students to a Friends of the Forest® volunteer day. $1,000 will restore up to one acre of forest. Visit www.nationalforests.org/give to contribute today.
Bart Eberwein, Executive Vice President, Hoffman Construction Company (OR) Robert Feitler, Chairman of the Executive Committee, Weyco Group, Inc. (IL) Barry Fingerhut, CEO/Owner, Certification Partners, LLC (AZ) Rick Frazier, Chief Product Supply & Service Officer, Coca-Cola Refreshments, North America Group (GA) Beth Ganz, Vice President, Public Affairs & Sustainability, Vail Resorts Management Company (CO) Roje S. Gootee, Co-Owner & Manager, Rush Creek Ranch, LLC (OR) James K. Hunt, Managing Partner/CEO, Middle Market Credit, Kayne Anderson Capital Advisors, LLP (CA) Andie MacDowell, Actress & Spokesperson (CA) Jeff Paro, President & CEO, Outdoor Sportsman Group (NY) Patricia Hayling Price, President, LiveWorkStrategize, LLC (NY) Mary Smart (NY) Thomas Tidwell, Chief, U.S. Forest Service, Ex-Officio (DC) Chad Weiss, Managing Director, JOG Capital Inc. (WY) James Yardley, Retired, Executive Vice President, El Paso Corporation (TX)
welcome letter
F
or these truly to be “the people’s lands,” the people must understand the land’s condition, potential, limitations, and niche in resource conservation in this country and must be willing and able to help achieve sustainability.” — Committee of Scientists’ Report to Secretary of Agriculture Dan Glickman on the Forest Service – December 1997 Outdoor Experiences, Wonderful Memories By Bill Possiel, NFF President At a recent meeting of the National Forest Foundation (NFF), several of us set out to fly fish the Truckee River in search of the trout that the waterway is well known for. As we walked down from the terrace along the road, the scene along the Truckee was magical. Grey clouds associated with storms far off cast a glow on the river, and the view of the Sierra Nevada mountains in the distance left our small group with a sense of place that you can only experience by getting away from the distractions of modern life to enjoy the outdoors. This is what motivates our team to advance the NFF’s mission. The day before, staff met with our Board of Directors to talk about the next phase of the NFF’s work and our desire to do more – to have a greater impact on the condition of the people’s lands and waters. We discussed the successes and failures associated with our recently completed Treasured Landscapes, Unforgettable Experiences campaign and our Board challenged us to think about how we could significantly scale-up our efforts. Led by our California Director Vance Russell in 2011, the NFF
began to explore what we could accomplish if the Tahoe National Forest were to become one of our 14 Treasured Landscapes projects. Five years later we were there, touring a restoration project that put structure back in the river, providing excellent fish habit and improving the health of the river and watershed. This project not only improved habitat, but helped to secure one of the sources of water for communities, irrigation and agriculture downstream. That’s the kind of win-win that can be achieved through sound environmental stewardship with the goal of sustainability. Visiting the Tahoe National Forest was motivational and inspiring for our staff and Board. In addition to being moved by the setting and the high-quality outdoor experience for which our National Forests are known, we were impressed with the people – our partners. It is said that success is determined by the people around you. For the Truckee River Treasured Landscapes project, we worked with the dedicated people at the Tahoe National Forest, the Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit, the California Tahoe Conservancy,
Trout Unlimited, the Sagehen Creek Field Station and others to get the job done. The story of people pitching in to make a difference is one that is repeated on each project that the NFF is involved in across the country. The natural landscapes of the National Forest System provide us with a sense of place, a national identity; they are also important resources for the communities that these lands surround. But, no matter where you reside, these are your lands, and enjoying them with friends and family through outdoor experiences will provide you with wonderful memories.
Summer | Fall 2016
1
inside
this edition Welcome Letter
3
Where in the Woods?
Outdoor Experiences, Wonderful Memories
features
How well can you identify your National Forests?
4
Forests by the Numbers
5
Field Reports
7
What do visitors do on our National Forests?
12
NFF hosts first National Collaborative Restoration Workshop and Native youth restore their sacred land
From the Pacific Northwest to New England, new long trails mean big adventure
Forest News The newest “America the Beautiful” quarter and New coffee table book celebrates National Forests
9 10
America’s Newest Long Trails
16 Camping Dos and Don’ts A little forethought, planning and humor can go a long way towards making your experience an enjoyable one
Kids and Nature Delight in wildflowers!
Tree Spotlight A small conifer having a big impact on people across the world
20
Conservation
24
Voices From the Forest
California’s Forests and Waters: An Uncertain Future
Outdoors for All: an Interview with James Edward Mills
28
Passport in Time Have you ever wanted to be an archaeologist?
on the cover Heath Bald Roan Highlands, Pisgah National Forest, North Carolina. ©David Blevins Photography
2
Your National Forests
Photo: Andy Porter, Illustration: Josh Quick, Photo: USFS
1
where in the woods This National Forest borders an iconic National Park. See inside back cover for answer. Photo: USFS
National Forest Foundation Building 27, Suite 3 Fort Missoula Road Missoula, Montana 59804 406.542.2805
Ž2016 National Forest Foundation. No unauthorized reproduction of this material is allowed. Your National Forests magazine is printed on recycled paper with 30% post-consumer content. This magazine’s use of FSC certified paper ensures the highest environmental and social standards have been followed in the wood sourcing, paper manufacturing and print production of this magazine. To learn more log on to www.fsc.org.
Your National Forests
The Magazine of the National Forest Foundation Editor-in-Chief Greg M. Peters Contributors Tim Gibbins, Brendan Leonard, James Edward Mills, Greg M. Peters, Patrick Shannon, Wes Swaffar Graphic Artist Marci Mansfield, Mansfield Communications
National Forest Foundation President William J. Possiel Executive Vice President Mary Mitsos Executive Vice President Ray A. Foote Edward Belden Southern California Program Associate Sheree Bombard Director, Administration Karen DiBari Director, Conservation Connect Hannah Ettema Communications & Development Associate Robin Hill Controller Adam Liljeblad Director, Conservation Awards Zia Maumenee Conservation Programs Officer Luba Mullen Associate Director, Development Emily Olsen Conservation Connect Associate Marlee Ostheimer Philanthropy & Partnerships Coordinator Greg M. Peters Director, Communications Lee Quick Accountant Vance Russell Director, California Program Marcus Selig Director, Southern Rockies Region Mark Shelley Director, Eastern Region Patrick Shannon Director, Pacific Northwest Region Deborah Snyder Development Services Manager Emily Struss Event Planner & Coordinator Wes Swaffar Ecosystem Services Senior Manager Dayle Wallien Pacific Northwest Field Representative
Summer | Fall 2016
3
forests by the numbers
E
very four years, the U.S. Forest Service reports on how Americans recreate on National Forests and Grasslands. The next “National Visitor Use Monitoring Survey” comes out this year, making it timely to highlight some key facts from the last report. What do visitors do while on the Forests?
160
million annual visitors to National Forests and Grasslands
300
million annual trips through Scenic Byways and similar routes that cross National Forests
14%
$13.5
went downhill skiing
billion annual impact to America’s Gross Domestic Product through visitor spending on National Forest trips
???
37% 19% participated in hiking and walking
13
%
went to simply relax
viewed the abundant natural features our forests offer
7 in 10 Seven in ten Americans live within a two-hour drive of a National Forest or Grassland. That probably includes you, so what are you waiting for? Be sure to check out the NFF’s blog and follow us on Facebook to learn more about the amazing recreation opportunities on these public lands.
4
Your National Forests
Think that 160 million visitors means that the forests are full of people, the trails are crowded and campgrounds are full? The Forests can handle them by offering… • 150,000 miles of trails • 122 alpine ski areas • 338,000 heritage sites • 9,100 miles of Scenic Byways • 57,000 miles of streams • 22 National Recreation Areas • 11 National Scenic Areas • 11 National Monuments • 4,300 developed campgrounds • 119 Wild and Scenic Rivers
field reports Photo: National Forest Foundation
NFF Hosts First National Collaborative . Restoration Workshop
I
n April, the NFF hosted the Collaborative Restoration Workshop: Working Toward Resilient Landscapes and Communities, the first ever national workshop focused on collaborative restoration on and around National Forests and Grasslands. Approximately 320 practitioners came together at the History Colorado Museum in Denver, including representatives from 33 states, at least 110 organizations and all nine regions of the U.S. Forest Service. Speaking directly to the need and desire for the workshop, registration was full by the beginning of April, several weeks before the workshop began! From the first moment, the air was filled with lively conversations about the best and worst of collaborative restoration. In their
respective keynote addresses, NFF President Bill Possiel, Forest Service Chief Tom Tidwell, and USDA Under Secretary for Natural Resources and Environment Robert Bonnie challenged participants to learn, network and improve their capacity to work with the Forest Service and each other. Collaborative restoration itself is not the most exciting process; it can seem like one long meeting after another. But the workshop proved the opposite. During smaller breakout sessions, participants dove into deep and relevant discussions about collaboration, shared meals and jokes and formed connections that will advance their work across the country. Ordinarily dry topics – using science in restoration, planning and monitoring processes, strategies for working
It was an awesome week of idea sharing and networking.
with opposing viewpoints – were brought to life through real world examples, lively discussions and animated presentations. As one happy participant noted, “Thanks to the NFF and all those who assisted in developing the agenda and concepts for this workshop! It was an awesome week of idea sharing and networking. Definitely time and money well spent, and I hope we can continue to capitalize on the momentum going forward.” We agree – now is the time to work with our partners to harness the energy from the workshop to improve the practice and impact of collaborative restoration across the country. The workshop was made possible through generous support from the Forest Service, the Northern Arizona Ecological Restoration Institute, The Nature Conservancy, the Northwest Fire Science Consortium, the Colorado Forest Restoration Institute, the Rural Voices for Conservation Coalition and the Meridian Institute. NFF also partnered with Southwest Airlines to provide airfare scholarships for many participants. To learn more and view workshop materials, go to nationalforests.org/crw.
C O R P O R AT E PA R T N E R In 2016, multi-year NFF partner, Polaris Industries, is helping to improve multiuse trails in Minnesota and Arizona. In addition to providing better riding, the trail work will protect watersheds and forest health.
Summer | Fall 2016
5
field
reports
Native Youth Restore Their Sacred Homeland
E
veryone has heard the term “God’s Country” in reference to beautiful, sprawling landscapes. But for the Blackfeet Indian Nation in Montana, the Badger-Two Medicine area of the Lewis and Clark National Forest is literally sacred.
6
Your National Forests
learn valuable skills and gain a deeper understanding and appreciation of their heritage, and forest users benefit from improved recreational access. These types of projects – youth engagement coupled with trail restoration – are exactly what we like to support. There is huge need across the country to address both issues, and this project is a great example of how that can be done. The NFF is proud to be supporting this effort again in 2016.” Photo: Montana Wilderness Association
The Tribe’s creation story takes place in the Badger-Two Medicine, which borders the Blackfeet Reservation and the southern border of Glacier National Park. The Tribe’s sacred Sun Dance also comes from the Badger-Two Medicine. The area is also home to a wide array of native wildlife including grizzly bears, wolverines, wolves and lynx, and it provides a critical migration path between Glacier Park and the Bob Marshall Wilderness complex. Snow-capped peaks rise from rolling prairies and blue-green rivers wind east towards the mighty Missouri. In 2015, NFF grant funding connected Blackfeet youth to their sacred homeland through week-long hitches spent restoring trails and camping in the Badger-Two Medicine. Each week, tribal elders and local conservation leaders visited the youth and shared cultural and ecological stories about this special place. The project was organized and facilitated by the Montana Wilderness Association (MWA) in close coordination with the Blackfeet Community College. Twelve youth participated, repairing six miles of trail, installing 30 trail drainage structures and restoring one campsite. All told, the crew contributed 800 hours of volunteer time, and their work proved as high quality as professional trail crews. Many of the trails hadn’t been maintained in more than a decade, making this work especially valuable for backpackers and outfitters who use the Badger-Two Medicine. Despite their proximity to this area, some of the youth had little camping experience or equipment. MWA provided camping gear and healthy meals for the crew, deepening the quality of the experience and reinforcing the youth’s connection to the natural world. “These projects are truly a win-win-win,” said the NFF’s Conservation Awards Director Adam Liljeblad. “The local watershed benefits through improved drainage and trail stewardship, the youth
forest news Newest “America the Beautiful” Quarter Features the Shawnee National Forest
L
ast February, the United States Mint issued its latest quarter in the “America the Beautiful Quarter” series. These special edition quarters feature iconic natural wonders and important historical places across America. If fans of the Shawnee National Forest tuned in to February’s release, they no doubt recognized the image of Camel Rock that adorns the back of the coin, the first of five to be issued in 2016. Camel Rock is just one of the treasures contained in the 280,000-acre Shawnee National Forest that spreads across southern Illinois. Boasting two National Scenic Byways, vast hardwood forests and important wetlands, the Shawnee is perhaps best known for its unique rock formations, particularly the Garden of the Gods Recreation Area, where Camel Rock is found. The sandstone formations have been sculpted into twisted, intriguing formations by wind, sand and water for millennia. All told, the U.S. Mint will issue 56 America the Beautiful quarters through 2021. The next National Forest quarter, to be issued in 2019, will feature the Frank Church-River of No Return Wilderness, which runs through four National Forests including the Salmon-Challis, the Payette, the Nez Perce-Clearwater and the Bitterroot.
Other National Forests featured in the series to date include:
The Mt. Hood National Forest quarter featured its namesake volcano in 2010.
In 2012, the El Yunque National Forest quarter featured a Coqui tree frog and a Puerto Rican parrot.
Birch trees frame Mt. Chocorua on the back of 2013’s White Mountain National Forest quarter.
Louisiana’s Kisatchie National Forest appeared in 2015 with an image of a wild turkey flying near a bayou.
Summer | Fall 2016
7
forest news
S
ome may claim the world doesn’t need yet another coffee table book; however, precious few depict America’s National Forests, which makes Char Miller’s new book a welcome addition to coffee tables everywhere. An award-winning author and historian, Miller takes readers on a journey through the amazing 193-million-acre National Forest System in, which features 30 of the most notable National Forests across the country. Tim Palmer’s 200 stunning photographs bring to life Miller’s thoroughly-researched writing. Renowned conservationist Bill McKibben provides a hopeful forward to the book, inviting readers to experience these historic and important landscapes. Miller’s introduction takes readers on a fast-paced trip through the history of America’s conservation movement and the genesis of the National Forest System. The essays that follow speak to the characters and landscapes that make these public lands so important for our country. Miller’s evocative prose wanders from the deciduous canopies of the White Mountains National Forest in New Hampshire to the arid Gila National Forest in New Mexico and from the vastness of the Tongass National Forest in Alaska to the wide-open expanses of the Little Missouri National Grassland in North Dakota. In each essay, he invokes the unique attributes that make these places worth visiting and worth protecting. He also details the various ways local communities have impacted these forests and grasslands, showcasing how committed leaders can affect local and national change. Palmer’s beautiful photographs dovetail with Miller’s prose, grounding the essays in inspiring beauty. While Americans’ thoughts typically
8
Your National Forests
default to National Parks when considering striking landscapes, Miller and Palmer reveal that equally beautiful scenes abound in our National Forests. Armchair travelers and hard core National Forest fans alike will find their National Forest experiences enriched by this tribute to “The People’s Lands,” and Miller’s book helpfully explains how the Forests earned that sobriquet and why it remains true today. America’s Great National Forests, Wildernesses and Grasslands, edited by Scott J. Tilden, is published by Rizzoli International Publishing in association with the Pinchot Institute for Conservation and the U.S. Forest Service. It is available through fine book sellers and at barnesandnoble.com and amazon.com.
C O R P O R AT E PA R T N E R Since 2012, Lands’ End and the NFF have planted more than 1 million trees on our National Forests. These trees are cleaning our air, improving water quality and storing carbon. By the end of this year, we’ll plant another 180,000. Now that’s Lands’ Friendly!
LANDS’ END
kids and nature Johnny Jump Ups, Monkey Flowers and Mules Ears: Delight In Wildflowers By Greg M. Peters
“The lovely flowers embarrass me, they make me regret I am not a bee.” —Emily Dickinson, 1864 Everyone has heard the old line, “April showers bring May flowers.” Few places bring this saying to life better than our National Forests. Here are five reasons to mount a wildflower mission with your kids and celebrate these wonders of nature.
Wildflowers have awesome names kids love! Who wouldn’t enjoy spotting a Bush Sticky Monkey Flower? Or how about a Mules Ear or a Jonny Jump Up? Maybe you live where the Arrowleaf Balsamroot bursts across the hills each spring. Try getting your kids to say Crimson Columbine ten times fast; they’re sure to be laughing by try number five.
Wildflowers are easy to spot and easy to identify. Wildflowers are colorful and can be found nearly everywhere. Meadows, stream sides, heavily-treed forests, even deserts all offer wildflowers. You don’t have to go far to find a blooming, colorful patch of wildflowers. Photo: iStock.com/itasun
Wildflowers have interesting uses, including as medicine! Did you know the bulbs and leaves of the Glacier Lily are edible and sweet tasting? They are a common early-season food for bears and other wildlife. The bright yellow wildflower Arnica is used as an anti-inflammatory in many commercial products (when eaten, Arnica can be poisonous; the production process for commercial applications removes the toxicity). Many wildflowers are important to insects too. The stately Monarch butterfly relies on wildflower nectar for its epic annual migration from Mexico to the northern U.S. Wild bees also depend on wildflowers to make their delicious honey as well.
They don’t care about the weather, and they stay put! Rain or shine, cool or hot, wildflowers bloom all day long. You don’t have to get up early to catch a glimpse of an elusive wildflower; it’ll be there after you enjoy a second cup of coffee. Unlike birds and animals, wildflowers won’t fly or run from you making them a favorite subject of artists and photographers. You can just walk right up and take a picture or a deep breath of their magical scent. Trust us, they won’t mind.
They’re just plain beautiful. Wildflowers are incredible examples of nature’s beauty. Up close, the intricate designs of petals and leaves showcase the near infinite variety of nature’s design skills. From a distance, a field of multi-colored wildflowers dancing beneath a blue sky can be the highlight of any hike.
Want to find some wildflowers to identify with your family? First, please leave flowers where they belong, in the ground. While it can be tempting to pluck them to bring home for a vase, it’s best to set good habits with your kids and just let flowers be. If you don’t have an identification guide or book, you can draw the flowers or snap photos with your phone and identify them at home. Check out www.fs.fed.us/wildflowers/viewing and www.fs.fed.us/wildflowers/kids/activities to learn more about how to get your kids interested in these beautiful, fascinating and important plants.
Summer | Fall 2016
9
tree spotlight The Pacific Yew: Small Stature, Big Impact By Patrick Shannon Photo: Wiki Commons
I
The red berry of the Pacific yew.
f you are lucky enough to hike in the temperate rainforests of the Pacific Northwest, you might notice a small conifer that is having a big impact on people across the world. Underneath the tall Douglas-firs that dominate these forests lives a small evergreen, more of a shrub than a tree, with flat needles and round, red berries. Widely distributed from Southeast Alaska to Marin County, California, the Pacific yew is also found in eastern British Columbia and into the Idaho Panhandle, although rarely in large concentrations. In the Pacific Northwest, the Pacific yew prefers deep, moist or gravelly soils under the canopy of old-growth forests. In the drier
10
Your National Forests
interior forests, the species develops best along mountain streams and in shady canyons, ravines and coves. While not many animals utilize the yew tree, some birds eat the berries and in turn disperse the trees’ seeds. Importantly, the yew’s leaves, twigs and berries are all potentially fatal to people if eaten. Despite its poisonous nature, this small tree has a long history of important uses for people. Native Americans used yew trees to make a variety of items for
daily life. The tree’s wood is strong and resistant to rot, which made it useful as archery bows, canoe paddles, adze handles, harpoon shafts, and even drinking vessels, bowls and utensils. Tribes also developed approaches to harness or otherwise remove its toxicity and used its needles and bark for a variety of medicinal purposes from relieving a stomachache to protecting against sunburn. Since the Pacific yew had little value as lumber, it was often piled and burned after commercial timber harvests. It was not until 1962 when a botanist in Washington analyzed the yew’s bark that modern society realized the yew’s beneficial properties. Results confirmed that a compound called paclitaxel, produced from the yew’s bark, was indeed toxic to living human cells. But, scientists realized that paclitaxel could be
tree spotlight used to target specific cells and experimented with using the compound to fight cancer, ultimately developing the breakthrough cancer-fighting drug, Taxol. This critical drug is now on the World Health Organization’s Model List of Essential Medicines. Unfortunately, Taxol’s discovery presented a serious problem for the trees. Producing enough Taxol to treat one patient required the bark from three to six 100-year-old yew trees. Given how slowly the Pacific yew grows and the large amount of bark needed to produce Taxol, concern about over-harvesting the species increased through the 1990s. Limited scientific data about the tree’s distribution and population levels exacerbated these concerns and prompted land managers like the Bureau of Land Management and the Forest Service to study the
tree throughout its range. Recently, scientists determined that they can produce Taxol from 11 different species of yew trees. As Pacific yew harvests declined, the harvest of other species of yew trees across the globe increased. As late as 2011, a species of the Himalayan yew tree found in Afghanistan, India and Nepal was harvested to the brink of extinction for medicinal use and fuel, prompting the International Union for Conservation of Nature to list this species as endangered. To date, Taxol remains one of the best plant-based cancer treatments available. Fortunately for this life-giving tree, advancements in research have created a semi-synthetic version of Taxol, alleviating the demand for yews to be peeled of their bark. Additional advances have shown that Taxol can be
created from yew needles, further eliminating the need to harvest large amounts of bark from the tree. The next time you find yourself in the range of the Pacific yew, look for the telltale red berries on this short-statured conifer that has had a big impact on people from past and current cultures.
Patrick Shannon directs the NFF’s Pacific Northwest programs. An avid fly-fisherman and hiker, Patrick keeps his eyes peeled for the Pacific yew whenever he’s rambling through the Northwest’s dense forests. Reach him at pshannon@ nationalforests.org
Photo: RTI International
Producing enough Taxol to treat one patient required the bark from three to six 100-year-old yew trees. The drug Taxol comes from yew tree bark and needles.
Summer | Fall 2016
11
treasured landscapes The Newest Long Trails Crossing America By Tim Gibbins
A
fter graduating college in 2005, I wanted one final summer of adventure before entering the workforce. I hoped to spend the majority of my time outside, and so I started researching a long-distance hike. I, like most people, considered only the shortlist of usual suspects: the Appalachian Trail (AT), the Continental Divide Trail (CDT) and the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT). I chose the PCT, rounded up two childhood friends and set out from the Mexican border.
12
Your National Forests
Photo: iStock.com/Alessandro Guerriero
After walking through the wilderness of California, Oregon and Washington, we crossed the Canadian border. It took us five month and two days, and afterwards, I felt lucky to live in a country where such a trail existed. It turns out that if you’re like me, a person who counts their blessings in long distance trails, our fortunes are improving. In the decade since my thruhike, Congress has designated three new long trails to bring the National Scenic Trail System’s total to 11 trails. Work crews have added hundreds of miles to existing ones, and conservation groups have proposed a handful of new routes. Amazingly, each of these trails was created through the dedication of an individual or a small group of people, a testament to how a committed individual or group can impact the nation.
treasured landscapes Photo: Robert Luce
2
1
Arizona Trail~ Designated in 2009
Photo: Andy Porter
The Arizona Trail begins in the Huachuca Mountains on the Mexican border and then bisects the state lengthwise for 807 miles until reaching the Vermillion Cliffs on the Utah border. The route traverses arid mountains, deserts, scablands and the Grand Canyon, before entering the deep pine forests of the Mogollon Rim. Much of the trail receives less than 11 inches of rain a year, making for thirsty traveling because water sources are few and unreliable. While long-distance hiking is not for the inexperienced (Cheryl Strayed and Bill Bryson excepted), elementary school teacher Dale Shewalter first envisioned the trail in 1984 as a multi-use resource for all citizens no matter if they’re hiking, biking or horseback riding. Now, more than 30 years later, Shewalter’s dream has become a reality. The Arizona Trail connects small towns and growing cities to the Coronado, Tonto, Coconino and Kaibab National Forests. It traverses state, federal and tribally-owned lands. In 2009, Congress officially designated the Arizona Trail as a National Scenic Trail, and it is quickly becoming one of the premier long-distance trails in the country.
Pacific Northwest Trail~Designated in 2009
The Pacific Northwest Trail (PNT) begins in Glacier National Park and travels 1,200 miles through Montana, Idaho and Washington before reaching its western terminus at the Pacific Ocean. Much of the route passes through mouth-gaping terrain. It includes forays into Glacier, North Cascades and Olympic National Parks and crosses seven National Forests. Whether park or forest, it’s all wild, rugged country that provides some of the few remaining strongholds for grizzly bears in the Lower 48. The trail connects diverse towns such as Montana’s pioneer-vibed hamlet of Yaak to Puget Sound’s artistic, seafaring town of Port Townsend and dozens of similar towns in between. This diversity of wild landscapes and unique heritage is exactly why Ron Strickland spearheaded the movement to protect the route beginning in 1970. Nearly 40 years’ worth of advocating for the PNT culminated in Congress’ officially designating it a National Scenic Trail in 2009. Only ten to fifteen thru-hikers complete the trail each year (compared to the hundreds who complete the Appalachian Trail), and it is quickly earning a reputation as one of the most challenging thru-hikes in the National Scenic Trail System.
Summer | Fall 2016
13
treasured landscapes Photos: Bob Pagini
New England National Scenic Trail~Designated in 2009
3
The New England Trail (NET) travels though the most densely populated areas of any of the other trails in the National Scenic Trail System. Instead of traversing vast wilderness, the NET follows forested ridges overlooking farms and connecting quaint New England towns. The 215-mile trail begins on Long Island Sound, and then marches up the Connecticut River Valley into the forested glades of Massachusetts, before finally reaching its terminus at the summit of Mount Tom on the New Hampshire border. Along the way the trail connects more than 41 different communities. Much of the trail existed as three separate trails before individuals, groups and local governments united to make the NET a reality. Their work helped establish the NET as a National Scenic Trail in 2009 as part of an omnibus land bill signed by President Obama. The trail is 100 percent completed, but there are plans to extend it farther into New Hampshire.
14
Your National Forests
4
Cohos Trail~ Completed in 2011
The 162-mile Cohos Trail in Northern New Hampshire is as rugged as New England gets. It begins in the 800,000-acre White Mountain National Forest, home of the mighty, wind-scoured summit of Mt. Washington. After a ridgeline ramble across the Presidential Range, the Cohos seeks out more isolated, remote landscapes. It treks through birch bogs, up lonely granite peaks and continues north through the length of Coos County. Volunteer trail crews finished construction in 2011, 33 years after a local New Hampshire newspaper reporter, Kim Neilson, first dreamed of the trail. Now that Neilson has succeeded in creating his dream, he has no plans to stop. His goal is to continue the Cohos Trail another 20 miles along the Canadian border until it connects with the Frontier Trail in Quebec. Once that is accomplished, the Cohos Trail will become a part of the North Woods Loop, which will ultimately connect to the Appalachian Trail in Stratton, Maine. The Cohos will form the New Hampshire section of the 365-mile North Woods Loop that, aside from the Appalachian Trail, will be the longest and wildest trail in the East.
treasured landscapes
5
The Oregon Desert Trail~ Uncompleted
The Oregon Desert Trail (ODT) is an 800-mile dreamin-progress. The route connects a smorgasbord of public lands between the outdoorsy mecca of Bend, Oregon and the remote Owyhee Canyonlands on the Idaho border. The Oregon Natural Desert Association spearheaded the effort to build a trail in 2011 by piecing together a route on existing jeep tracks, open paths across Wilderness Study Areas and on existing trails through places like the Fremont National Forest. The result is an exciting, brand new trail that traverses the oft-forgotten Oregon desert. Before you set off on an extended portion of the ODT, you should know that the route requires significant planning. There is very little water along the trail, and even though a route is mapped out, trail signs or any on-the-ground assistance is non-existent at this point. Even with these barriers, a few brave souls are already hiking the full trail and gathering valuable information—the most famous of whom is Triple Crown finisher (a thru-hiker who has completed the PCT, CDT and AT) Sage Clegg. A wildlife biologist and resident of Bend, Oregon, Clegg completed the entire ODT in July, 2013 to help the Oregon Natural Desert Association raise awareness for their fledgling idea. Now, this trail that connects public lands in the dry side of Oregon is becoming the newest of the new long-distance hiking trails crisscrossing the nation.
Plan your hike The Arizona Trail Association is a fantastic resource for planning your hike. It includes an interactive map, section descriptions and hiker journals, so you can get a sense of the experience before you even set foot on the trail. aztrail.org The Pacific Northwest Trail Association is a one-stop shop for all your planning needs before setting out on the PNT. It offers an interactive trail map, written descriptions and a stunning photo gallery to inspire you. pnt.org The New England Trail has a full service website that provides the info you need before hitting the trail. Their website does a good job showcasing their partnerships and the community events they hold to get involved with the trail. newenglandtrail.org The Cohos Trail Association is the place where you can find all the info you need to get involved with this New Hampshire gem. No matter if you want to hike or help build the trail, the Association holds annual events to get you out on the trail. cohostrail.org
Photo: Jeremy Fox
The Oregon Natural Desert Association is the nonprofit that is responsible for advocating for the ODT. They have compiled a vast trove of useful resources concerning the trail. You can plan your thru-hike, petition a state representative for greater protection, or help monitor the ever-evolving trail on their website. onda.org/where-we-work/oregondesert-trail
Tim Gibbins writes from Portland, Oregon. His article about Aldo Leopold and the Gila Wilderness appeared in the Summer-Fall 2014 issue of Your National Forests. When he’s not writing, Tim coaxes his 20-year-old raft down the Pacific Northwest’s rivers, looks at birds and tries to catch trout on a fly.
Summer | Fall 2016
15
unforgettable experiences
DO be aware when you’re traveling in bear country and take precautions to secure your food and camp 100 feet from your kitchen area. DO look beyond developed campgrounds—National Forests offer hundreds of magical campsite opportunities away from picnic tables and bathrooms. And let’s face it, as nice as it is to be close to a bathroom, it’s even nicer to not have to smell a pit toilet or be serenaded to sleep by the wannabe folk musician with a one song repertoire (Oh great! Wagon Wheel....again). DO have a plan of how to deal with your waste when camping in primitive campsites—bring bags for your trash and bury waste or bring a portable camping toilet with you. Toilet paper doesn’t biodegrade very quickly, so pack it out too.
DO try to expand your wilderness cooking repertoire. Yes, dehydrated backpacking meals are great, but there are hundreds of possibilities beyond just boiling water and pouring it in a bag. For instance, you can pour it on the ground, on your lap or on your dry clothes. If you spend a little time researching and planning, you can wow your friends and yourself with a yummy almosthome-cooked meal.
16
Your National Forests
Illustrations: Josh Quick
unforgettable experiences
DON’T assume that since you haven’t seen a bear, you can be lax about food smells, or believe that old joke that says you don’t have to be faster than the bear— you just have to be faster than your friends. DON’T “construct” a new campsite. If you look in the right places, you’ll be able to find a spot where people have camped before and most, if not all, of the work has already been done for you. Don’t build new fire rings, cut down trees, break branches or rip out plants to make a new campsite.
DON’T forget that you still have to clean up after your feast. Bacon is great, but in the backcountry, bacon grease is a little problematic to deal with (consider pre-cooked bacon). Melted cheese is tasty on a backpacking trip (actually, like the aforementioned bacon, it’s tasty pretty much anywhere) but hard to clean off pots. Save it for car camping and movie night nachos.
Summer | Fall 2016
17
unforgettable experiences
DO try to experience the joy of “going light,” or the camping version of the saying “the more you know, the less you need.” After each trip, take stock of items you brought along but didn’t use or brought but later realized weren’t worth the weight, space or time. Trim it down next time for a more efficient experience. Yes, a cribbage board is nice to have, but you can just keep count on a piece of scratch paper; first one to 121 wins!
DO take pictures and share the beauty.
DO have a campfire where it’s safe and legal: “Caveman TV” will keep you entertained and warm for hours.
DO bring a few extra things along to help you get comfortable: earplugs (they help with snoring tent mates and reduce the tendency to think every squirrel out for a nighttime stroll is a ravenous bear), a stuff sack you can fill with extra clothes and use as a pillow (clothes not in a stuff sack crawl into the corner of the tent all on their own), an extra foam sleeping pad to slip under yours (proven fact: rocks and roots get harder over the course of the night, reaching the density of concrete just as the birds start singing at dawn [see earplugs]), and hot drinks can make a big difference when you’re trying to make yourself at home out there.
DO remember that it’s always a little rougher sleeping out there. There are some trade-offs for that “million-star hotel room” out in the wild, and one of them is a little bit of comfort.
18
Your National Forests
unforgettable experiences
DON’T forget the things you need to survive out there, though: a forgotten warm jacket, bottle opener, map or eating utensil can make a big difference between a fun memory and a bad, maybe even dangerous, experience.
DON’T be the person who puts a huge log on the fire just before going to bed and leaves everyone else to wait up for the fire to go out, or the person who brings in firewood from a different region and contaminates the entire forest with an invasive species, or the person who throws beer bottles or cans in the fire (pro tip: they’re not flammable or biodegradable), or the person who has to rearrange the fire every two and half minutes (every three minutes is totally fine). Definitely DON’T be the person who leaves an unattended campfire smoldering the next morning. Douse, stir and feel!
DON’T compromise the environment just to get a good Instagram photo: trampling sensitive vegetation, vandalizing rocks or trees, setting up camp in sensitive areas or camping where it’s illegal ruins it for others (if you post photos of you and your friends doing illegal things, the Forest Service will track you down. They have people).
Brendan Leonard is the author of two books, The New American Road Trip Mixtape and, more recently, Sixty Meters to Anywhere. He has written for Climbing, Outside, Men’s Journal, National Geographic Adventurer and many other outlets. His blog Semi-Rad.com is “enthusiasm for things regular folks can do, adventures for the everyman and woman.”
Summer | Fall 2016
19
conservation
“The relationship between forests and rivers is like father and son.” —Gifford Pinchot, first Chief of the U.S. Forest Service California’s Forests and Waters: An Uncertain Future By Wes Swaffar
F
or a state whose name has become synonymous with drought, California never seemed that dry during my youth. The creek near my childhood home always held water – even flooding on occasion – nurturing neighboring vineyards in my wine country community. My college stomping grounds on California’s northern coast were so saturated with maritime moisture that my dorm room walls would grow mold if left unchecked. And while summer days were hot, a nearby creek or river always offered plenty of water for a refreshing dip.
My brief forays into seasonal work during my college years provided a whirlwind tour of California’s diverse geography. Stationed on the Eldorado National Forest working for the Forest Service, I took advantage of quiet days in the visitor center to follow twisting trails and streams on a forest map and read countless books about public lands. California is fortunate to be endowed with topography so unique that the state’s mountains and valleys function like a giant sink. The highelevation Sierra Nevada mountain range, running
Photo: Steven Bratman
Canyon Creek in the Trinity Alps Wilderness Area on the Shasta-Trinity National Forest.
20
Your National Forests
conservation nearly the entire length of the state, acts like a giant squeegee that extracts rain and snow from storms that roll in from the Pacific Ocean. The mountains accumulate a large snowpack that serves as a giant freshwater reservoir for the state throughout the year. As snow melts, the conifer forests that flank the mountains filter it through their vegetation and soil. Water flows from the forested headwaters downhill into the Central Valley, where it is largely utilized for agriculture on its way toward the San Francisco Delta. On those quiet down days, I learned that the Sierra Nevada mountains contain an impressive matrix of public lands, including eight National Forests and two National Parks. These and the state’s other National Forests play a disproportionately large role in providing water to the state. Although they collectively cover only 20 percent of California, they supply a whopping 65 percent of the state’s water. Tracing tributaries with my pointer fingers, I learned that the snow and rain that fell on the visitor center would eventually end up flowing through California’s capital as the American River.
many farmers to abandon their fields. In 2014, Governor Jerry Brown declared a state of emergency, requiring industries and citizens to conserve water. While it’s hard to measure, the economic impact of the drought in a state that leads the nation in agriculture, technology and innovation is immense. As of August 2015, farmers had pulled more than 542,000 acres of farmland out of production with an estimated annual economic impact of $2.7 billion.
A New Normal To make matters worse, climate scientists warn that this is just the beginning. Climate models show that the reduced precipitation and increased temperatures we’ve seen in the 2012-2015 drought are representative of a startling long-term trend. As the years progress, there will be less snow accumulating in the mountains and the snowpack will melt earlier in the year. This climatic trend will not only challenge the state’s economy, but it will threaten the very National Forests that helped California flourish. Long-term drought not only means less water in streams and reservoirs, but it means that entire watersheds are affected. Drought often coincides with hot temperatures that increase the evaporative stress on trees, meaning that trees have to work harder for less water. Hot and dry conditions lead to “drought stress” in trees, a condition that has been sufficient to kill thousands of acres of forest on the western flank of the Sierras in the last few years. As drought stress weakens forest health, trees become more susceptible to insect infestations and diseases. Perhaps more frightening is the simple fact that hot temperatures and abnormally low precipitation create the ideal conditions for severe wildfires. While the threat of wildfire looms over much of the western U.S., fire’s impact is particularly pronounced in California where so many towns and cities lie in the shadows of forested mountains. The East Bay Area of Oakland relies on the Mokelumne River watershed on the Stanislaus and Eldorado National Forests for more than 90 percent of its water. The City of San Francisco relies on snowmelt and rainfall captured by the Tuolumne River watershed on the Stanislaus National Forest and a portion of Yosemite National Park. And, while the average Los Angeles resident may not realize it, the San Gabriel Mountains that make up
The Sierra Nevada range supplies a whopping 65% of California’s water.
Water Dependent, Water Scarce California’s National Forest headwaters have supported one of the richest and varied histories in the United States. Not long ago, California’s numerous Native American groups relied on the state’s vast forests to nurture abundant pacific salmon runs. In the 19th century, gold miners seeking a better fortune depended on Sierra Nevada watersheds for their mining operations. The 20th century saw the proliferation of agriculture across California and an increased reliance on water for new crops. Now in the 21st century, the Silicon Valley tech industry and a growing recreational and tourism industry count on the same forested watersheds. California’s prominence as the eighth largest economy in the world is due in no small part to its unique geography’s role in providing water. Unfortunately, as time progresses, the state is beginning to understand just how dependent it is on its water resources. California’s record five-year drought has parched the state, slowing rivers to a trickle, challenging water supply and forcing
Summer | Fall 2016
21
conservation Photo: USFS
Wildfires are increasingly damaging California’s National Forest headwaters.
much of the Angeles National Forest supply a critical 30 percent of water for Los Angeles County. The Rim Fire of 2013 gave Californians an idea of what fire conditions will look like if drought persists. Over a nine week period, firefighters struggled to get control of the intense blaze as it burned across more than 250,000 acres of the Stanislaus National Forest and Yosemite National Park. Fires like the Rim Fire are problematic not only because they are so difficult to control, but also because they are increasingly damaging to area water supplies. When severe fires burn through a forest, they often eliminate all vegetation and literally change the top layer of soil. This “hydrophobic” soil surface repels water rather than absorbing it, causing faster flows, erosion and sedimentation downstream. This in turn degrades water supplies and requires significant and expensive treatment practices. Had the Rim Fire occurred farther east, it would have burned through
the high-elevation watershed that supplies San Francisco with water.
A Different State Vast forests, abundant wildlife, mineral riches, a friendly climate and reliable water drew early Californians to the Golden State. A century and a half later our entire nation depends on California’s forested watersheds to help grow our food, manufacture our computers and provide life long memories. As important as these are to us, humans aren’t the only species that depend on California’s forests. Threatened pacific salmon and steelhead need clean, abundant water to spawn, and rare amphibians rely on wet mountain meadows to survive. It’s only been 15 years since my childhood, but California has changed in so many ways. The creek near my childhood home only flows in winter and spring now and many of the hillsides near my old
California’s water future is only as good as its headwaters are healthy.
22
Your National Forests
conservation Photos: USFS
Wetlands, like this one on the Stanislaus National Forest, help store and filter water and reduce the risk of severe wildfire.
home are brown when they used to be green. The impact of California’s drought goes well beyond browning lawns and intermittently flowing creeks. The drought has caused significant damage to the very ecosystems that are so crucial to its water supply, and these forests may take decades to recover. As California breathes a sigh of relief following the first “normal” winter in years, managers are looking at what’s to come. While the water conservation measures proposed by Governor Brown will certainly help reduce demand at the tap, California’s water future is only as good as its headwaters are healthy. The problems facing California’s forests are not unique to the Golden State, but it’s hard to imagine a place where the stakes are higher.
Wes Swaffar is the NFF’s Senior Manager of Ecosystem Services. When not working to improve our National Forests and Grasslands, Wes can be found exploring nearby public lands in Montana and beyond. Reach him at wswaffar@nationalforests.org.
Smith River on the Six Rivers National Forest.
Summer | Fall 2016
23
voices from the forest
Outdoors for All: An Interview with James Edward Mills Interview by Greg M. Peters
J
ames Edward Mills is an accomplished journalist and adventurer. In 2013, he worked with the National Outdoor Leadership School to organize the first all-African-American expedition up North America’s tallest mountain, Denali. His book, The Adventure Gap: Changing the Face of the Outdoors, recounts the project, called Expedition Denali, and explores how minority populations relate to the outdoors. Mills also founded the Joy Trip Project, a “newsgathering and reporting organization that covers outdoor recreation, environmental conservation, acts of charitable giving and practices of sustainable living” (joytripproject.com). In the following interview, the NFF’s Greg M. Peters and Mills discuss Mills’ various projects, what it takes to change the face of the outdoors, and what’s next for this pioneering journalist and activist.
24
Your National Forests
JEM: I think my entry into the outdoors began like most people. I was exposed at a young age to camping and wilderness travel through the Boy Scouts and enjoyed many wonderful experiences playing and exploring outside. Our trips included winter camping, rock climbing, canoeing and bicycling. I was really lucky to have a wide range of opportunities to spend time in the outdoors. NFF: You’ve worked in various outdoor-industry related capacities: as a guide, an outfitter, a sales representative and now as a journalist. How have your previous careers impacted your journalism? JEM: I think much of my professional career I have spent as a storyteller. Even back when I was a salesman, a big part of my work involved crafting compelling narratives that helped to persuade a particular point view. And since I was in the business of selling outdoor equipment, footwear and apparel, I had a lot of chances do some serious “product testing” in natural areas across the country and around the world. So I’d say my previous careers helped me to acquire and hone many of the skills I use today – especially as a freelancer. I run a small business with an entrepreneurial spirit, and I am constantly looking for interesting stories that I can develop and sell to prospective editors at various news organizations. I’m just really lucky that I can earn a modest living still pursuing many of the topics and areas of interest I enjoy most.
Photo: James Edward Mills
Mills (far right) and members of the Expedition Denali team at the White House.
NFF: How did you discover your love for the outdoors?
voices from the forest NFF: What is the Joy Trip Project and how did it get started? JEM: Well, the Joy Trip Project is basically my professional online identity. The JTP was originally a podcast where I produced stories and interviews along the lines of my reporting priorities of outdoor recreation, environmental conservation, acts of charitable giving and practices of sustainable living. When Facebook, Instagram and Twitter came along, I was able to expand the podcast into photography and video production, which I shared through a small network of interested people around the world. So, with a laptop, digital recording equipment and a cellphone, I’m pretty much a one-man news organization. NFF: In 2013, you organized an all-African-American expedition on Denali. What inspired you to take on a challenge like that? JEM: To be fair, I only helped to organize Expedition Denali. The bulk of the work was lead by my colleagues Aparna Rajagopal-Durbin and Jeanne O’Brian at the National Outdoor Leadership School. This project was inspired by our mutual disappointment in the apparent lack of people of color in outdoor settings. Our hope was to encourage an elevated discussion of who spends time in the outdoors and who doesn’t. We wanted to create a modern adventure story that depicted people of color as central characters and hopefully inspire minority youth to seek out exciting outdoor experiences of their own. NFF: What did you learn from the expedition? JEM: The most important thing I learned is that just like climbing a mountain, tackling complex social issues is a team effort. I suppose you could try to go it alone, but I don’t recommend it. I think this work means more when it’s shared as a process of community engagement. I learned that changing the face of the outdoors is a journey of discovery and not a destination or single goal. Making the outdoors enjoyable and accessible to everyone is a life-long ambition. NFF: What surprised you the most? JEM: The biggest surprise, or maybe just an observation, was how well everyone worked together, not just as teammates, but as real friends. All through training and several meetings for planning, every member of the team, as well as several of our partner organizations, came together seamlessly to
share in this very ambitious project. There were no significant conflicts or rivalries, nor were there the typical problems of clashing egos and personalities. We all got along beautifully. Now three years later, we continue to work together to tell this story wonderful story. NFF: How did the outdoor community react to the expedition? JEM: I think the outdoor community as a whole embraced Expedition Denali. Several organizations have been very helpful and supportive in our efforts to bring the message of diversity to a broad audience. But to be honest, I was disappointed by some of the comments I received in a few of the articles that I and others have posted about the project. People who identify themselves as outdoor enthusiasts have objected to proactively introducing people of color to nature. They claim that we’re bringing controversy into an environment where none exists – as if outdoor recreation is above the complicated issues of racial bias, privilege or discrimination. Our documentary of the climb, An American Ascent, was rejected by two of the most prominent outdoor-facing film festivals despite having won several awards at other events and being screened at The White House. So, despite our best efforts to connect with the outdoor community, we still seem to have fallen a bit short. NFF: Which was more difficult, climbing Denali or writing The Adventure Gap: Changing the Face of the Outdoors? JEM: Well, it should be said that I didn’t personally do the climb of Denali. During training I was diagnosed with osteoarthritis and had to have both my hips replaced. I actually wrote the opening chapters of the book from my hospital bed during a three-week recovery. But I did manage to fly into basecamp to see the team off on the expedition, and I reported on their progress from Denali National Park. During the weeks and months after the climb, I wrote furiously to meet a very tight publishing deadline and managed to have The Adventure Gap ready to print a year after the expedition. As much as I love to write, I kind of wish I could have just done the climb and moved on to the next project. That might have been a bit easier.
Summer | Fall 2016
25
voices from the forest Photo: James Edward Mills
Students in Mills’ adventure photography workshop at the Aldo Leopold Nature Center in Wisconsin.
NFF: You’ve dedicated your journalistic career to exploring the connections minorities have with nature and encouraging them to embrace outdoor sports. Why is this so important in a time when police shootings and mass incarceration of minorities has captured the public’s attention? JEM: You ask me that question as if issues of environmental justice are restricted to urban violence and crime. My reporting career includes stories on high rates of gun deaths, homelessness and poverty as well as National Park preservation and the protection of public lands. Frankly, I think all of these things are connected because each speaks to important issues of the human condition, the environment in which people live and how we treat one another. I think that the problems you mentioned, police shootings and mass incarcerations, are the reflection of a community in crisis. The hopelessness and cynicism that causes us to devalue human life, I believe, are the result of failed systems that limit our access to fresh air, clean water and open green spaces for recreation. I believe that if we can make it possible for everyone to have the disposable income and leisure time necessary to enjoy experiences in nature, many of the social problems we face today would be diminished. That means we need to insist for everyone to have things like a living wage, affordable housing, health care and education. If we can make exposure to the outdoors available to more people, especially those underrepresented minorities who are disproportionately impacted by financial insecurity, pollution and crime, we can dramatically improve life on the planet for everyone.
26
Your National Forests
NFF: What are some of the biggest obstacles that minority communities face in accessing natural environments? JEM: There are plenty of practical barriers. The cost of equipment and clothing is one. Transportation is another. And of course there’s skill and expertise to function competently in challenging environments. But I think the biggest obstacle is the misperception that they don’t belong there. I’ve been told many times that “black people don’t camp, ski, hike, swim, etc.…” If we can just decide that anyone can do anything that they want to, we can go a long way toward bringing more people of color into natural environments. From there I believe it’s simply a matter of creating role models and mentors to provide positive examples and images of what is possible. That was the whole purpose behind Expedition Denali. NFF: Aside from writing and organizing Expedition Denali, what else are you doing to get minorities involved in nature and conservation? JEM: Expedition Denali was designed to illustrate the literal height of adventure in North America. Though I don’t expect everyone to climb the highest peak on the continent, I think anyone can find some kind of natural experience in their lives. I’ve been working on introducing people to the rivers that flow through their cities where they can go fishing or paddling. I encourage them to find urban parks, gardens and hiking trails to explore. Natural is all around us. And I think that if we learn to love it as part of our daily lives, we’ll fight to protect it.
voices from the forest NFF: What advice do you have for African-Americans who are interested in outdoor sports, but unsure of how to get involved or intimidated by the fact that most outing clubs and conservation groups are predominantly white? JEM: Well, first let’s not call these activities “outdoor sports.” That implies that we’re talking about an organized activity that requires a lot of specialized equipment and membership in a sanctioned organization. I think everyone should explore their curiosity and follow it wherever it leads. As a writer, of course I’m a true believer in learning through books. But the best way to grow and build a body of knowledge and experiences is through building relationships. Find someone you trust and ask them questions. It might be a club or an organization that has few people of color as members; part of the challenge is allowing yourself to be vulnerable and open to the idea of learning something new. It can be frightening and uncomfortable, but the rewards outweigh the risks. NFF: How can organizations like the National Forest Foundation more effectively connect with and inspire minority communities to get outside and engage with nature? JEM: I think all organizations need to be aware of the discomfort and apprehension potential members might bring to this new relationship. It’s not enough to claim that you’re “open to everyone” when you’re not prepared to make everyone feel welcome. Groups like the National Forest Foundation have to learn to relate to minority communities using language and images that are culturally and socially relevant to people who may have no previous experience with the outdoors. NFF: You participated in the Forest Service’s Capitol Christmas Tree project last year, joining the tree for a portion of its trip from Alaska to Washington, DC, where it was placed on the Capitol Grounds. What did you hope to achieve through your involvement? JEM: My job for this project was to tell the story of the Capitol Christmas Tree along its journey across the country. I wanted to help draw a direct relationship between “The People’s Tree” and the Forest Service’s efforts to protect and manage public land. But my purpose in this reporting was to make this story relevant to as many people as possible. I tried to address the perspectives of the First Nation Tribes, for example, that have such a deep spiritual connection with the [Chugach National] Forest
I believe that if we can make it possible for everyone to have the disposable income and leisure time necessary to enjoy experiences in nature, many of the social problems we face today would be diminished. where the tree came from. I worked to include photographs and videos of people across a broad spectrum of race, ethnicity and socioeconomic status. I wanted to make sure that it was indeed “The People’s Tree” and that anyone who saw it on the road or online could recognize it as relevant to their life experience regardless of their religious or cultural identity. NFF: What is your proudest “outdoor” moment? JEM: I think my proudest outdoor moment might have been in October of 2001. It was just a month after the tragedy on September 11th, and I climbed Mount Whitney, the highest peak in the Lower 48. I did it as a solo climb because my partner had to bail out unexpectedly. I made it safely to the top to see several memorials to those who had died just a few weeks before. It was a great moment of solidarity and healing at a time of incredible sorrow, and I was convinced that there was nothing that couldn’t be accomplished with enough hard work and perseverance. NFF: What else is on your outdoor adventure bucket list? JEM: My next project is a 16-day paddling trip down the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon. Then I’m heading back to Alaska for a week-long trip on the Hula-Hula River in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. In the fall, I’m planning a 400-mile bicycle tour through the Sierras into Yosemite National Park. But I wouldn’t call my project schedule a “bucket list.” My career and lifestyle gives me the flexibility to pursue one story after another. There’s always going to be something next.
Summer | Fall 2016
27
arch
28
Your National Forests
haeology
unforgettable experiences
The scientific study of historic or prehistoric peoples and their cultures by analysis of their artifacts, inscriptions, monuments, and other such remains, especially those that have been excavated. Channeling Your Inner Indiana Jones By Greg M. Peters
Photo: iStock.com/microgen
Picture a group of people spread out over a patch of bare ground intently focused on the unearthed soil beneath them. Birds chirp and sing; leaves rustle in the breeze; the scrape of hand trowels across the dirt cuts through the forest sounds. Someone calls out, “I found something,” and folks stand up, straighten their rounded backs and step carefully across the gridded plot to examine the find. Scenes like this unfold across our National Forests and Grasslands as volunteers with the U.S. Forest Service’s Passport In Time program channel their inner Indiana Jones. We tend to think our empty wild lands have always been such – empty and wild. But for millennia, native peoples inhabited or passed through these forests, valleys and mountains. More recently, pioneers, homesteaders and miners worked these landscapes. And as with all human habitation, each group left behind clues to their existence and culture. With 193 million acres of land, our National Forests and Grasslands contain many of these clues, buried beneath centuries of duff, topsoil and history. The Passport In Time (PIT) program originated in Minnesota. In the 1980s, Gordon Peters, a Forest Service archaeologist, was teaching fieldbased archaeology through the University of
Minnesota-Duluth. He brought his students to sites on the Superior National Forest where they worked alongside him and his colleagues. When no students signed up for the 1988 field class, Peters started recruiting volunteers to help excavate two sites on the Superior National Forest. The PIT program had begun. Fast forward to 2016 and the PIT program has grown to include 117 National Forests in 36 states. In addition to doing traditional archaeological excavations, the program also provides opportunities for volunteers to preserve and restore historic structures and sites managed by the Forest Service. According to PIT Director Will Reed, the program has completed more than 3,000 projects since its humble beginnings, providing more than 40,000 participants with the opportunity to work alongside agency archaeologists and other volunteers. Astoundingly, these volunteers have contributed more than 17 million hours of work, or about 800 person years. In fact, the program has grown so popular that managers struggle to find projects to place all of the willing participants. In the mid-90s the program offered more than 160 projects per year. Sadly, that number has fallen by half, a casualty of reduced budgets and time-strapped employees. There are approximately 360 archaeologists employed in the Forest Service, so you’d think there would be plenty of opportunity for them to work
Summer | Fall 2016
29
unforgettable experiences
Tyrannosaurus Rex tooth found by Barb Beasley during a 2012 Passport in Time excavation in the Late Cretaceous Hell Creek Formation on the Custer National Forest in South Dakota.
30
Your National Forests
The types of projects are as varied as the National Forests and Grasslands. While many of the projects do involve “traditional” archaeology, e.g., excavating a site, screening the dirt and cataloguing the artifacts, participants may also elect to restore historic structures like lookout towers, stabilize ancient dwellings, care-take historic sites or survey rugged backcountry locations. Oral history projects, archival research and analysis and curation of artifacts round out the program’s options. Reed says that the agency receives roughly twice as many applicants than it can handle and some projects receive way more interest than that. Two hundred and eleven people applied for two spots on a Salmon River project. On a recent opportunity on the Chattahoochee National Forest outside of Atlanta, more than 150 people applied for the project’s 8 slots. In addition to maintaining a low volunteer to supervisor ratio for quality concerns, an obvious need to prevent damage to the very resources the projects are protecting limits participants as well. “Really this was a program we cooked up because people wanted to do what Forest Service staff were doing,” Reed notes. “But it also gives our employees a chance to be more than just bureaucrats; they can set these projects up and do real archaeology, which is what they want to be doing.”
Photos: USFS and Wiki Commons
with volunteers on PIT projects. But most of them are engaged in “compliance” projects where their job is to ensure that the Forest Service doesn’t inadvertently compromise an important historic site when it approves a timber sale, restores a creek or uses prescribed fire to improve forest health. Volunteers aren’t typically used in compliance projects (although some PIT projects are compliance-based), so agency archaeologists have to make time for PIT projects outside of their demanding compliance work. Fortunately many of them do. The Forest Service keeps the volunteer to supervisor ratio at roughly 4:1 to help ensure they follow standard protocols and properly catalogue their finds. PIT provides a rare opportunity for volunteers to help preserve America’s rich history and participate in on-the-ground work, all of which is supported by their tax dollars. Officials work hard to ensure that all volunteers, whose ages range from eight to eighty, can participate meaningfully in the project that interests them. The variety of projects and the connections that volunteers make with each other and Forest Service staff keep volunteers returning year after year. In fact, the PIT program includes an actual “passport” in which volunteers log their time. After each project, the project leader stamps the passport and logs the volunteer’s hours. Additionally the PIT website maintains a “PIT Honor Roll” that lists the volunteers who have logged more than 500 hours through the program. Six superstar volunteers have donated more than 5,000 hours to the program to date.
prese
The remains of a Royal Canadian Air Force DC-3 Dakota that crashed on January 19, 1946.
A volunteer repairs the roof on the Fairview Peak lookout in Grand Mesa Uncompahgre and Gunnison National Forest.
unforgettable experiences Photos: USFS
ervation The act of keeping something as it is, especially in order to prevent it from decaying or to protect it from being damaged or destroyed. Historic preservation has been underway at Kentucky Camp since 1991. The adobe house is believed to have been occupied by James Stetson.
Photo above: 2013 Passport In Time Project on the Blacksmith Fork Guard Station, Logan Ranger District, Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest.
Summer | Fall 2016
31
unforgettable experiences
As with countless Forest Service programs, the PIT program works with partners. The most prominent is the SRI Foundation which “seeks to enrich society by fostering Historic Preservation.” The Foundation maintains the PIT Clearinghouse, which is the system by which volunteers are matched to projects. This is no small task. With dozens of projects each year and hundreds, if not thousands, of current and past volunteers, project leaders consider applicants very carefully. As the PIT website explains: “Project leaders look for a balance. They try to bring people to the project from the local area and from across the country. They like a balance of men and women. If children are accepted, they look for families as well as individuals. They accept people with experience and those who have never worked on an archaeological project in their lives. And they look for past PIT volunteers as well as new people.” Applicants who aren’t chosen for a particular project can work with the PIT Clearinghouse to find other opportunities to participate. What else surprises Reed, who’s worked with the program for nearly two decades? The breadth and variety of projects his team of archaeologists comes up with each season. Volunteers dug up a WWII-era airplane on a National Forest in Idaho. Participants adept at using metal detectors mapped an entire ghost town in Arizona. On the Shawnee National Forest in Illinois, volunteers collected and archived oral histories of a group of grandmothers
as they created a quilt. One dedicated volunteer spent several seasons sea kayaking remote Alaskan coastlines, surveying and recording prehistoric art found on rocks along the shore. In California, a PIT crew worked with elders to collect basket weaving materials and then learned how to make baskets using traditional methods. The lucky volunteers chosen make lasting memories and friendships. One dedicated participant met his future wife on a PIT project, courted her over several other projects and ultimately married her during a PIT project on the Sabine National Forest in Texas. The bride wore a hard hat under her veil, and the groom carried a trowel in his back pocket. While most PIT-enabled relationships don’t end in marriage, this happy story conveys the real connections people make to the program and the landscape. As Director Reed puts it, “The goal of PIT is to preserve the nation’s past with the help of the public. PIT volunteers contribute to vital environmental and historical research on public lands. Participation helps the Forest Service not only to protect and conserve the sites, memories and objects that chronicle our collective past, but also to understand the human story in North America and ensure that story is told to our children and grandchildren. We cannot do it without them!” If you’re interested in channeling your own Indiana Jones, dust off that fedora and grab a trowel.
The variety of projects and the connections that volunteers make with each other and Forest Service staff keep volunteers returning year after year.
Learn more about Passport in Time at passportintime.com
Greg M. Peters is the NFF’s Director of Communications. While he hasn’t participated in a PIT project, he did win a “Golden Trowel” award in 8th grade on an archaeological dig organized by his school. Reach him at gpeters@nationalforests.org.
32
Your National Forests
where in the woods This National Forest borders an iconic National Park. Answer from page 3: Flathead National Forest Photo: USFS
C O R P O R AT E PA R T N E R Salt River Project is making transformational investments in the National Forests in Arizona. By planting hundreds of thousands of trees and anchoring the NFF’s innovative Northern Arizona Forest Fund, SRP is showing how utilities can improve the public lands their customers love.
S
tretching north to south along the Continental Divide, the Flathead National Forest covers more than 2 million acres of Northern Montana. The Flathead National Forest borders the southern and western edges of iconic Glacier National Park, providing a contiguous corridor for wildlife such as grizzly bears, lynx, wolves and more. Hiking enthusiasts will not be disappointed in the trails beside stunning lakes, through untouched Wilderness and along alpine ridgelines with views for miles. In the fall, visitors are treated to swaths of golden yellow on the mountains as the larch trees change from green to gold. Regardless of the season, the Flathead offers a rugged adventure for all.
Help Protect America’s Backyard
Join the hundreds of thousands of Americans who help care for our National Forests. Find out where to play, stay up-to-date on conservation news and receive insider tips.
nationalforests.org