Our Stories

Denny Caneff, Jack Norland, and Richard Lutz: Volunteer Spotlight

2020 Friend of the Trail Awards

Denny Caneff. Our Trail is stronger and better because of the vision and leadership of Denny Caneff. For the past three years he has worked tirelessly as Executive Director for the Superior Hiking Trail Association (SHTA). He has forged relationships, grown the Association, and remains completely unafraid of spending time in the mud and deep snow. Because of his leadership, 300 miles of the North Country Trail are on a sustainable trajectory. Denny [left] SHTA on August 1 [2020], but his profound legacy will continue. What he created was the Trail Renewal Program (TRP), a plan for responsible, sustainable management of the Trail as a resource, with concern for the environmental impacts that increased use and lagging maintenance have caused. It focuses on developing standards for new construction and maintenance that volunteers, contractors and staff alike must adhere to. It engages volunteers and gives them opportunities for training and involvement with an emphasis on safety, and perhaps most importantly, it creates a process to evaluate the Trail, identify and then prioritize projects.

Jack Norland. Jack Norland has been instrumental in jumpstarting efforts to develop new segments of the NCT east of the Sheyenne National Grasslands in North Dakota. As manager of the North Dakota State University (NDSU) Foundation’s Ekre Grassland Preserve, Jack has assisted in the development of the NCT and other loop trails that traverse the property. He has assisted Tom Moberg’s work with adjacent landowners to secure permission for the NCT. Jack has also helped the NCTA gain a foothold on the NDSU campus by promoting the NCT to students.

Richard Lutz. Although Richard does work part-time for the Buckeye Trail Association (BTA), it’s generally agreed by all that he works far more than he is paid for. Many achievements in recent years would not have happened without him, like obtaining hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of grants to protect miles of trail route, organizing work parties to create new trail and add campsites, and obtaining state lands for improved trail routes. He also works on most of BTA’s big annual events, and has been in the thick of mapping improvements.

Who are you proud of in your local Chapter, state or region? Nominate them for an NCTA Award! The nomination form is open through May 1, 2021. Learn more at northcountrytrail.org/volunteer/volunteer-awards.