View Full Version : Money for the AT
Chaco Taco
04-01-2009, 13:40
I am hearing so many different stories about the CCC getting money from the stimulus to generate jobs possibly for maintainers?? Im curious because if I could be a maintainer and get paid for it, why, Id dedicate my life to the trail. Anyone got any info or links to any stories about the possibility of the trail getting money!
CrumbSnatcher
04-01-2009, 13:52
the CCC cilvilian conservation corps was a public work relief program for unemployed men from 1933 to 1942. i could be wrong, i didn't think they were around anymore. congrats on the engagement
vamelungeon
04-01-2009, 13:55
Maybe you mean the Job Corps? We have a Job Corps facility here that takes care of things in the Jefferson National Forest.
Spirit Walker
04-01-2009, 14:20
Out west we ran into numerous paid trail crews. Oregon and Idaho have professional CCC type crews, so does California. We ran into them in New Mexico as well. There are also private sector crews that are paid by the feds to build and maintain trails. Given the damage on the PCT the past few years, you might contact PCTA to see about professional trail crews.
saimyoji
04-01-2009, 14:22
I am hearing so many different stories about the CCC getting money from the stimulus to generate jobs possibly for maintainers?? Im curious because if I could be a maintainer and get paid for it, why, Id dedicate my life to the trail. Anyone got any info or links to any stories about the possibility of the trail getting money!
there's an application process. PM me and I'll send you the address of where to mail your $100 application request fee.
I heard an NPR story about Americorp getting stimulus...the guy being interviewed was from AZ
the story aired within the last week
i would go to their website and do a search
I am pretty surte it was in the morning
CrumbSnatcher
04-01-2009, 16:31
there's an application process. PM me and I'll send you the address of where to mail your $100 application request fee.
is that cash only?
is that cash only?
Small, unmarked bills.
Or maybe he'll take Paypal.
Ox97GaMe
04-02-2009, 16:16
The government has programs each year where trails in national parks, state parks, and federal lands are maintained by paid crews. There are currently no such programs for the AT. It is totally maintained by volunteers. Every mile is assigned to a trail maintenance club and the club divides their sections up among individual maintainers. Each maintainer is responsible for anywhere from .5 miles to 3.0 miles, depending on the size of the club, the difficulty of the trail to maintain, and remoteness of the section.
The Mechanical Man
04-02-2009, 16:34
I am hearing so many different stories about the CCC getting money from the stimulus to generate jobs possibly for maintainers?? Im curious because if I could be a maintainer and get paid for it, why, Id dedicate my life to the trail. Anyone got any info or links to any stories about the possibility of the trail getting money!
If you really want to work for the AT, start here.....................
http://www.appalachiantrail.org/site/c.mqLTIYOwGlF/b.4805399/k.2AD8/Employment.htm
Good Luck :)
There are in fact many jobs on the AT that pay. Here in Maine the MATC hires caretakers and ridgerunners and also has a paid trail crew doing heavy trail reconstruction and maintaining. I am on the hiring committee and we hopefully have just hired our last seasonal employee. Look on our website for future openings and also check out the possibilities through ATC.
The AT is indeed maintained primarily by volunteers, and volunteers are intimately involved with the planning and management of trail work in their Club's area. There are a number of "pro crews" that perform AT construction and in some rare cases, trail maintenance.
For example, in the Green and White Mountain National Forests (VT and NH) federal monies from the USFS (the federal trail partner in National Forests) support a number of crews--managed by the GMC and the AMC White Mountains staff. In non-FS federal lands (typically US Park Service managed), there are similar arrangements. In other areas crews from groups such as Amricorps and the Student Conservation Association are contracted to do trail construction and re-hab.
Typiocally, the local Club (along with its management partners) creates an ongoing 5 year plan for Federally funded projects. Many are approved and funding flows. Some are not. If a project is not included in the 5 year planning process it may be undertaken, but is likely to be funded only from non-Park Service or Forest Service sources. Not all trail projects are Federally funded--or even require significant funding sources. A trail club can build water bars, rock steps, a short bridge--even a shelter w/o any govermental funding ('tho they must go through any necessary local, state and federal permitting processes, regardless of the funding source).
LL Bean makes a signficant amoutn of funding available to AT maintaining clubs through it's "Grants to Clubs" program--funded projects range from purchasing equipment, to supporting trail crews, or community outreach. New PFD's were purchased for the Upper Goose Pond Cabin through an LL Bean Grant to Clubs award. Projects are propsed by trail clubs and awarded by a committee of ATC staff and club volunteers.
In New England, the USFS received some extra funding via the Stimulus Plan that looks like it will trickle down to some projects in the Green and the White. It will fund additional projects this year that are "shovel ready"--that is, they are in the 5 year pipeline, permits have been approved, and the local Club can oversee the additional work.
It's complicated and probably only interesting to the wonkiest among us, but it is the way things happen when the feds are one of your managment partners.
Cosmo
The last letter I got from the ATC requesting a donation said that it cost them $80 a day to maintain a volunteer. Said something about food and training and transportation and such, and how they needed help coming up with money (something like $500,000) to keep volunteers in the field.
I don't doubt it for a minute, but I still found that rather confusing.
Rick, that figure is the cost per attendee to field the organized volunteer crews such as Rocky Top, Konnarock and others. These crews have paid and trained leaders and take 8-10 volunteers into the field for a week (sometimes two) with food, gear and tools and work on ongoing trail building projects--at no cost to the participants ('tho donations are always welcome).
The management picture of the AT is indeed complex, a trail that crosses 13 states, and hundreds of counties and towns, plus a National Park and several National Forests (in two different Regions)--and is used by millions of hikers requires some creative management. Each region--each club, even--has different issues, both internally (how a club is managed and how it fields maintainers) and externally (local, state and federal regulations can differ widely). The ATC's job is to essentially provide an umbrella to organize volunteer clubs in a relatively consistent way along the length of the AT and help volunteers and various government agencies work together for the greater good of the trail.
ATC also is responsible for assiting clubs to train their volunteers to do everything from using a chainsaw to monitoring rare plants. Larger clubs such as PATC and the various AMC Chapters have a full staff to do much of this, but smaller clubs such as the Mountain Club of Maryland are run completely by volunteers. It can be (heck, it IS) complicated and messy, but it generally works more than it fails.
Here of course, is the obligitory paragraph urging you to contact your local AT maintaining club and offer your assistance, and here is the list of all the clubs and what sections they are responsible for:
http://www.appalachiantrail.org/site/c.mqLTIYOwGlF/b.4805461/k.A017/Trail_Clubs.htm#Penn
Cosmo
Ox97GaMe
04-03-2009, 10:56
A little clarification....
The $50 per person is not a rate paid to the maintenance crew members. It is the overhead cost, where applicable, for crews that require stays at cabins, campsites, or hostels while on work trips. It covers cost of gas to drive them to/from the work sites locations each day, and it provides them with meals (usually just breakfast and dinner) each day.
Examples:
GATC often puts up crews at Lake Winfield Scott cabin or at Vogel State Park. From there, they can drive the crews to nearest road junction to hike to work site. This is funded by the club, or through the ATC SORO
SMHC utilizes Konnorock, Rocky Top, and SWEAT crews for maintenance in SMNP. Each of these crews are made up of volunteers, but their food is provided each day while they are in the back country. Food and shelter are often hauled up on pack animals, which is a hired service.
SMHC also works in conjunction wth the SMNP to acquire funding for projects such as the shelter renovations and privy installaions that have been occurring. In those cases, supplies are airlifted to the location.
As for the ridgerunners. These folks do a tremendous service for the trail, but their job description does not include maintenance of the trail or shelters. They provide reports to the local clubs of trail conditions that would require a maintainer or crew, with proper tools to go in and take care of. You arent likely to see a ridgerunner carrying a maddock, fire rake, or cross cut saw.
At the end of the day, the person toting the tools, and performing the majority of the actual work isnt pocketing any of the actual dollars associated with mainaining the trail.
Tennessee Viking
04-04-2009, 12:04
Maybe you mean the Job Corps? We have a Job Corps facility here that takes care of things in the Jefferson National Forest.
Is that the place in between Hanging Rock and Guest River.
vamelungeon
04-04-2009, 12:48
Is that the place in between Hanging Rock and Guest River.
That's it! They do a LOT of work locally, for instance at those two places- Guest River Gorge and Hanging Rock. If you hike the trail from Little Stony Creek Falls to Hanging Rock you'll use several bridges and sets of stone steps they've built.