Our Stories
NPS’ 2010 VIP report for the NCT…volunteer numbers up 14%!
Written by Dan Watson, NPS’ Volunteer Coordinator for the North Country and Ice Age National Scenic Trails
The National Park Service (NPS) partnered with the North Country Trail Association (NCTA) again in FY10 for a very successful year of volunteer efforts. The North Country NST Annual Activity Report for FY10 shows 770 volunteers (down from 784 in FY09), and a total of 68,495 volunteer hours (up 14.2% over FY09). Note: The estimated value of this labor is approximately $1.39 million.
This year’s chosen highlight was a special event called “24 Hours of the Chip,” where 24 NCTA volunteers performed mowing operations on nearly all of the North Country National Scenic Trail within the Chippewa National Forest in Northern Minnesota over the course of one June weekend. Other NCTA volunteer “trail adopters,” including Boy Scout Troop 73, also completed mowing sections of the North Country NST within the Chippewa NF prior to the June special event. In all, 35 miles of the North Country NST within the Chippewa NF were mowed or otherwise maintained using mechanical mowers, chainsaws, and hand tools. The event was managed under the Incident Command System, and was the culmination of months of preparation and planning between the NPS, the NCTA, and the USFS. Safety of the volunteers was paramount, with all volunteer teams being provided Job Descriptions, Job Hazard Analysis (JHA) information, Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), and tailgate safety briefings prior to work activities. VIP Special Project Funding received in FY10 helped to make this activity, as well as many others, possible along the North Country NST by funding needed PPE. Note: More info on the 24 Hours of the Chip is available on the NCTA’s June 28th blog entry.
In FY10, volunteer hours increased by 14.2% over FY09 levels. Additionally, the NCTA received the 2009 Midwest Region George and Helen Hartzog Award in the “Outstanding Volunteer Group” category.
For more information on volunteering on the North Country Trail, feel free to contact Dan Watson, the NCTA, or visit our Volunteer website.