your national forests winter/spring 2016

The Magazine of the National Forest Foundation Winter – Spring 2016

Icons in Stone

GREAT BUILDINGS OF THE FOREST SERVICE

A Different Kind of Park

WHERE RECREATION REIGNS

Bison Return to Their Native Habitat

RESTORING THE TALL GRASSES OF MIDEWIN

Board of Directors Executive Committee

Craig Barrett, NFF Chair Retired CEO/Board Chairman, Intel Corporation (AZ)

John Hendricks, NFF Vice Chair Hendricks Investment Holdings, LLC (MD)

Max Chapman, NFF Vice Chair Chairman, Gardner Capital Management Corp. (TX)

Lee Fromson, NFF Treasurer Executive Vice President, Simms Fishing Products (MT)

Timothy P. Schieffelin, NFF Secretary Senior Wealth Director, BNY Mellon Wealth Management (CT)

Caroline Choi, Member Vice President, Integrated Planning & Environmental Affairs, Southern California Edison (CA)

Peter Foreman, Member Sirius LP (IL)

Board of Directors

David Bell, Chairman, Gyro, LLC (NY)

Mike Brown, Jr., General Partner, Bowery Capital (NY)

Coleman Burke, President, Waterfront Properties (NY)

Robert Cole, Partner, Collins Cockrel & Cole, P.C. (CO)

Bart Eberwein, Executive Vice President, Hoffman Construction Company (OR)

Robert Feitler, Chairman of the Executive Committee, Weyco Group, Inc. (IL)

Barry Fingerhut, CEO/Owner, Certification Partners, LLC (AZ)

Rick Frazier, Chief Product Supply & Service Officer, Coca-Cola Refreshments, North America Group (GA)

Beth Ganz, Vice President, Public Affairs and Sustainability, Vail Resorts Management Company, (CO)

Roje S. Gootee, Co-Owner& Manager, Rush Creek Ranch, LLC (OR)

James K. Hunt, Co-Owner & Manager, Tournament Capital Advisors, LLC (CA)

Andie MacDowell, Actress and Spokesperson (CA)

Jeff Paro, President & CEO, Outdoor Sportsman Group (NY)

Patricia Hayling Price, President, LiveWorkStrategize, LLC (NY)

Mary Smart, President, Smart Family Foundation (NY)

Thomas Tidwell, Ex-Officio, Chief, USDA Forest Service (DC)

Chad Weiss, Managing Director, JOG Capital Inc. (WY)

James Yardley, Senior Vice President, El Paso Corporation, Retired (TX)

SUPPORT YOUR NATIONAL FORESTS

Donate today to ensure these resources last for tomorrow.

$50 will plant 50 trees — helping ensure the health and vitality of our remarkable National Forests and Grasslands.

$100 will send 10 students to a Friends of the Forest® volunteer day.

$1,000 will restore up to one acre of forest.

Visit www.nationalforests.org/give to contribute today.

®2016 National Forest Foundation and Old Town Creative Communications, LLC. No unauthorized reproduction of this material is allowed.

Amid Shifts and Transitions, an Enduring MissionBy Interim Presidents: Ray A. Foote, Mary Mitsos and Marcus Selig

We mark our calendars with

everything from birthdays to

holidays to special family moments,

each entry reminding us that

transitions and cycles mark our lives. This time of

year brims with transition and change as fall slips

into winter, one year unfolds into the next and the

procession of holidays invites us to reflect on the past

year and imagine the next.

This issue of Your National Forests follows this pattern.

On pages 20-24, Michelle Donahue’s article transports you

to our nation’s rich network of National Recreation Areas.

In our field reports on pages 5-6 and in our annual Ski

Conservation Fund write-up on pages 30-31, we share cut-

ting edge work creating important change by the National

Forest Foundation (NFF) and others.

As we wrap up 2015, exciting changes at the NFF

signal new growth and promise. With the first year of

our new five-year strategic plan under our belts, we are

investing more than ever before in the health of America’s

National Forests and the outdoor experiences they provide

to millions annually. Our new field office in Asheville,

North Carolina will serve Eastern forests and people

more fully, and our new staff in Portland, Oregon will

strengthen our Pacific Northwest program.

On pages 7-9, we explore the benefits of one of the most

exciting projects from 2015 that took place in the heartland:

the return of bison to Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie,

a 19,000-acre unit of the National Forest System only one

hour southwest of Chicago. The NFF helped spearhead a

multi-year effort to bring majestic bison back to this part of

“The Prairie State,” back to a landscape where hundreds of

native tallgrasses, prairie forbs and shrubs are taking root

and flourishing in a diverse, rich ecosystem. Songbirds and

grassland birds are returning to this ancient land, natural

water flows are reappearing and thousands of Chicagoans

are learning something new about their “backyard.”

With each new shift

comes new opportu-

nity. At Midewin, now

we must maintain the

momentum to bring

back thousands more

acres to a natural state,

all while increasingly

engaging the commu-

nity. We look forward to

reporting to you on this in the future.

Just as we anticipate what is to come, we reflect on

what brought us to this point. To that end, we delve farther

back in history on pages 16-19 to explore two fascinating

landmarks the U.S. Forest Service owns and maintains.

We hope you enjoy this season of transition and this

issue of Your National Forests. Whether you live in a land-

scape now hushed by the snow’s arrival or near a southern

forest quiet after summer’s crowds are gone, it’s comforting

to know that these treasured places, and the NFF which

serves them, will remain next year and the year after that.

Thank you for being part of our work on behalf of

America’s National Forests. If we can ever be of assistance,

please be in touch.

Bill Possiel, NFF president, is on sabbatical. His regular welcome letter will return to this space in the Summer-Fall 2016 issue of Your National Forests.

Marcus Selig [email protected]

Mary Mitsos [email protected]

Ray A. Foote [email protected]

Winter – Spring 2016 1

welcome letter

on the coverTimberline Lodge sits under a winter blanket of snow

beneath Mt. Hood bathed in alpenglow.

© Timberline Lodge

features

7 Roaming the Tall GrassesBison return to Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie

16 Icons in Stone and ReputationHistoric Forest Service sites: Timberline Lodge and Grey Towers

20 Where Recreation ReignsRecreation comes first in these natural areas

WelcomeAmid transitions, the NFF's mission endures

Where in the WoodsHow well can you identify your National Forests?

Forests by the NumbersThe NFF's Trees for US program

Field ReportsRestoring the Roan Highlands and building cairns to Kings Peak

Tree SpotlightThe symphony of the longleaf pine

Forest NewsSaving bats from white-nose syndrome

Kids and NatureNational Forests welcome volunteers of all ages

Unforgettable ExperiencesSnowmobile partnerships with states and clubs

Voices from the ForestContest winners celebrate the San Gabriel Mountains National Monument

Ski Conservation FundSki Apache and the Lincoln National Forest

1

3

4

5

10

14

13

24

26

30

2 Your National Forests

Photos © U

SFS; Timberline Lodge; D

oug Wew

er | USFS

inside this edition

This National Forest is named for a beloved American author.

National Forest Foundation

Building 27, Suite 3 Fort Missoula Road Missoula, Montana 59804 406.542.2805

Your National Forests magazine is printed on recycled paper with 30% post- consumer content. This magazine’s use of FSC certified paper ensures the highest environmental and social standards have been followed in the wood sourcing, paper manufacturing, and print production of this magazine. To learn more log on to www.fsc.org.

The National Forest Foundation is a proud member of EarthShare, the country’s leading federation of environmental and conservation organizations accepting Combined Federal Campaign workplace contributions from federal civilian, postal and military employees. Look for the National Forest Foundation— CFC #12053—on EarthShare’s website at earthshare.org.

Your National Forests

The magazine of the National Forest FoundationEditor-in-Chief Greg M. PetersContributors Michelle Z. Donahue, Hannah Ettema, Ray A. Foote, Natalie Kuehler, Mary Mitsos, Nancy Negrete, Greg M. Peters, Marcus Selig, Mark Shelley, Amy J. WongGraphic Artist David A. Downing, Old Town Creative+Interactive

National Forest Foundation

William J. Possiel—PresidentMary Mitsos—Executive Vice PresidentRay A. Foote—Executive Vice PresidentEdward Belden—Southern California Program AssociateSheree Bombard—Director, AdministrationKaren DiBari—Director, Conservation ConnectHannah Ettema—Communications and Development AssociateRobin Hill—ControllerAdam Liljeblad—Director, Conservation AwardsZia Maumenee—Conservation Awards AssociateLuba Mullen—Associate Director, DevelopmentEmily Olsen—Conservation Connect AssociateMarlee Ostheimer—Development AssociateGreg M. Peters—Director, CommunicationsLee Quick—AccountantPatrick Shannon—Director, Pacific Northwest ProgramEmily Struss—Conservation AssociateVance Russell—Director, California ProgramMarcus Selig—Director, Southern Rockies RegionMark Shelley—Director, Eastern RegionDeborah Snyder—Development Services ManagerWes Swaffar—Ecosystem Services Senior ManagerDayle Wallien—Pacific Northwest Field Representative

See page 32 for the answer.


Photo © Brian C

ormack

where in the woods

1,000,000 acres

=10,000 acres

When severe fire, insects or

disease sweep across our

National Forests, the very

trees that make these forests

forests are threatened. So too are the services

and resources our forests provide, like clean

water, clean air, wildlife habitat and recreational

opportunities.

Fortunately, the NFF’s Trees for US program helps to heal the damage caused

by these disturbances. Since 2008, we have collected donations and matched

them to ecologically important reforestation projects around the country. The

program has become hugely popular with people looking to highlight their love

for forests and with businesses looking to give back to public lands. Thanks to

all of our supporters for helping restore our forests!

Learn more about the Trees for US program at: is.gd/ynf_010

105Reforestation projects the NFF

has funded through Trees for US

since 2008

20Reforestation projects funded

through Trees for US in 2015

21States where the NFF has

planted trees since 2008

45National Forests where the NFF

has planted trees since 2008

2,000Trees that can be planted by a single

professional tree planter per day

1-2 yearsAge of trees being planted on

reforestation projects

100+ yrsHow long it would take for many of

the forests where we plant trees to

naturally regenerate

1,641,599 trees

6,300,000 trees


Illustration © D

avid A. D

owning | O

ld Town C

reative

forests by the numbers

Volunteers Help the Roan Highlands Stay Wild

The wind-battered Roan Highlands stretch 20 miles across

the Tennessee-North Carolina border. Crisscrossed by the

Appalachian Trail, this rolling high country boasts billion-year

old rocks scraped clean by ancient glaciers and hosts numerous

threatened and endangered species.

The Roan Highlands is recognized by numerous groups

and state agencies as one of the most critical biodiversity

hotspots in the Southern Appalachians. The Southern

Appalachian Highlands Conservancy (SAHC) used their

NFF’s Matching Awards Program grant to ensure areas of

the Roan Highlands contained within the Pisgah National

Forest continue to provide exceptional wildlife habitat for

deer, bear, turkeys, migratory songbirds and other species

that live in this unforgiving region.

The grassy ridges and peaks of the Roan Highlands are

particularly important to the region’s wildlife. The slopes

that fall from these summits are draped in thick spruce-fir

forests, beautiful and fragrant, but limited in biodiversity,

making the open, grassy habitat on the ridges especially

critical nesting and foraging habitat for the region’s wildlife.

In 2015, SAHC brought more than 60 volunteers into

the Highlands to improve 21 acres of this important hab-

itat. The volunteers logged more than 1,000 hours pulling

invasive blackberry bushes, hand cutting beech tree suck-

ers impacted by beech bark disease and opening habitat

around green alder trees. Additionally, SAHC, working with

Audubon North Carolina and the North Carolina Wildlife

Resources Commission, monitored Golden-winged warbler

populations and vegetation response on more than 100

acres of previously restored Highlands.

Finally, SAHC worked with local partners to imple-

ment a feral hog monitoring program that identified

locations of high feral hog populations. This extremely

disruptive invasive species wreaks havoc on the region’s

animal and plant communities. Feral hogs eat the eggs of

ground-nesting birds, affect stream and wetland health,

disburse invasive plants and spread diseases that can

impact area farmers and wildlife populations.

SAHC installed wildlife monitoring cameras to identify

areas of high feral hog populations and worked with state

agencies and private landowners to begin eradication and

trapping programs. This work builds a foundation of knowl-

edge that state agencies, private landowners and conserva-

tion organizations can use to target feral hog populations

before they further damage these fragile ecosystems.


field reports

Photos © SA

HC

Giant Cairns Mark the Way to Kings Peak

As the highest mountain in Utah, Kings Peak on the border of

the Ashley and Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forests, draws

more than 10,000 visitors annually. Peak baggers, alpine lake

anglers and backpackers flock to Painter Basin, the high alpine

basin flanking the western edge of Kings Peak.

Located within the High Uinta Wilderness Area,

Painter Basin sits at roughly 12,000 feet above sea level.

The area’s popularity and a confusing network of user-cre-

ated trails has resulted in costly helicopter-assisted search

and rescue operations that burden local tax payers and

detract from the Wilderness experience visitors seek when

travelling through the area.

Friends of Kings Peak used an NFF Matching Awards

Program grant to eliminate the confusing and resource

degrading user-created trails and install a prominent trail

sign guiding hikers to Kings Peak. While this may sound

straightforward, access and weather highlighted how

remote and rugged this area truly is. The crews back-

packed gear and supplies more than 11 miles and braved

an early season snow storm in the high-elevation basin.

The group followed Wilderness design standards and

built 27 large cairns to guide hikers across the talus slopes

that flank Kings Peak. They also installed a nine-foot tall

trail sign at a confusing trail juncture to reduce the number

of lost hikers. When the weather frustrated cairn-building

efforts, the crews kept busy maintaining three miles of

system trails by cutting back overgrown vegetation.

While new signage and prominent cairns can’t

completely eliminate the potential for lost hikers in

this remote and popular landscape, they will no

doubt reduce the number of helicopter-assisted rescues

conducted each year.

Painter Basin in the High Uinta Wilderness Area.


Photo © C

asey Goodlett | flickr.com

field reports

Bison Return to Their Native HabitatBy Hannah Ettema

In 2007, archaeologists identified bison

bones at a prehistoric village on Midewin

National Tallgrass Prairie dating back to

around the year 1600. By the early 1800s,

settlers had eradicated bison from Illinois.

Thanks to an NFF-led effort, these majestic

creatures are back in their native habitat from a

time long gone.

An hour away from Chicago’s towering sky scrapers and Lake Shore Drive,

Midewin takes life at a slower pace. Quiet sunrises showcase fields of wildflow-

ers and chattering birds. Remnant bunkers from Midewin’s past as the Joliet

Arsenal dot the horizon.

In 2012, the National Forest Foundation designated Midewin as a signature

site in its Treasured Landscapes, Unforgettable Experiences conservation campaign.

Working closely with a stakeholder group, the NFF is restoring 2,000 acres of

the tallgrass prairie. Complementing this restoration effort, we worked with

our partners to bring bison back to the prairie, providing a unique opportunity

to learn if and how bison can impact prairie restoration.

Tallgrass prairies, like any landscape, require many components for a

healthy ecosystem. Since its inception, Midewin has been working to add those

elements—native grasses, controlled fire and bison. With bison now content-

edly grazing the prairie’s swaying grasses, officials will be able to see how the

various elements interact and benefit each other.

Roaming the Tall Grasses of Midewin

CORPORATE PARTNERCaudalie is a proud partner of the NFF. Our pledge to plant one million trees over the next several years highlights our commitment to the environment and underscores our company’s ethics.


Photo © U

SFS

conservation

Changes on the LandscapeAt 19,000 acres, Midewin is the largest single parcel of

protected open space in northeastern Illinois; it provides

critical habitat for birds such as bobolinks, Henslow’s

sparrows and grasshopper sparrows. The bison experi-

ment has several focus areas, one of which is exploring

whether different grazing patterns between bison and

cattle will benefit the grassland habitat Midewin offers

these and others birds.

While cattle have grazed at Midewin for decades, they,

like any animal, have a particular diet. Cattle prefer to eat

grasses and forbs (pretty much anything that is not grass,

tree or shrub). Bison on the other

hand, prefer to eat only grass.

“We’re hoping to get more hetero-

geneity,” explained prairie ecologist

William Glass.

“The cattle provide habitat

for grassland birds who like short

grasses. We’re hoping with the bison

there will be taller and shorter areas,

kind of a mix. So then you’ll get a

mix of birds.”

As with any experiment, data

collection is key.

Staff have years of data about

bird populations. At established

points throughout Midewin, they reg-

ularly count the birds they see and

hear. They also collect information about grass height,

depth of the litter (amount of dead matter on the ground)

and the number of cattle grazing in that area.

“With the bison there, we’ll monitor the birds like we

have been. We’ll be able to monitor the grass height, the

litter depth and we’ll know how many bison are out there.

So we’ll have the same information and we’ll compare it,”

explained Glass.

As the bison settle into their new home, their presence

may impact more than just the grassland birds. Glass

expects the increasingly rare Franklin’s ground squirrels

to like the bison’s pastures with tall vegetation.

“[Franklin’s ground squirrels] like really tall, rank

vegetation that they can burrow in. If we get that hetero-

geneity in the taller grasses, maybe we can get Franklin's

in there. Who knows?” said Glass.

Coyotes might also prove an interesting factor. Mide-

win is not a zoo, but a natural ecosystem with predators

and prey.

“The coyotes can’t take on an adult bison but they

could probably bother a young one. It’ll be interesting to

see how that all plays out,” said Glass.

Still an ExperimentGlass says they’re not sure what exactly will happen to

the landscape after the bison arrive. “We have some ideas

but are ready to be surprised.”

At The Nature Conservancy’s nearby Nachusa Grass-

lands, staff are monitoring bison introduced last year for

impacts on tallgrass prairie health. While it is too soon for

results on that front, the staff have noticed subtle changes.

“Researchers have noticed that a lot of the nests of

small mammals like mice, voles and shrews are being

made out of bison hair,” explained Cody Considine, a res-

toration ecologist for Nachusa.

Public interest has proven to be

a big and unforeseen aspect of the

bison’s presence at Nachusa.

“Probably the biggest challenge

that we didn’t expect is the amount of

interest that media and people have

with the animals. That’s created a lot

of extra work that we didn’t necessarily

anticipate,” explained Considine.

Roaming the PrairieMidewin is no stranger to managing

herds. Throughout the rolling hills and

windblown grasses of Midewin, cattle

graze with gusto. Like many other

units of the Forest Service, Midewin

maintains a grazing permit system.

Currently, there are approximately 950 head of cattle

grazing on about 3,700 acres of Midewin. Fortunately

for the land and staff, the permitees very much support

Midewin’s mission.

“It’s really refreshing to work with people who under-

stand and are in line with the overall purpose of Midewin.

They are here to graze their cattle, but they are also here

as stewards of the land,” said range management special-

ist Kelly Gutknecht.

Unlike the privately-owned cattle grazing there, Mide-

win’s bison herd is owned and therefore managed by the

Forest Service.

“It will be myself working hand-in-hand with prairie

ecologist William Glass,” explained Gutknecht. “We will be

vigilant and care for the bison appropriately as needed.”

Gutknecht knows bison are wild animals.

“We want them to be free-ranging bison and to

interact with them as minimally as possible. They won’t

depend on us for things. We want them to graze. And

bison grazing will help us meet the goals at Midewin.

That’s part of the reason that they’re here.”

Midewin is the largest single parcel of protected open space in northeastern Illinois


conservation

In preparation for the herd, Midewin set aside 1,200 acres for the bison

habitat. Their enclosure is surrounded by seven miles of six-foot tall fencing

and includes a corral area with hydraulic gates and chutes used to handle the

animals once a year. The corral area is surrounded by three smaller “trap pas-

tures,” each allowing access into the corral area.

Gutknecht explained: “The corral area will always remain open for the

bison; we want them to have a positive association with it. It’s an area that will

be used for water and/or supplements as well as annual checkups.”

Officials hope that the bison's comfort level with the corral area will allow

for a smooth round-up each fall, causing minimal discomfort to the animals.

Expecting the UnexpectedIn everything it does, the Forest Service adapts to change. New challenges

inspire new solutions and ways to manage National Forests and Grasslands

for the greatest good. Given the nature of the bison experiment, Midewin is

prepared for the unexpected.

As Glass explained: “There’s all these cool little things that could happen,

some of which we don’t even know or haven’t even thought about. I think

there’s going to be a lot of things we’re going to learn.”

Want to learn more about the NFF’s efforts to bring bison back to Midewin? Visit is.gd/ynf_011

Three of Midewin's bull bison.

Hannah is the NFF’s devel-

opment and communications

associate. She manages all

aspects of the NFF’s digital

communications and spends

her free time exploring

Montana’s national forests and

stage managing local theater

productions. Reach her at

[email protected].


Photo © U

SFS

conservation

A Longleaf Symphony Heard Once AgainBy Mark Shelley

“This plain is mostly a forest of the great long-leaved pine, the earth

covered with grass, interspersed with an infinite variety of herbaceous

plants, and embellished with extensive savannas, always green, sparkling

with ponds of water, and ornamented with clumps of evergreens, and

other trees and shrubs…”

~ William Bartram, Travels (1791)

The sound moving through a longleaf pine forest

seems to emanate from on high and down low—a cre-

scendo that starts in the tree canopy and builds through

the ground level grasses—all orchestrated by the breeze.

Some have likened this windy symphony to waves crash-

ing in a far off sea; the great eighteenth century explorer

William Bartram described it as: “the solemn symphony of

the steady Western breezes, playing incessantly, rising and

falling through the thick and wavy foliage.”

Bartram initially explored the Southeast in 1776, but

returned seven years later, at the bequest of London phy-

sician Dr. John Fothergill to collect botanical specimens

and sketch his travels. Beginning in Pennsylvania, Bartram

sailed to Charleston, South Carolina and explored south to

Savannah, Georgia. He canoed the St. Johns River in Flor-

ida, travelled west across the state with Native American

traders, looped back into Georgia, and eventually north to

the Carolina highlands before concluding his trip at the

Mississippi River. Throughout his five-year adventure, he

was rarely out of sight of longleaf pine. A traveler follow-

ing Bartram’s footsteps today would hear only the faintest

whispers of Bartram’s “solemn symphony.”


tree spotlight

Photo © M

artjan Lamm

ertink | pbase.com/picidpics

Historic Range Current Range

Ninety-two million acres of longleaf pine forests once dominated the Southeast, but today less than two percent remain.

A Muted MelodyNinety-two million acres of

stately longleaf pine forests once dominated

the Southeast, but today less than two percent

remain. Of that two percent, very few acres still reflect

the diversity and age of the longleaf forests that covered

the South for more than 40,000 years. Logging, fire sup-

pression and conversion to other, more easily-managed

species have greatly reduced and fragmented its range,

impairing its ecological function.

The longleaf pine is the longest

lived of the southern pine species.

Throughout most of their range,

longleaf pines can reach 250 years

in age, although trees older than 450

years have been documented. The

longleaf is a beautiful tree, with roll-

ing, graceful lower branches laden

with large cones. Its long needles

give it its common name.

Longleaf pine’s scientific name,

Pinus palustris, means "of the marsh."

Locals refer to it as longstraw, yellow,

southern yellow, swamp, hard or

heart, pitch, and Georgia pine. In

pre-settlement times, this premier

timber tree grew in extensive, pure

stands throughout the Atlantic and

Gulf Coastal Plains from southeastern

Virginia to eastern Texas and south

through the northern two-thirds of peninsular Florida. The

species also grows in the Piedmont, Ridge and Valley, and

Mountain Provinces of Alabama and northwest Georgia.

Longleaf pine is native to a wide variety of sites rang-

ing from wet, poorly drained flatwoods just above sea level

to dry, rocky mountain ridges 1,900 feet high. Most of the

current longleaf pine forests are found

on the Atlantic and Gulf Coastal Plains

at elevations below 660 feet.

Longleaf pine is a high quality

timber tree, well suited to a whole

range of products—poles, piling,

posts, saw logs, plywood, pulpwood

and ship supplies. Even its needles

or "pine straw" are used as mulch. Its

usefulness fostered centuries of intense

exploitation, which combined with

a lack of planned regeneration, con-

tribute to the decline of longleaf pine

forests that continues today.

Longleaf pine stands require fire.

In the past, frequent fires resulted in

open, parklike stands of longleaf with

few other woody plants and ground

cover dominated by grasses and forbs—

excellent habitat for game, especially

quail, and quail hunting has long been

associated with this timber type. Many species of birds,

mice and squirrels feed on longleaf pine seeds, adding to

the long list of animals that depend on longleaf forests.


tree spotlight

How to Help the Endangered Red-Cockaded Woodpecker

Because of its narrow

requirement for old-growth

living pine trees in which it

makes its nesting and roost-

ing cavities, the red-cock-

aded woodpecker was the

first longleaf forest inhab-

iting animal to achieve

endangered status under

the Endangered Species

Preservation Act of 1966.

Want to help the NFF

improve red-cockaded

woodpecker habitat?

Support our conservation

effort on the Ocala National

Forest where we’re restor-

ing the longleaf pine forests

on which these endangered

birds depend. Working with

local partners and contrac-

tors, including Florida’s

Boyscouts, we’re restoring

and improving longleaf

forests for woodpeckers

and other forest-dependent

species. Learn more at

is.gd/ynf_012.

But with a reduction in fire occurrence, hardwoods and other pines

encroach on the longleaf forest. This ecosystem conversion reduces habitat for

a variety of threatened and endangered wildlife, from amphibians and snakes

to birds and small mammals.

Woodpecker HarmoniesMature longleaf stands also provide the most desirable habitat for the

red-cockaded woodpecker. These finicky birds build nesting cavities in pines

at least 60 years old. Rare, old-growth longleaf trees are ideally suited to the

red-cockaded woodpecker, but across the region most longleaf stands are sec-

ond-growth and therefore too young for this indicator species.

Critically needed restoration is underway, including: planting new long-

leaf pine trees, removing invasive exotic plant species, restoring native plants

and reducing competition from oak trees (and other species) that shade out

longleaf seedlings. Preventing further oak and pine encroachment through

controlled fire is the final step.

The NFF is supporting a comprehensive longleaf restoration program on

the Ocala National Forest. These efforts are focused on expanding red-cock-

aded woodpecker habitat and on ensuring that these habitats remain suitable

through prescribed fire and other management techniques.

Through these restoration efforts, we can bring back the high pitched notes,

rattling and quiet drumming of the red-cockaded woodpecker, perhaps just

as Bartram heard in his day—returning an essential melody in harmony with

nature’s soothing longleaf symphony.

Mark is the NFF’s Eastern Field Program Director. Based

in Asheville, NC, Mark explores the National Forests in the

East (and sometimes in the West) by trail trudging, biking,

paddling and otherwise getting out of doors. Reach him at

[email protected].


Photos © U

SFS; Martjan Lam

mertink | pbase.com

/picidpics

tree spotlight

Forest Service Researchers Battle White-nose Syndrome

Imagine there is a magic flying machine that appears every night and

snatches insects and pests from the air. Imagine this machine operates

without any assistance from humans and that it benefits America’s

agricultural industry to the tune of $26 billion a year. Now imagine

that the machines are breaking down and no longer able to perform their

pest-reducing magic. You’d want to find out how to fix them right?

That’s exactly what researchers at the Forest Service’s

Northern Research Station, Southern Research Station

and Center for Mycology Research are doing with a recent

grant from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS).

These “magic machines” are bats, honed by millions of

years of evolution and experts at catching and consuming

millions and millions of harmful insects. The “breakdown”

is white-nose syndrome, a fungus that’s killing millions of

bats across the country.

First identified in eastern New York in 2007, white-nose

syndrome has been steadily moving throughout the coun-

try, affecting hibernating bats in 26 states and 5 Canadian

provinces. White-nose syndrome is a fungus that pene-

trates bats’ nose, mouth and wing tissue causing dehydra-

tion and inability to maintain body temperature during

hibernation. Researchers estimate that the disease has

killed between 5 and 6 million bats, close to 80 percent of

northeastern bat populations since 2007.

Because bats are crucial to both agricultural and

natural systems, researchers are scrambling to find a cure

for the disease and prevent further spread. To that end,

the USFWS recently awarded $2.5 million in grants to

scientists studying white-nose syndrome. Forest Service

scientists received four grants totaling $410,690 from the

USFWS in September 2015. The grants will help research-

ers tackle this disease in four crucial areas: ➤ Using a native soil bacteria that limits the growth of the

fungus that causes white-nose syndrome; ➤ Analyzing the impact of ultra-violet light on the fungus that

causes white-nose syndrome; ➤ Understanding the vulnerability of tri-colored bats in the

southern United States to white-nose syndrome; ➤ Developing decontamination protocols that mitigate

human-based transmission of the fungus that causes

white-nose syndrome.

"Fungi and bats are among the most elusive species

on the planet, which makes white-nose syndrome a

particularly challenging disease to manage," said Michael

T. Rains, Director of the Forest Service's Northern Research

Station and the Forest Products Laboratory. "Forest Service

scientists have expertise on both and are working on a

variety of approaches to reduce the mortality of bats in

the face of this devastating disease. We are honored and

grateful for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's support of

this research."

A little brown bat with white muzzle typical of white-nose syndrome.


forest news

Photo © G

reg Turner | USG

S.gov

Feeling “Taller” through VolunteeringBy Natalie Kuehler

Volunteering on a National Forest can be a great way to spend

the day outside with your children and foster their interest

in nature. With a little planning and forethought, volunteer

opportunities for your entire family abound: from building

trails and restoring campgrounds to helping care for wildlife.

You may worry that bringing your child, especially a

young one, will be disruptive, unproductive or simply not

fun. But after hosting several volunteer days on the NFF’s

Treasured Landscapes Majestic Methow campaign site on

the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest, I have found

the opposite to be true: kids do a great job, and watching

a youngster bond with nature while volunteering lifts the

spirit of the entire group.

To get a child's perspective I spoke to eight-year-old

Sophia Baraibar, who participated in a trail restoration

party I organized.

Sophia’s most important piece of advice is to: “find

an activity that your child likes to do anyway.” She enjoys

hiking and pounding things into the ground, so marching

more than two miles to Blue Lake and hammering stakes

into the ground to rope off restoration areas proved a per-

fect fit. Sophia also advises: “it would not be good if you

just told your kids to come” to a volunteer event. Instead,

she says, “you have to give them enough details so that

the kids know why they are doing the work and that their

help is important.” Sophia really wanted to volunteer after

her mother explained that she would be: “protecting really

delicate plants up at Blue Lake that otherwise would have

died from people walking on them.”

Sophia pounding stakes to mark restoration areas.


kids and nature

Tips to make sure your kids have fun and stay safe during restoration events

Safety FirstMake sure the event’s location and

activities are safe for children. This

includes safety during breaks or

playtime as children go exploring

throughout the day. Avoid activities

along big cliffs, near busy roads or

in areas known to be frequented by

animals like rattlesnakes.

SnacksPack plenty of snacks (Sophia recom-

mends: “enough protein—otherwise

you will be really hungry on the way

back,” while one parent I spoke to

simply said: “sugar!”).

ClothingPack warm clothes (especially layers)

and a spare set of clothes if there’s a

chance your child could get wet.

Make the hike in funIf you are hiking up to the event

location, think of fun activities to

do along the way: search for a frog

to kiss, count the switch-backs,

pretend to be a mountain goat or

simply identify different plants along

the way.

Be a good role modelThe most important thing you

may be doing while volunteering

with your family is not the actual

work itself, but planting a seed in

your child’s mind that this is their

forest too.

She also cautions against underestimating children and encourages adults

to find meaningful jobs for their kids. In addition to placing stakes, Sophia

enjoyed signing up all the volunteers at the beginning of the event. As the only

child there she had initially felt “really small.” Knowing that she was helping

meant she “didn’t have to be shy” and began to feel “taller.”

Sophia had such a good time at the event that she was “even thinking

about going on a hike on [her] birthday” the following week. As for volunteering

again—Sophia didn’t even have to think about that. “I will definitely go to the

next volunteer event,” she said, and immediately asked me to sign her up.

Working hard and safe.

Natalie spent the season as the NFF’s Volunteer and Community Outreach Coordinator on the

Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest where she was sure to bring enough snacks to share with the many

volunteers who made this year's Majestic Methow projects such a success—and so much fun.


Photos © N

atalie Kuehler

kids and nature

Icons in Stone and ReputationBy Ray A. Foote

Firefighting, timber, camping with friends and Smokey Bear are

often associated with the U.S. Forest Service. Favorite trails and

fishing spots or a passing glimpse of the classic ‘shield’ logo also

bring the century-old agency to mind.

Less well known are the historic sites the Forest

Service owns and cares for. Two such places stand out,

although they could not be more different from each

other: one, a grand château high above the Delaware River

in northeastern Pennsylvania, designed by an esteemed

Gilded Age architect and displaying fine European crafts-

manship. The other, 2,800 miles due west, a rustic but

grand lodge in Oregon’s Cascade Range built by federal

work crews during the depression and adorned by Native

American art and exquisite carving.

Respectively, Grey Towers and Timberline Lodge are

beloved American icons, each distinguished by their

designation as National Historic Landmarks, the top tier

of official recognition for historic significance. They also

share a deep and lasting tie to the Forest Service.

From Wallpaper to Well Managed ForestsBuilt to reflect its owners’ French roots, Grey Towers

was the imposing summer home of James Pinchot, a

wealthy wallpaper manufacturer and lumberman, and

his wife Mary Eno Pinchot. They hired renowned architect

Richard Morris Hunt to design a château-style mansion

set on extensive grounds, an estate that quickly became

the dominant feature of Milford, Pennsylvania, a small

town along the Delaware River. With 43 rooms and three

tremendous turreted towers, the landmark was built from

indigenous fieldstone and immediately became a gather-

ing place of the wealthy and important.

President Franklin D. Roosevelt at the opening of Timberline Lodge in 1937.


Photo © Tim

berline Lodge

In 1875, when James Pinchot selected the site for his

estate, it was essentially a denuded hillside; only decades

later would it resemble today’s verdant appearance. That

would be true of much of the eastern United States. In

the late nineteenth century, these lands were utterly cut

over and simply left bare save hundreds of thousands of

stumps. Pinchot came to recognize the unsustainability of

such practices, even though they had personally enriched

his family, and he saw in his son Gifford an opportunity to

begin righting the extremes of his own generation.

"How would you like to be a forester?" James asked

Gifford, invoking a profession that didn’t even exist in

America at the time. Gifford later noted: "I had no more

conception of what it meant to be a forester than the man

in the moon....But at least a forester worked in the woods

and with the woods—and I loved the woods and every-

thing about them.” With no school of forestry in the U.S.,

Gifford enrolled in the French National School of Forestry

before returning home to attend the new Yale School of

Forestry, conveniently funded by his parents.

It was propitious that the tremendous château in Mil-

ford opened on the young Pinchot’s 21st birthday, an event

marked by the father presenting the son a copy of George Per-

kins Marsh’s Man and Nature: Earth as Modified by Human Action. Considered the

foundational text of a nascent conservation ethos, Marsh’s book made the case

that stewardship was essential to progress. This idea defined Pinchot’s vision

and career. In 1905, he was appointed by his friend Teddy Roosevelt as the first

Chief Forester of the brand new U.S. Forest Service. The Forest History Society

has noted that: “[Pinchot] had a strong hand in guiding the fledgling organi-

zation toward the utilitarian philosophy of the ‘greatest good for the greatest

number.’ Pinchot added the phrase ‘in the long run’ to emphasize that forest

management consists of long-term decisions.”

Grey Towers became the intellectual center of forest thought in the early

twentieth century. From 1901 to 1926 it was the primary summer fieldwork

location for the Yale School of Forestry. In 1903, the elder Pinchot started the

Milford Experimental Forest as a lab and learning site. Leading thinkers and

practitioners gathered to share ideas and questions about the rapidly growing

field of professional forestry, including coming to terms with the abusive and

unsustainable logging practices of the day.

Blacksmiths, Stonemasons and a “Magic Mile”Standing at 5,690 feet elevation, the literal timberline, the majestic lodge

of the same name was built by Works Progress Administration crews between

1936 and 1938 as part of the massive federal effort to jolt a depressed nation

back into economic health.

Gracing Mt. Hood National Forest an hour east of Portland, Oregon, Timberline

boasts a lobby with six stone fireplaces joined by a huge chimney rising 80

feet through the hexagonal room. Awed visitors enter through an 1,800-pound

Ponderosa pine front door and encounter carpentry, metalworking, masonry and

carving throughout. Some have referred to the lodge as a veritable museum of

uniquely American rustic decorative arts—table legs and Newell posts are carved

with beavers, rams and owls, wildlife all found in the surrounding forests.

Gifford Pinchot at his desk c. 1900.

Grey Tower's namesake turrets.


Photos © D

aniel Case | com

mons.w

ikimedia.org; G

rey Towers H

istoric Association

unforgettable experiences

In 1935, lacking funds to hire a private architectural

firm, the Forest Service gave the task to a team of four

in-house architects led by Tim Turner. Each had grown up

in the Pacific Northwest and brought a strong sense of the

region’s innate character to their plans. By all accounts,

this team produced a world-class design suited to its

demanding climate, reflective of the ‘everyman’ ethos that

built it and respectful of the native heritage and ecological

history of the region.

The lodge and its leisure time offerings were some-

thing of an experiment in the Forest Service’s ability to

promote outdoor recreation. Franklin D. Roosevelt noted

that this “venture” project would “test the workability” of

the government’s ability to own and operate such places.

This flirtation didn’t last long as Timberline’s operations

were almost immediately contracted out to a private

concessionaire under a special use permit granted by the

Forest Service and have been thus ever since. Neverthe-

less, the ties with Mt. Hood National Forest were then and

remain integral to the resort.

While America’s downhill ski industry was in its

infancy in the 1930s, it was about to take off, in part

thanks to Timberline’s innovations. The year it opened,

the resort installed the “Magic Mile,” a mile-long chairlift

that ascended to 7,000 feet. Operational by 1939, the lift

opened up tremendous new recreational possibilities. It

was only the second passenger chairlift in the world; a

few years later, the resort opened an aerial tram to serve

growing crowds, though it closed in the 1950s.

A mere 17 years after opening, the entire celebrated

Timberline enterprise was on the rocks and ultimately

ceased operating. Within months of its closure, Oregon

businessman Richard L. Kohnstamm took over as the area

operator and dedicated the rest of his life to the landmark

resort, returning it to profitability and earning the sobri-

quet “the man who saved Timberline Lodge.” His son, Jeff

Kohnstamm, succeeds him as the area operator to this day.

Encounters with PresidentsEach of these sites bears a special relationship with a

U.S. President. Timberline owes its very existence to the

works program FDR put in place as one of many mech-

anisms to pull America out of the Great Depression. On

September 28, 1937, FDR’s 40-car motorcade ascended

Mt. Hood for the president to dedicate the new building.

That day, he reiterated the twin themes that define and

often stress the Forest Service even today: timber produc-

tion and recreation. First, he noted how future visitors

to Timberline could “visualize the relationship” between

National Forest lands and economic recovery. They would

“understand the part which National Forest timber will

play in the support of this important element of north-

western prosperity.”

Roosevelt also correctly presaged an era of growing

recreation on forest lands. “Those who will follow us to

Timberline Lodge on their holidays and vacations will

represent the enjoyment of new opportunities for play

in every season of the year.…Summer is not the only

time for play….[People] are going to come here for ski-

ing and tobogganing and various other forms of winter

sports.” Today, things have come full circle from Roos-

evelt’s time as U.S. ski resorts are rapidly retooling to offer

summertime activities (such as ziplines and mountain

biking) to balance their wintertime high season long dom-

inated by skiing. With more than 60 percent of western ski

areas on Forest Service lands, these changes also reflect

the ever evolving role of these public lands and their

multiple uses.

Twenty-six years, almost to the day, after FDR dedi-

cated Timberline, President John F. Kennedy visited Grey

Towers. With tiny Milford abuzz, the president heli-

coptered in for a brief ceremony to accept the Pinchot

family’s estate as a gift to the entire nation. On that early

fall day, Kennedy’s visit coalesced three notable events.

First, the official transfer of the mansion and 101 acres


Photos © Library of C

ongress


Ray is the NFF’s Executive Vice President. He lives in Fairfax, VA

and spends his free time playing jazz and blues piano and pursuing

outdoor photography. Reach him at [email protected].

of surrounding land to the Forest Service; second, the launch of a new Pinchot

Institute for Conservation Studies at Grey Towers, a nonprofit organization still

active today in forest policy and research; and finally, the kickoff of Kennedy’s

national “conservation tour.”

Over the next five days the president visited 11 states and made 15

speeches about the need to protect America’s natural resources. Kennedy’s

stumping for the environment was surprising; he had shown little interest to

date in the outdoors. Yet, Rachel Carson had published Silent Spring the prior

year, and national cognizance of early environmental issues was rising quickly.

The tour was Kennedy’s last major opportunity to summon the nation’s atten-

tion for conservation as he was assassinated two months later.

Pressing Forward with a Conservation MissionBoth Grey Towers and Timberline draw their character and reputation from

strong historical associations. Yet, each is also a vital agent in continuing to edu-

cate and inspire Americans to enjoy and protect their National Forests. Timber-

line welcomes two million people annually, actively informing guests about its

symbiotic relationship with the National Forest that rings it. Its birth as a public

works project and showcase of the richness of nearby flora and fauna give the

resort an intimate tie with the ongoing mission of the Forest Service.

Grey Towers’ tours, seminars and events focused on forest history, theory

and practice continually rekindle the questions Gifford Pinchot doggedly

pursued as America’s first chief forester. The place itself, a grand nineteenth

century gesture, bears witness to a legacy of seeking the most enlightened

approach to managing our forests. At the same time, Grey Towers represents

and embraces a remarkable sweep of changes in our understanding of forest

stewardship, changes that will certainly continue to unspool throughout the

twenty-first century.

Friends, Associations and Further Reading

Visitor information, additional

history and further resources are

easily available about both of these

historic sites, including from their

associated nonprofit partners.

Friends of Timberline

(friendsoftimberline.org), founded in

1975, is a nonprofit organization that

conserves Timberline Lodge, protects

its historical integrity and celebrates

its builders by raising funds and

coordinating community efforts.

The Grey Towers Heritage Asso-

ciation (greytowers.org) is a nonprofit

organization that provides tours,

programs, history, publications

and more. It works closely with

The Pinchot Institute (pinchot.org),

which provides nonpartisan

research, education and technical

assistance on the future of con-

servation and sustainable natural

resource management.

Char Miller’s Seeking the Greatest

Good: The Conservation Legacy of Gifford

Pinchot (Pittsburgh: University of

Pittsburgh Press, 2013) is the most

thorough history and examination

of Grey Towers’ coming into

public ownership and how its

mission today echoes Gifford Pin-

chot’s conservation ethos.

Both sites are open to the public.

Timberline Lodge (timberlinelodge.com)

is a full-service year-round resort.

Grey Towers is available for tours and

occasional educational programs.

CORPORATE PARTNERBoxed Water is planting one million trees on National Forests in the next five years. This year’s #ReTree campaign was overwhelming, and we’re excited to keep the momentum going and reach our goal by 2020.



WHERE RECREATION

REIGNS

Morning light hits Goat Falls in the Sawtooth National Recreation Area.


A Different Kind of ParkBy Michelle Z. Donahue

Traversing the green and rolling terrain

of the ancient Allegheny Mountains

is reminiscent of riding giant ocean

swells. Cresting up and over each

successive ridgeline rewards the traveler with a

sweeping view of a lush, river-worn valley below

and the vista of the next sloping flank to come.

More valleys lay beyond, highlands rising and

falling in an even, steady flow, marching on into

the misty distance.

Until, suddenly, breaking that gentle rhythm, the pale and broken parapet

of the “Rocks” juts up through the tree line like the bleached bones of a dragon.

With my family, I’ve been through many a Mid-Atlantic dale and hollow,

but the journey to Seneca Rocks National Recreation Area on the Monongahela

National Forest took us into an area of West Virginia we hadn’t yet explored.

Despite being only three hours west of Washington, D.C., the verdant landscape

felt much more remote.

The area felt little different than any other federal land: the ubiquitous

brown sign with carved, yellow-painted lettering faithfully greets arriving vis-

itors. The region has an appropriately tousled quality, with little development

nearby. But subtle clues hint at your presence in a different kind of “park.”

Instead of the arrowhead emblem of the National Park Service, signs are

emblazoned with the tree-adorned shield of the Forest Service. A small cross-

roads hosts a motel, country store and outfitter that enjoy brisk business. Our

campground, well-appointed with leveled tent pads and tidy fire pits, is man-

aged by a contractor—though so seamlessly, it’s hard to tell.

When we arrived at our campsite in the middle of an impossibly bright Sep-

tember afternoon, the glowing full-face panorama of the Seneca Rocks crags

commanded our rapt attention. A group of campers from the D.C. area had

brought a telescope for nighttime stargazing, but in the meantime, pointed it at

the precipice, watching helmeted climbers rappel and ascend the rocks.

Congress Responds to Recreational DemandIn the late 1950s and early 1960s, Congress heatedly debated the merits of

establishing Wilderness Areas on public lands. As part of the process leading

up to 1964’s Wilderness Act, the federal Outdoor Recreation Resource Review

Commission identified a rapidly increasing urban demand for outdoor recre-

ational opportunities.

Subtle clues hint at your presence in a different kind of “park.”


featured forest

Photo © Jay Krajic

increased local tourism and recreation opportunities.

And, of course, the geography should be picturesque,

a regionally significant landmark.

“The Forest Service is incredibly proud to manage

some of the world’s most treasured public landscapes,”

said Joe Meade, director of the Forest Service’s recreation,

heritage and volunteer resources. “Each of these iconic

NRAs have been recognized by Congress for their excep-

tional attributes. It is our intention to enhance steward-

ship and partnership alliances in support of all of these

places, to raise public awareness about their value, and

to increase staff and budget resources to help protect and

ensure their longevity for generations to come.”

“NRAs are generally very popular,” said Forest Service

chief landscape architect Matt Arnn, who helps NRA man-

agers retain and improve the essential

character of each place. “To be nomi-

nated and congressionally designated

means there has to be a strong local

regional constituency that works in

partnership with the Forest Service and

related interest groups to pursue that

designation. You need a fair amount of

support for that.”

Millions of People, Billions of Dollars

Though spending is down slightly

from earlier in the 2000s, likely due

to decreased spending nationwide

during the most recent recession, demand for recreational

resources continues to be high.

More than 6 million people are employed in recre-

ation-related industries, more than in finance, construc-

tion or transportation. The Outdoor Industry Alliance's

2012 report notes that Americans spent $646 billion on

recreation, netting state and federal governments a cool

$39 billion in tax revenue—each.

All but one of the group from our telescope-toting

neighbors at the Seneca Rocks campground had never

been to this particular recreation area before, but all

agreed that it was an attractive resource to have in such

relative proximity to the Washington suburbs, where

they all reside. But other than being aware they were in a

National Forest, none of the group realized they were in

specially designated area nested within that forest.

In response, a 1962 presidential advisory council

developed a set of criteria to allow for the designation of

specially managed natural areas intended primarily for

recreational use. Seneca Rocks, established in 1965, was

the first of what is now a system of 22 Forest Service-man-

aged NRAs (the National Park Service and Bureau of Land

Management manage additional NRAs as well). Following

a rush of set-asides through the 1980s and ‘90s, the Mount

Hood NRA was designated in 2009 and remains the most

recent NRA. Along with specially designated scenic areas,

trails, rivers, or volcanic areas, a National Recreation Area

designation requires an act of Congress.

As Diverse as the Continent’s GeographyThese recreation areas differ from other federal land

designations primarily in their

intended use: while management

of National Parks is focused on

preservation and conservation, and

National Forests are managed for

multiple resources, recreation is

emphasized in NRAs. In these areas,

hiking, camping, biking, climbing,

fishing, swimming, snowmobiling and

any other number of interests are not

only sanctioned but actively encour-

aged, though the specific mix of

activities differs from place to place.

The recreation areas are as

diverse as the continent’s geography.

From the smallest area, the 6,000 acre Pine Ridge NRA

in Nebraska, to the vast Sawtooth NRA in Idaho, encom-

passing an area nearly as large as Rhode Island, NRAs are

selected for their unique and exceptional attributes. Those

features need not necessarily be forest-related: Hells

Canyon NRA, in Oregon’s Wallowa-Whitman National

Forest, contains 15,000-year-old Native American petro-

glyphs; Arapaho NRA is known as the “great lakes” area of

Colorado for its five large reservoirs.

By design, NRAs are located within easy striking dis-

tance from cities. Each NRA is no more than 250 miles

from a major population center, and the guidelines

regulating creation of these recreation areas also man-

date that they should be relatively large, allowing for a

high carrying capacity of visitors. Additional preference

is given to areas that would economically benefit from

By design, National Recreation Areas are located within easy striking distance of cities.

Opposite: Rock climbers testing their skills at Seneca Rocks NRA.


featured forest

“I always knew the difference between national parks and forest areas,” said

Garrett Hart, a former Navy pilot who now resides in the D.C. area. “In my head

I never really focused on what’s a national recreation area.”

Hart did add that he has always appreciated the wider freedom of activities

within National Forests. “It’s more wide open. On a lot of the lands, you can just

go in and use it.”

Steve Pezzetti, also part of the group, agreed, noting that he grew up trav-

eling National Forests extensively with his father, who worked for the Forest

Service for 46 years. Despite the heavy summertime use from the crowds who

visit from the Eastern seaboard, he noted the careful maintenance of the trails.

The group of friends expressed pleasant surprise at the range of activities avail-

able for visitors.

As we prepared to leave Seneca Rocks, my first-grader piped up from the

rear of our vehicle: “Are we going back to the tent now?” My preschooler,

ever her brother’s faithful parrot, added, “More tent?” Thus inaugurated, I am

cheered that both my children seem eager for more outdoor explorations like

what we found in the Monongahela.

Michelle often hikes Mary-

land's Catoctin Mountains with

her family and grapples with

the annual problem of too many

tomatoes from the garden. She

writes about science, culture and

technology for Smithsonian, SciArt

in America and others. Reach her at

[email protected].


Photo © N

athan Smith

Ride & GroomSnowmobile Partnerships with States and ClubsBy Greg M. Peters

Few winter activities beat the rush of piloting a snowmobile across

a snowy landscape. Snowmobiles offer a fun and exhilarating way

to experience winter in all its glory. Whether following a perfectly

groomed trail or cutting tracks across a powder-laden slope,

snowmobilers relish their season.

National Forests from California to Vermont provide

some of the best snowmobiling opportunities in the

country. Thousands of miles of trails loop through these

forests, providing groomed networks that attract riders

from neighboring towns and far-flung locales.

So how does the Forest Service, which is notoriously

strapped for cash, manage to keep thousands of miles of

trails groomed and maintained for these cold weather

recreationists? Through creative multi-party partnerships.

A Growing SportIn the 1970s and 80s, advances in snowmobile technol-

ogy began attracting new enthusiasts to the sport. State

governments, tasked with regulating snowmobiles just like

any other motorized vehicle, required snowmobilers to reg-

ister their sleds, providing new recreation-based revenue.

At the same time, local enthusiasts began organizing clubs

and events to build community and find places to ride.

Many of these early trail systems followed snow-cov-

ered Forest Service roads in states like Washington,

Oregon, Idaho, Montana, Minnesota and Vermont. But

the agency didn’t have funding to cover grooming or trail

maintenance costs, so it began forming partnerships with

the states and the clubs.

States used the money from snowmobile registration

fees to provide grants to local clubs who in turn partnered

with the Forest Service to groom and maintain the trails.

Eventually, states recognized that snowmobilers were also

purchasing enough gas for their machines that a portion of

the state gas tax added to each gallon of gas could be dedi-

cated to maintaining and grooming trail systems as well.

These partnerships, refined and improved, are still at

work today, nearly four decades later.

Thousands of Miles, Hundreds of ClubsMinnesota offers what is perhaps the country’s largest

system of groomed trails—about 20,000 miles. On the

Superior National Forest, a network of 700 miles of trails

intersect with hundreds more trail miles on state, county

and private lands. The Forest partners directly with more

than a dozen clubs whose volunteers groom and maintain

the trails. These volunteers also help with signage, trail

inspections and trail planning efforts.

Although many of the clubs utilize volunteers to

operate grooming equipment, there are still hard costs

associated with grooming and maintaining the trail

systems. The State of Minnesota provides grants to the

clubs to offset these hard costs through their "Grant-In-

Aid" program. Because this form of winter recreation is so

important to the remote towns that border this sprawling

forest in northern Minnesota, the Superior does provide

some money to the state to help support the grooming

programs. A 2005 study by the University of Minnesota’s

Tourism Center estimated the direct snowmobiling-re-

lated expenditures of residents and non-residents at a

whopping $199.6 million. Of this, $78.6 million was spent

on travelling to snowmobiling destinations. While not all

of this is directly related to National Forest opportunities,

these lands do play a critical role in supporting local econ-

omies during the long Minnesota winters.

In Washington, the program is pretty similar. The

Washington State Parks department provides the funding,



but it doesn’t only go to local clubs. The Parks department

also works with private contractors who groom trails and

plow parking lots. In a few cases, where a specific Forest or

District has grooming equipment, the state provides funds

to cover the costs of using that equipment. Regardless

of whether it’s a club, a contractor or the Forest Service

doing the grooming, oversight and enforcement are ulti-

mately the responsibility of the Forest Service. Although

here too, partnerships help share the burden.

State game wardens and department of natural resource

law enforcement officers help the Forest Service patrol

trail networks and parking lots for unregistered snowmo-

biles, folks operating snowmobiles under the influence of

drugs or alcohol and riders violating access regulations.

In Montana, where there are 4,000 miles of snowmobile

trails across the state and 26 different snowmobiling clubs,

these partnerships have grown to support Nordic skiing

opportunities as well. On the Idaho-Montana border, snow-

mobilers and Nordic skiers utilize separate trail systems

that start at the Lolo Pass Visitor center. In 2014, the local

“SnoGoers” snowmobile club that grooms the motorized

trails agreed to use its state-provided grant funding (with

funding contributed by the Nordic ski club as well) to

groom the Nordic ski trails because the local Nordic club’s

grooming machine no longer worked. This unique partner-

ship provides both motorized and non-motorized recre-

ationists an opportunity to enjoy their respective sports.

Without these self-funded programs in place, oppor-

tunities for zipping off into the wintery woods would be

limited. Importantly, very little federal money is spent

maintaining these systems. In fact, little state money

is spent either, as the registration and gas tax revenues

cover the cost of administering the programs.

The next time you consider riding a snowmobile

through a National Forest, remember the multiple groups

that work together to make your ride possible. From local

snowmobile clubs who spend long, dark hours grooming

trails to the state parks officials who manage the grant

programs that support the grooming to the Forest Service

officials who ensure public safety, there’s a strong network

of partners who provide the opportunity to zip through

dense forests and open snow-filled meadows.

Greg is the NFF’s Communication Director. When he’s not lost in a mountain of paperwork at his desk,

Greg enjoys skiing, hiking, canoeing and getting home after dark. Reach him at [email protected].

CORPORATE PARTNERMillerCoors is pleased to be supporting the NFF’s watershed restoration efforts on the Angeles National Forest, helping return water back to the natural systems that depend on it.


Photo © M

lenny | istock.com


Growing up in El Monte, I never knew the name of the

mountains outside my mom’s car window. Like a cardboard

backdrop for a movie, they seemed distant, hard to reach and

almost two-dimensional. In fact, for the first 22 years of my

life, I never even stepped foot there.

When I was young, my concept of the outdoors was

simple: I ventured in my backyard and the grass fields

at school. That was it. But that was enough for me at

that time. My love for the outdoors blossomed thanks

to my grandma. Oftentimes, the two of us would sit on

a swinging bench under our jujube tree as she shared

stories about her life in Cambodia and Vietnam. It became

a space for storytelling, our small and cozy backyard.

When she arrived in America more than two decades

ago, she planted several fruit trees as a form of good luck:

kumquats, oranges, lemons and more. Starting as small

shrubs, they’ve grown alongside us and still stand today,

reaching toward the sky with branches outstretched.

When I moved back home after college, I found it

difficult to immerse in nature like I had as a kid. I had

studied environmental science and public health, learning

the importance of public green space. Suddenly, home

didn’t feel as hospitable as I’d remembered. Instead, home

felt like a case study I’d read about in a research paper

in college. El Monte, like most cities in the San Gabriel

Valley region, is park-poor, which means that there are

fewer than three acres of open space per 1,000 residents.

El Monte is also a predominantly working class immi-

grant community, and it suffers from one of the highest

childhood obesity rates in LA County. The connection was

obvious: without enough green space to play in, how could

youth lead active, healthy lives?

Eager to address these health disparities in my

hometown, I started working for a local public health

non-profit called Day One. As part of my work, I educate

high school students, or youth advocates, about the

importance of nutrition and physical activity. During a

meeting, one of our students suggested hiking. And after

a quick online search, I saw a huge area of green merely

This past fall, the NFF sponsored a blog contest to celebrate local community

connections to the San Gabriel Mountains National Monument outside of Los

Angeles. We are pleased to feature the winning and runner-up entries here.

Car Window MountainsBy Amy J. Wong


Photo © A

my J. W

ong

voices from the forest

a half hour’s drive away. I had finally

discovered the name of the moun-

tain range always in the background

of the car window, the San Gabriel

Mountains. And I was determined to

go there.

Last November, my friends

and I decided to hike with our

youth advocates in the San Gabriel

Mountains. None of our students

had ever explored the mountains

before either. The timing could not have been more per-

fect—President Obama had just declared the mountains

a National Monument that October. What better way to

celebrate than to hike the mountains? Carpooling up the

winding one-lane highway to the mountains, we watched

the landscape transition from a concrete city to luscious

greenery and mountainous peaks.

Breathing in fresh, crisp fall air, we gradually made

our way to the top of Vetter Mountain. Along the trail,

we enjoyed seeing bits of frost melting on fallen logs and

identified native plants like yucca and white sage. Our

youth advocates expressed genuine excitement through-

out the hike, and as we took the final steps toward the top

of the peak, we all felt a strong sense

of accomplishment. We took a moment

to soak in glorious 360 degree views

of the San Gabriels—away from busy

highways, smoggy air, billboards and

the commotion of the city. It was just

us, the mountains and the blue sky.

Simple.

We all visit the outdoors for dif-

ferent reasons: as a place to tell our

stories, as a place to escape from city

life and as a revolutionary act of reclaiming our roots.

Experiencing the San Gabriel Mountains can be a cathar-

tic remedy for park-poor, low-income communities of

color in the San Gabriel Valley who don’t have local parks

to relax in. By increasing access to these open spaces,

residents can enjoy an improved quality of life, health

and happiness. Now that the San Gabriel Mountains have

become a National Monument, I hope there will be ongo-

ing education and outreach to our communities, so that

future generations can create their own meaning of the

outdoors. This way, our children’s children can grow up

knowing the name of, and hopefully stepping foot in, the

mountains outside their car windows.

Amy J. Wong is a first-generation Asian American passionate about the intersectionality

of public health and environmental justice, follow her on Twitter: @sunlightleak.

Without…green space to play in, how could youth lead active, healthy lives?

Amy and friends on top of Mt. Vetter.



Photo © D

avid Koo

As a young Latina from Southeast Los Angeles, I never had

the opportunity to visit the San Gabriel Mountains. The

mountains were such a familiar surrounding yet very

unknown territory. I grew up seeing the mountains everyday

but knew very little about the natural landscape that surrounds concrete

Los Angeles. Until very recently, I didn’t know the mountains actually had

a name, other than “las montañas,” as my family affectionately called

them. I never learned about the San Gabriel Mountains in school and

never had the chance to explore this huge forest in Los Angeles’ backyard.

When I decided to take my first hike in the San Gabri-

els, I honestly didn’t know where to start. I turned to Goo-

gle knowing I could find an endless amount of informa-

tion. After some searching, I decided to go to the Chantry

Flats Picnic area and hike a portion of the Gabrielino trail.

I took my sister, cousin and friend hoping we could find

Sturtevant Falls. None of us had much experience in the

San Gabriel Mountains, so it was great to explore together!

It took about an hour on three different freeways

to get from Lynwood to the Adams Pack Station that

Saturday morning. After parking, we quickly headed

towards the Gabrielino trail and started to make our way

towards Sturtevant Falls. As we made our way up the trail,

I couldn’t help but wonder why it took me so long to visit

the San Gabriel Mountains.

Unknown TerritoryBy Nance Negrete


Photos © N

ance Negrete


Until a couple years ago, my dad was the only one in our family who drove

and because of his long work hours, we didn’t have the opportunity to take a

family trip to the mountains. The closest we ever got to the San Gabriels was

Montebello, so even traveling on the 210 freeway was somewhat unfamiliar to

me. I also realized I never took advantage of school fieldtrips and lost an oppor-

tunity to learn more about such an important part of the environment. Now I

understand that the San Gabriel Mountains were always available for me, but I

just didn’t have the time, money or resources to access them.

I hope that we can do better to make sure that everyone has the ability to

visit the San Gabriels—especially children who see the mountains every day

and have a deep desire to explore them. When President Obama dedicated the

San Gabriel Mountains National Monument in 2014, he stated that “Too many

children…especially children of color, don’t have access to parks where they

can run free, breathe fresh air, experience nature and learn about their envi-

ronment. This is an issue of social justice.” The San Gabriel Mountains serve

a very large city and it is important that everyone—especially underserved

communities—be given the opportunity and resources to learn and have fun in

the mountains.

While hiking towards the Falls I didn’t see any signs indicating I was within

the boundaries of the San Gabriel Mountains National Monument. One of my

main goals was to visit the National Monument, and I hope that Congress will

soon act to expand the National Monument boundaries—making it easier and

more accessible for anyone to get to.

Signs or not, hiking the Gabrielino trail to Sturtevant Falls was a very beau-

tiful experience, and I hope to inspire others from my community to take more

trips to the San Gabriels.

On our drive home, I told my sister that one of my fondest memories of see-

ing the mountains every day was the snow covered peaks. If winter ever returns

to Los Angeles, I hope that on my next trip I’ll visit the National Monument with

the rest of my family, so that we can all experience a little bit of snow.

Nancy Negrete is a native and resident of Lynwood in

Southeast Los Angeles, a graduate of Wellesley College and is

currently the Program Manager at The City Project.

It is important that everyone…be given the opportunity and resources to learn and have fun in the mountains.

Opposite: The author and her friends at Sturtevant Falls.

CORPORATE PARTNERREI is pleased to support the NFF’s efforts to expand recreation opportunities in the San Gabriel Mountains National Monument and restore National Forests impacted by fire.



Veterans and StudentsMake a Difference on the Lincoln National ForestBy Greg M. Peters

Riudoso, New Mexico may not be among the country’s most

famous ski towns. It lays deep in the southwest corner of New

Mexico, closer to Roswell than to Taos, New Mexico’s better

known ski resort. But that doesn’t mean there isn’t great skiing

at Ski Apache, just a 30 minute-drive out of town. And it hasn’t stopped

the resort, which is owned and operated by the Mescalero Apache Tribe,

from becoming one of the NFF’s best Ski Conservation Fund (SCF) partners.

Donations from guests staying at the Resort and at the

Tribe’s Inn of the Mountain Gods Resort and Casino have

generously supported the SCF program since 2008.

Together, we’ve been able to

support a series of restoration proj-

ects that have helped the Lincoln

National Forest recover from wildfire,

improve watersheds and recreation

opportunities while connecting with

students and veterans.

In the fall of 2014, a Veterans

Fire Corps Crew (part of the Arizona

Conservation Corps) comprised of six

post-911 veterans worked on several

hundred acres of the Lincoln. They

felled hazard trees, installed 94 log

terraces to improve water quality

and reduce erosion, conducted

prescribed burning and spread more

than 500 pounds of native grass seed

on an area impacted by 2012’s Little Bear Fire. The crew

learned valuable sawyer skills, prescribed burning tech-

niques and gained valuable conservation work experience.

The crew’s excellent work prompted the Forest Service

to highlight their efforts and outcomes. According to Sean

Donaldson, wilderness technician on the Smokey Bear

Ranger District, “Based on the work that the Veterans crew

established, this project was selected

as one of the seven projects the forest

reported on for meeting the National

Best Management Practice targets.”

In addition to the Veterans Fire

Corps work, Ski Apache’s partnership

with the NFF supported three other

high-value projects on the Lincoln this

past summer.

The nonprofit conservation group,

EcoServants, rerouted and rehabilitated

mountain biking and hiking trails that

connect the Village of Ruidoso to the

Lincoln National Forest. With the help

of youth crews and AmeriCorps mem-

bers, EcoServants rehabilitated miles

of user-created trails and rerouted and

expanded multiple-use trails to improve safety and user

experience. The effort is part of a sustainable trails plan

first outlined in 2010 to make Ruidoso and the Lincoln a

mountain biking destination.

Interns helped maintain more than 200 miles of trail, 13 trailheads, and three developed campgrounds.


ski conservation fund

In 2004, the Peppin Fire rendered many trails through the popular Capitan

Wilderness Area on the Lincoln impassable. Downed trees and hazardous con-

ditions prevented hikers and stock trains from accessing the Wilderness. The

Arizona Conservation Corps stationed crews in the Wilderness for five-to-seven

day-long stints to clear roughly ten miles of trails. This work will provide hikers

and stock users renewed opportunity to access the majestic Capitan Wilder-

ness Area after a decade-long hiatus resulting from the 2004 fire.

Longtime NFF partner, the Student Conservation Association also worked

throughout the summer, placing two wilderness interns and two wildlife

interns in two popular Wilderness Areas on the Smokey Bear Ranger District

of the Lincoln. In addition to meeting more than 500 visitors and providing

Wilderness, Leave No Trace and wildlife education, the interns also helped

maintain more than 200 miles of trail, 13 trailheads, two day-use sites, three

developed campgrounds and numerous dispersed camping areas.

The NFF’s Ski Conservation and Forest Stewardship Fund programs support

this type of work across the country every year. While we’re highlighting the

work accomplished in New Mexico, guests at lodges from Washington to New

Hampshire can add a dollar to their room night to support projects like these in

their backyard forest.

For a current list of the NFF's Ski Conservation and Forest Stewardship

Fund partners, please visit is.gd/ynf_013

Greg is the NFF’s Communication Director. When he’s not

lost in a mountain of paperwork at his desk, Greg enjoys skiing,

hiking, canoeing and getting home after dark. Reach him at

[email protected].

Felling hazard trees.

Veterans Fire Corps member clearing deadfall.


Photos © A

rizona Conservation C

orps

ski conservation fund

Answer from page 3: Mark Twain National Forest, Missouri

This National Forest is named for a beloved American author.

Missouri’s only National Forest, the Mark Twain National

Forest, spans nearly 1.5 million acres. Most of the Forest

is in the Ozark Highlands, an old landscape that features

caves, volcanic mountains and perennial springs. On your

next visit, bring along a canoe or kayak and explore the Eleven Point

National Scenic River, which Congress established as a National Scenic

River in 1968. The 44-mile float is free of impoundments and meanders

through steep bluffs, alternating between rapids and clear pools. Other

popular places on the Mark Twain include Greer Spring and the Glade Top

Trail National Scenic Byway.

Learn more at www.fs.usda.gov/mtnf


Photo © Bhanu Tadinada | flickr.com

where in the woods

NFF CELEBRATES22 YEARS OF SPORTING CLAYS

PLEASE JOIN US MAY 6-7, 2016 FOR THE 22nd ANNUAL SPORTING CLAYS INVITATIONAL.

Contact Emily Struss at [email protected] to learn more about participating or sponsoring a team.

Our special thanks go out to last year’s sponsors:

EVENT SPONSORSPAUL & SONIA JONES

CRAIG & BARBARA BARRETTBNY MELLON

WEALTH MANAGEMENTMAX CHAPMAN

CURIOSITY STREAMINTERMEDIA OUTDOORS /

SPORTSMAN CHANNEL FRITZ & ADELAIDE

KAUFFMANN FOUNDATIONPOLARIS

SIRIUS FUNDWATERFRONT NY

RANDY & CATHY WEISENBURGER

STATION SPONSORSBAILEY FOUNDATION

DAVID BELLBETTERIDGE JEWELERS

BOWERY CAPITALROBINS ISLAND FOUNDATION

WILLIAM J. POSSIELTHE VIRGINIA SPORTSMAN

The NFF’s Annual Sporting Clays Invitational is a great opportunity to connect with friends and celebrate all that America’s National Forests provide.

We invite you and your company to join us next May for the 22nd Annual Sporting Clays Invitational in upstate New York.

For the past 21 years, many generous sponsors and friends of the National Forest Foundation have gathered for a memorable shoot in New York. This event is a vital fundraiser for the NFF’s conservation mission and we are deeply grateful for the participation and generosity of all.

Help Protect America’s Backyard

Join the hundreds of thousands of Americans who help care for our National Forests. Find out where to play, stay up-to-date

on conservation news and receive insider tips.

nationalforests.org

your national forests winter/spring 2016

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