Forest Service ups reliance on volunteers for trail repair

Trail Clearing with ‘Silky’ Saw

More visitors, less money and a mandate to increase volunteer help on trail maintenance. This should be an interesting year . . .

The U.S. Forest Service hopes to double the workload of its volunteer helpers as it attacks a backlog of trail maintenance largely in Montana.

The Bob Marshall Wilderness Complex’s 3,200 miles of trail arrived No. 1 on a Forest Service priority list for trail work last Friday. So did the Continental Divide Scenic Trail; its largest segment passes through Montana. And the Central Idaho Wilderness Complex listing includes a chunk of the Bitterroot National Forest slopping across the Montana-Idaho border.

But no money was attached to any of these priority areas. Instead, the Forest Service is following the National Forest System Trails Stewardship Act of 2016, which commands the agency “to increase trail maintenance by volunteers and partners by 100 percent” within five years of enactment.

Winter Trails Day in the Flathead

Lunch on Glacier View Mtn

From the official Forest Service press release…

The Flathead Community of Resource Educators (CORE), a network of individuals and organizations working together to increase awareness and understanding about the natural, historical and cultural resources of the Flathead Region, is celebrating Winter Trails Day on Saturday, January 20 with several free outdoor activities.

These free activities are a great way to enjoy the outdoors in winter and discover the fitness and social benefits of snowshoeing and winter hiking in Northwest Montana. All activities are suitable for beginners and families. Be prepared with warm clothing and wear sturdy hiking shoes or boots. Bring along binoculars for catching a glimpse of winter birds.

Snowshoe walk in the Flathead National Forest, hosted by the Swan Lake Ranger District and Foy’s to Blacktail Trails, will be at the Blacktail Mountain cross-country ski trails near Lakeside, 10am-Noon. Come explore the winter landscape and enjoy a guided look at animal tracks, trees and shrubs and even the snowpack. Participants may bring snowshoes, or a limited number of children and adult shoes will be available by reservation. Please meet at the Blacktail Cross-Country Ski Trails parking area. For more information or to reserve snowshoes, please contact the Swan Lake Ranger District at 837-7500.
Explore Lone Pine State Park on snowshoes. Adult and children’s snowshoes are available on a first-come, first-served basis. A ranger-led snowshoe walk takes place from 2pm to 3:30pm. Please contact the park at 755-2706 for more information or to reserve snowshoes for a fee.
Ranger-led snowshoe hikes at Glacier National Park will be hosted at 10:30am and 2pm. Each hike will last approximately two hours and reservations are not required. Take an intimate look at the park searching for signs of wildlife, discovering plants and animals and enjoying the solitude of winter. Snowshoes are available for hike participants. Visitors need to purchase a park entrance pass. Please meet at the Apgar Visitor Center. Call 888-7800 for more information.
Join Flathead Audubon for a guided ‘Winter Birding and Tracking’ snowshoe hike along the river bottom trails at the Owen Sowerwine Natural Area in Kalispell, from 10am to Noon. Bring your snowshoes. Meet at the Montessori School parking lot on Willow Glen Ave. Call 249-3987 or email auduboneducator@gmail.com for more information and to register.

For more information about the above local events visit, http://flatheadcore.org/.

During the month of January there are other opportunities to get outdoors and enjoy winter trails, including a ‘Winter Walk’ on snowshoes with the Montana Wilderness Association to Stanton Lake on January 13 and a winter ecology walk in the Condon area, January 27 with Swan Valley Connections, (http://wildmontana.org) . On January 20 Glacier Nordic Club hosts Winter Trails Day from 11am to 3pm at Whitefish Lake Golf Course with free rentals, trail passes and more.

US Forest Service map prices set to increase January 1, 2018

Hay Creek Drainage – West End

Well, rats. USFS map prices are going up. Here’s the meat of the official press release . . .

For the first time in nearly a decade, increasing costs of production, printing, and distribution are driving the need for the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s U.S. Forest Service to increase the price of its maps. Prices of USFS paper and plastic coated maps will increase to $14 on Monday, Jan. 1, 2018.

The Forest Service continually updates its maps and looks for ways to enhance maps. The Forest Service expects to shorten the revision cycle as cartographers continue to apply new digital technology to the map revision process.

The Forest Service is also working to increase the availability of digital maps. Digital maps for mobile applications can be downloaded here: http://www.avenza.com/pdf-maps/store. Digital maps cost $4.99 per side.

There are three ways to order maps from the National Forest Map Store (NFMS):

Online: www.NationalForestStore.com
By phone: (406) 329-3024
By US Mail:

USDA Forest Service
National Forest Store
P.O. Box 7669
Missoula, MT 59807

In an effort to help offset the pricing increase for volume sales, starting Jan. 1, 2018 discount pricing will be made available on sales of 10 or more of maps of the same title. Discounted maps are only available when purchased through the NFMS.

The U.S. Forest Service is dedicated in researching, producing and distributing informative, accurate maps that can help improve the experience on America’s national forests and grasslands. Additional online resources that may help users enjoy the great outdoors:
— Interactive Visitor Map to help you find great places to go and explore
— Know Before You Go for tips that can help you enjoy the outdoors and be safe