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TJ aka Teej
12-01-2004, 13:19
From www.appalachiantrail.org (http://www.appalachiantrail.org)

Blazing a New Chapter

An Open Letter to Our Members

The January-February issue of the Appalachian Trailway News will report on this in detail, but I wanted you to hear first, before it gets into the news, that your Board of Managers did decide at its fall meeting to change the name of our organization from Appalachian Trail Conference to Appalachian Trail Conservancy.

This historic decision was not made lightly. The vote was overwhelming: 23 to 1, with 1 abstention. And, in fact, this decision has been years in the making.

ATN readers will recall that, in two issues last year, we announced that, consistent with a new strategic plan adopted by your Board, we were considering such an important change to better position the organization for success in the years ahead. Since August 2004, we've received and published letters from members on both sides of the issue, all of which were considered in our thinking, along with some very important market research, the first we have undertaken.

Simply put, our new name—scheduled to take effect as we celebrate ATC's 80th anniversary at our biennial meeting on July 4, 2005—is a much better fit for our responsibility to protect and promote one of the most biologically and culturally diverse units of the national park system.

Not only have we outgrown the name “Conference,” which originated in 1925 when the organization was primarily a coordinator of clubs, we've earned the right to proudly declare that we—all of us who work tirelessly to maintain the Trail's pristine 2,174 miles from Maine to Georgia—are focused on preserving America's premier hiking experience for the next 80 years.

Personally, I have never been more excited about the Trail's future. I've been privileged to be an A.T. volunteer since 1980, and this year is my fourteenth on the Board of Managers. So, I'm very familiar, and comfortable, with ATC: its name, how it's organized, and how it works. I do sympathize with members who might resist the name change. But, to achieve our vision of an enduring, protected special place that rings with the affection of those who maintain it, we must blaze this new chapter of the organization's strong history together.

I invite you to join us in this exciting new journey, to help us honor A.T. heroes of the past three generations next year, and to help us inspire many more new ones.

Additional details about the name change are available here (http://www.appalachiantrail.org/about/namechange_faq.html). Thank you for your support.

Very truly yours,

Brian T. Fitzgerald
Chair, Appalachian Trail Conference

Lone Wolf
12-01-2004, 13:21
Wow! I never woulda thunk of CONSERVANCY. :rolleyes:

attroll
12-01-2004, 13:37
I think they should have stuck with what they had.

smokymtnsteve
12-01-2004, 13:40
WOW,,,I just have to wonder how much $$$ was spent and is going to be spent in connection with this name change.

A Tradition of 80 years ...gone..so much for tradition!

Lone Wolf
12-01-2004, 13:42
Yup. You're correct. The name wasn't broke so it didn't need fixin. They hired a New York City marketing firm to come up with it.

Youngblood
12-01-2004, 13:42
...A Tradition of 80 years ...gone..so much for tradition!

Next thing you know, Lone Wolf will be using Leki poles and a GoLite pack. :)

Youngblood

The Solemates
12-01-2004, 13:44
WOW,,,I just have to wonder how much $$$ was spent and is going to be spent in connection with this name change.

A Tradition of 80 years ...gone..so much for tradition!

I agree totally. And just think, that money could have been spent on the trail.

Lone Wolf
12-01-2004, 13:45
Oh God help me, Youngblood :)

Brushy Sage
12-01-2004, 13:56
The rhythm of "conservancy" will take some getting used to. I'm grateful that the ATC initials didn't change.

Spirit Walker
12-01-2004, 14:36
The problem is, it sounds like it's some subgroup of The Nature Conservancy, rather than an independent organization. I stopped giving to the Nature Conservancy a few years ago when some of their abuses came to light; I think it could hurt ATC to be confused with TNC.

gravityman
12-01-2004, 14:52
I just have to say, an organization that has to work this hard and explain this much to its members just to change it's name probably doesn't get much done. It hints at the level of "tradition" (read bureaucracy) that is unmanagable.

Just a outside thought...

Gravity

TJ aka Teej
12-01-2004, 17:16
I think they should have stuck with what they had.
Absolutely. Let the mission evolve, but respect the heritage of the organization.

TakeABreak
12-01-2004, 18:21
Although I totally disagree with the name change, it does not bother me as much as the amount of money that was wasted in doing it. I have worked with independant consultants in the paste and each and everyone was the same, they told the company what they wanted to hear, and that was if you do this it will bring in more money. And guess what it never did, but they told the people that had hired them exactly what they wanted to hear.

I have never seen or heard of an independant consultant telling a company the truth about how screwed up they were (which is not the case here) or tell an organization it is doing just fine the way it is and they should not let the lure of money take over.

Rain Man
12-01-2004, 18:23
Oh, I can live with the "new name" and it won't keep me from hiking, nor from being a member either.
:sun
Rain Man

.

weary
12-01-2004, 18:54
Absolutely. Let the mission evolve, but respect the heritage of the organization.
I have increasingly been concerned with the many problems facing ATC. I have yet to see evidence that the name was among those problems. I worry that frivolous things like name changes will make it easier to over look more serious leadership problems.

I don't detect, for instance, much recognition at ATC that the nature and politics of the trail has changed as the final acquisition of the narrow trail corridor approaches. For many years ATC has struggled to manage the footpath and to convince sometimes reluctant federal administrations of the critical need to protect at least the narrow trail corridor, without which the trail as a unified route through the Appalachians can not exist. This was critically important. Without a protected corridor, the trail would quickly cease to exist.

But I truly don't see serious evidence of any further goals -- or any serious discussion of further goals. My vision calls for a vibrant ATC with the courage to push the envelop of what truly is possible. Except for 20 miles or so, we now are guaranteed a 200-foot wide corridor with a trail winding through.

With that assured, we need a new vision urging maximum wildness for the land surrounding that corridor -- yeah, it will always be mostly a "suburban corridor" as Lone Wolf likes to remind us from time to time.

But that is not a reason for not maximizing whatever wildness is possible. That's why a few of us created the Maine Appalachian Trail Land Trust. Our task is relatively simple. Close to a third of Maine has been sold in recent years -- mostly in the unorganized territories where no municipal governments exist, but where the trail does exist.

Sadly, I see little evidence that the ATC has been more than marginally involved in this massive transfer of land adjacent to the trail. I hope that the massive ATC reorganization will change this.

In the meantime, if you want to help you can contact us at:

http://www.matlt.org/

Weary

Clark Fork
12-01-2004, 19:02
The problem is, it sounds like it's some subgroup of The Nature Conservancy, rather than an independent organization. I stopped giving to the Nature Conservancy a few years ago when some of their abuses came to light; I think it could hurt ATC to be confused with TNC.I think that is precisely the point. "Nothing is certain except death and taxes." As 72 million baby boomers begin to croak, everyone has their hand out to try to be remembered in bequests from the aging baby boomers. I know at least one couple who have the Nature Conservancy in their lists of bequests. I am sure the new name is aimed at building up endowment funds.

If dedicated to purchase/protect lands, there can be no better use of funds and that's where I would put my money. I favor the name change and an effort to mimic the Nature Conservancy. The Nature Conservancy has done great work out here in the West and enjoys a good reputation.

Regards,

Clark Fork in Western Montana.

Peaks
12-01-2004, 19:49
Well, I for one, congratulate the ATC on their decision to change the name. I think it's a good choice. Assuming that TJ was not the sole manager voting against it, thank you TJ for your efforts on this task.

I'm sure that the ATC Board of Managers carefully considered both the cost and the benefits of changing the name before going forward with it.

And, for those among us who are concerned about spending money on things like a marketing firm, then I urge you to get involved. Nominations for the Board of Managers are always welcome. But, in case you haven't looked, the Board of Managers includes many a disproportinate number of thru-hikers. I'd say that the majority of Managers are members of ALDHA.

Things have changed. ATC is no longer just a committee for the 20 or so maintaining clubs, each of whom has handshake agreements with landowners. In addition to the maintaining club organizations, the National Park Service is involved, and there are individual members of the ATC. So, I for one, think that the name change is good, and support it.

Good or bad, most of the general public has heard of the Sierra Club, the Nature Conservancy, and such. But does the general public know of the ATC? Probably not. Hopefully, a name change will help raise the its awareness among the general public.

Good work TJ. Thank you, and keep it up.

Jack Tarlin
12-01-2004, 20:21
Some interesting comments above. But what needs to be said, and re-iterated, is that however we may feel about this name change, or whatever occasional qualms or disagreements we have with the organization, by any name at all, the ATC is an extraordinary organization and deserves our support.

If you are a friend of the Appalachian Trail, and wish to help ensure its health and survival, there is no more significant thing you can do than join and support the ATC.

At this time of year, we're under a lot of financial pressure and many folks' charitable giving is stretched thin. I got a re-newal notice for my ATC membership today, and it'll going out to them immediately. It's one of the few annual notices of its sort that I don't have any problems with; I only wish I was in a position to send them more.

The "name-change" controversy will eventually be forgotten. What will remain is the remarkable work and ceaseless dedication of this small organization of dedicated workers and volunteers, all of whom have ONE thing in mind, that being the care, protection, and perpetual preservation of the Appalachian Trail.

If you're not presently an ATC member, I urge you to consider it.

For more information, see www.atconf.org

MOWGLI
12-01-2004, 20:28
I just have to say, an organization that has to work this hard and explain this much to its members just to change it's name probably doesn't get much done.

The "work" was/is in developing and implementing a new strategic plan. The name change is more cosmetic. Personally, I happen to like it.

Lone Wolf
12-01-2004, 20:33
I just joined the ATC online. Took Jack's advice.

TakeABreak
12-01-2004, 21:17
I have been a member since 1999, I joined when I decided to hike the trail, I figure if I was going to hike the trail, the least I could do, was to be a member while I was hiking the trail. But, in 2003 when my dues came due, I took the big leap and became a life member. That way I would not have to write a check every year, one big hit and it's over and done with.

MOWGLI
12-01-2004, 22:13
Hey, a nice event that the Whiteblaze folks could meet is at the next ATC Biennial Meeting planned for July 1-8, 2005 in Johnson City, TN. In '01 it was in PA, and in '03 it was in NH.

http://www.southernhighlands2005.org/

I'll be there for sure! Who else is planning to attend and show your support for the ATC?

Lone Wolf
12-01-2004, 22:21
Hell I'll go. It's only an hour away.

Lugnut
12-02-2004, 02:16
I'll be in Johnsonville, but I'm not happy with the "frivolous 'New York marketing firm' name change". It was a big waste of resources and a sad indication of the direction the ATC is going. After doing away with the regional board members and then the distancing themselves from their traditional name it looks as if the ATC has taken a giant step toward becoming another impersonal bureauocracy.
I'll probably remember this each time I receive a solicitation, like I did today, wanting me to contribute another $25,$50,$100. There's no guarantee that my donation wouldn't be pissed away on some project such as this one.

Rocks 'n Roots
12-02-2004, 03:03
I couldn't be happier. Maybe ATC will begin to take-off out of its doldrums now.

The best thing is that people won't need to be hit on the head with a ton of bricks to realize the AT is a conservation project first and foremost. Hikers are visitors to a vast conservation zone. That's the correct order of priority. Time for some respect for that finally. The name now leaves no doubt to the mission.

The Hog
12-02-2004, 07:41
A good and reasonable change of names, it makes sense. I've always thought that the word "conference" in ATC would make non-hikers think that there is a one-time event going on. It was ambiguous at best.

Now for the hard part: moving the organization into the 21st century.

Buddman
12-02-2004, 09:01
I think the name change is fine. It's a better fit with the organization in the 21st century. What the hell was a "conference" used in that context anyway? Enough said, now lets get on with it and move on down the trial.

weary
12-02-2004, 10:12
.... Enough said, now lets get on with it and move on down the trial.

Right. Let's hope Conservancy is just a trial and ATC will revert to conference, so we can move back to trails.

Weary

MOWGLI
12-02-2004, 10:35
Right. Let's hope Conservancy is just a trial and ATC will revert to conference, so we can move back to trails.

Weary

Weary, are you coming to the Biennial in Johnson City in '05? As I recall, you were in Shippensburg in '01. I wasn't but recall you posting about it on Trailplace.

Bolo
12-02-2004, 11:07
MOWGLI,
RE the ATC Biennial...is there a schedule of events posted somewhere?
Registration form, directions, etc? I can't find it on the link you posted. I'll be in N.C. that week, not far from Johnson City and would love to get over for a workshop, day hike AND to meet some of the infamous (strike) famous posters from WB.

Thanks.
Bolo

Lone Wolf
12-02-2004, 11:12
Info will be posted in January on the link MOWGLI gave plus info/registration will be in the March/April issue of ATN.

MOWGLI
12-02-2004, 11:15
MOWGLI,
RE the ATC Biennial...is there a schedule of events posted somewhere?
Registration form, directions, etc? I can't find it on the link you posted. I'll be in N.C. that week, not far from Johnson City and would love to get over for a workshop, day hike AND to meet some of the infamous (strike) famous posters from WB.

Thanks.
Bolo

Bolo:

What Lone Wolf says! Looking forward to meeting y'all. It's always so much nicer meeting people in person than over the internet.

Bolo
12-02-2004, 11:22
Ditto!

Thanks, Guys!:)

Mags
12-02-2004, 14:51
This e-mail was posted on AT-L by Robert Rubin (aka Rhymin' Worm). Many of you know him as the author of ON THE BEATEN PATH. Until recently, he was the editor of ATN. Suspect he has more insight than many of us in the workings of the ATC. His e-mail makes for interesting reading:
************************************************** ******************
> So..any thoughts on this name change?

Yeah, a couple of thoughts. I think the name change clarifies a couple
of things:

1--It makes clearer that the organization's main focus will be on the
preservation and protection of the physical Trail.
2--It makes it clearer that if anyone is going to carry the flag for
A.T. hikers, it's got to be ALDHA.

This reorganization (which the name change just labels) is really a
wake-up call for ALDHA, as much as anything else. What it's telling us
is that ATC can't be counted on as the primary advocate for hikers on
the Trail any more. ALDHA has got to get serious.

It's probably a good thing for ATC--at least for the health of the
organization, though maybe not for the ATC that we know and love.
Having worked there, I can tell you that the organization (a good
organization, and one I believe in) has for years tried to be
everything to almost everybody. It has tried to represent hikers. It
has tried to be a government contractor. It has tried to coordinate the
actions of Trail maintainers. It has tried to advocate for the green
tunnel in a world where asphalt is proliferating on all sides. It has
tried to come up with coherent long-range policies that will preserve
the A.T. experience. It has tried to work to make sure that land along
the Trail, when sold, gets into the hands of organizations or people
who value it as green space.

As you know, when you try to be everything to everybody, you usually
end up making nobody happy, and that's what's happened with ATC. As a
result, the staff morale there has been pretty terrible, even though
the staff is made up of a lot of people who love the Trail, and think
it's an important thing. This reorganization is going to make it a more
effective organization, and will probably raise staff morale.

My prediction is that ten years from now, the Harpers Ferry operation
will be somewhat smaller than it is now. The regional offices will all
be much larger, and will be, essentially, the main go-betweens
coordinating the work of the Trail volunteers, who take care of the
footpath and Trail corridor, and the government, which controls the
land and sets the policies. That work will be mostly paid for by tax
dollars. In Harpers Ferry, they will work hard at fund-raising for
advocacy, and at protecting land around the Trail Corridor, fighting
things like roads and development. That work will be paid for by donors
and foundations, and, to some extent, membership. But it's not going to
be a hiking organization. It is going to be something more like
"Friends of the Appalachian National Scenic Trail." Right now they're
reorganizing so that the governing board is one better suited to heavy
hitters than heavy hikers or even Trail maintainers. They're going to
be looking for people with access to large chunks of money (not
something that most hikers have in large amounts), since money is
what's needed for legal work, lobbying, and land acquisition.

What this means is that it's time for ALDHA to step up to the plate and
take over the hiker advocacy role that, traditionally, has been ATC's.
Up to now, ALDHA has been sort of a counterculture organization of
scruffy iconoclasts. The main thing that members want to do is swap
stories, compare gear, and hike. That's fine and good, but it means
that ALDHA will never have a strong voice in the fate of the Trail.

To have that voice, ALDHA is going to have to do more than organize the
Gathering each year and sponsor a worktrip or two, and having a few
steering committee meetings. It is going to have to get serious about
advocating for hikers. This means getting involved. It means having
official representatives at important ATC meetings, pressing to be on
committees and ad hoc groups, and willing to stand up and argue against
other interest groups that seek to influence ATC. It means deciding on
issues and strategies, and taking action to influence ATC and the feds
to implement them.

It also means, sad to say, getting more serious about money and
membership. Right now, ALDHA doesn't make enough money to do very much.
ALDHA could probably pay for some of this by publishing and selling the
COMPANION on its own, rather than letting ATC do it, and by developing
its own guides and maps. The guidebook and map publication business is
a money-maker for ATC, but (and I can speak from experience here) is
really not closely tied in to the rest of the organization. It's
something that ATC essentially does on the side, to raise money for
other activities.

Organizing hikers is like herding cats. I don't know if ALDHA can do
it. But if they don't speak for A.T. hikers, nobody will hear those
voices in the future.

-- Rhymin' Worm
(Gainfully unemployed these days)

weary
12-02-2004, 19:47
Weary, are you coming to the Biennial in Johnson City in '05? As I recall, you were in Shippensburg in '01. I wasn't but recall you posting about it on Trailplace.
I hope so. My wife is urging a six-week tour of the western national parks. I'm suggesting a late August start -- partly because of the biennial meeting and partly because our town land trust meets in mid August.

My plan is to do the northern parks, west to Olympia, by the end of September and then work south. My wife is not a walker, but I'll sneak away for a few overnights.

Weary

Rocks 'n Roots
12-04-2004, 00:06
Weary:


Your best weather window is mid-August to late September for that region.

Listen to your wife. The Pacific NW is a must. You can even stop at a pass in the Cascades and go a mile down the PCT...

Magic City
12-04-2004, 16:52
I wouldn't pay dues to any organization with "conservancy" in its name.

tribes
12-04-2004, 18:34
I wouldn't pay dues to any organization with "conservancy" in its name.

That is your perogative. Too bad. You will thru hike and spend upwards of six months on the trail next year but will not even kick down 25 bucks to the very organization that provides you with the trail that we all love so much. Yup. Too bad.

smokymtnsteve
12-04-2004, 22:25
I wouldn't pay dues to any organization with "conservancy" in its name.

I agree ...send your money to a local group,,,send some to kincora,

a day or two of actual work on the trail is much more valuable then 25-35 bucks sent to a non-profit, and please no more adddress labels and other "gift' offfers please.

weary
12-04-2004, 22:49
I wouldn't pay dues to any organization with "conservancy" in its name.
Why not? The trail exists because many thousands of folks, who were dedicated to conserviing a wild place along the backbone of the Appalachians, created this incredible trail.

What did you do to create this trail that you now dream of hiking? Why do you oppose a name that reflects in a small way the thinking that went into the creation of this trail.

Folks need a sense of history. The Appalachian Trail didn't just appear. People devoted their lives to creating this trail. Thousands now spend much of their lives keeping what was an improbable dream in the 1920s and 30s alive.

I'm a natural born reactionary. I hate to see names changed. But I can't imagine refusing to pay dues to the one group above all others that has created and nurtured this trail for these many decades. And surely not just because the current leaders rightly think "conserve" more accurately describes what they do than "confer." Your stance strikes me as incredulous.

The trail is a miracle of conservation. A case study in successful Conservation. Why is that so offensive, Magic City? Do you truly know? Tell us what you think you know about this trail that you dream of spending six months challenging.

Many dream of hiking this trail. Aside from issues of facts and philosophy, I like to think that those most likely to accomplish this most challenging of tasks are those with a sense of the nature of the trail and how it was created and conserved over these many decades. How do you suppose, Magic City, that this trail, that you contemplate spending many months of your life challenging, was created and maintained? Do you suppose that perhaps a sense of conservation, of conserving, may have played a role?

And if not, what did?

Weary

Tha Wookie
12-04-2004, 22:52
I wouldn't pay dues to any organization with "conservancy" in its name.
Label-driven foolishness.

Rocks 'n Roots
12-04-2004, 23:28
I personally spent years going up to the AT (mostly alone) to chainsaw out blowdowns and improve the trailbed. I did it for no money and very little acknowledgment. I wasn't looking for any either. So when you fear sending to a conservancy because you're afraid that the ATC is becoming another AMC or Sierra Club, think twice. All the organizing and coordination for trail crews came from ATC for the Trail projects I did. And I'm grateful for that. Without them the AT would have been developed away with an "oh well" in the surge of New York area development.

The reason I applaud the new name is because it makes the Trail's purpose a little more directly obvious. Too many have been having trouble accepting that. Especially those within the hiking community. These days if you're not giving to a conservancy you're giving to a condo developer. Kincora does very little to save vanishing parcels in critical locations. AT Conservancy does...

SavageLlama
12-05-2004, 21:51
I wouldn't pay dues to any organization with "conservancy" in its name.
The newsletter alone is worth the minimal membership fee. Forget that it's the main organization trying to protect, preserve and improve the trail, while fighting off an onslaught of attacks and lawsuits on a daily basis.

But yeah, why waste your money on organization like that. :-?

weary
12-05-2004, 22:20
Label-driven foolishness.
Of course. I find it fascinating that when challenged, these folks just remain silent. Well. Not really fascinating. I'm lying. I know they have neither facts, knowledge, nor reason to support their positions. They can't respond. They are just blahs, whose perspectives were created by those who manipulate for their own ends those who for whatever reason are not paying attention to the real world.

Weary

MOWGLI
12-05-2004, 22:20
I wouldn't pay dues to any organization with "conservancy" in its name.

That's a heck of a position for a person to take when they own a business in a trail town that they hope will be frequented by hikers of the AT. If you are going to benefit from the Appalachian Trail economically, IMO, the least you can do is give back a mere $25 to the organization that makes it all possible. I sure hope you haven't got your business listed in the ALDHA Companion that is sold by the Appalachian Trail Conservancy.

SGT Rock
12-06-2004, 07:46
Personally I find the name change idea silly. Regardless of the name though, I will remain a member. At least they aren't changing it to some extremely "Catchy" name like APPALACHIAN TRAIL NOW! or some other marketing agency dreamed up bizarreness.

Rocks 'n Roots
12-06-2004, 17:16
They are clearly changing it to "Conservancy" to reflect their land preservation mission. This mission was obviously being overlooked by persons who saw no problem in developing into the corridor, as well as hikers who see the AT's purpose as undesirable to their way of seeing things.

Looks like explaining that on an AT list is useless to people who just refuse to get it. Maybe the Conservancy will be able to better deal with that obstinacy the way it should be...