Tuesday, Mar 16, 2010
In November 2009, the Land Resources Division (LRD) held its first national training meeting in more than seven years. During this event, entitled Expertise for a New Era of Preservation, LRD staff members rolled up their sleeves to participate in a joint service project with other volunteers to help maintain the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT). In addition to removing overgrown brush and performing minor tread repair work, LRD participants also learned about the PCT, including ongoing acquisition projects, resource issues facing the trail, and the diverse partners involved in its management.
On its route from Mexico to Canada, the 2,650-mile-long PCT connects eight National Park Service units while crossing blistering low desert, majestic old-growth forests, and some of the West’s highest mountain ranges, including the Sierra Nevada and Cascades.
Through an interagency agreement with the PCT’s lead management agency, the U. S. Forest Service, the LRD has been working for years to acquire lands and easements in order to protect resources for visitor use and enjoyment. The LRD’s National Trails Land Resources Program Center has been leading the acquisition effort, employing years of experience gained while acquiring the land necessary to protect the PCT’s sister trail, the Appalachian Trail. To date, the National Trails Land Resources Program Center has helped the Forest Service protect more than 2,743 acres of land along the PCT in southern California, where urban encroachment continues to impact the trail’s wilderness character.
With a National Park Service crew working on a Forest Service trail in a Bureau of Land Management resource area with fellow volunteers from the Pacific Crest Trail Association and the Wildlands Conservancy, the November 2009 trail maintenance project showcased the value of partnerships in achieving conservation goals. And the continuation of the interagency partnership, with the National Park Service playing a key role in land acquisition, will ensure that future generations of trail users will enjoy a protected corridor in which to experience some of the most spectacular long-distance hiking and horseback riding opportunities in the world.
The Land Resources Division would like to extend its thanks to the Pacific Crest Trail Association, the Wildlands Conservancy, and all the other volunteers who help to preserve and protect our National Parks and Trails.
To learn more about the Land Resources Division visit our website at: http://landsnet.nps.gov/
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