Continental Divide Trail
The Continental Divide Trail shows how Conservation Corps from different States can be brought together effectively in a major, multi-year project. A key innovation is to bring crews together with the identity of “Continental Divide Trail Alliance Youth Corps.” Recreational Trails Program grants have been awarded from State programs along with funding from Federal budgets, foundations, and volunteer resources. National recognition and support also contribute to continued success. The project has been in operation for several years and the strength of the partnerships should carry the work forward for many more years.
Project scope and issues
Running from Mexico to Canada, the Continental Divide Trail (CDT) is a designated National Scenic Trail. Like the Pacific Crest Trail and the Appalachian Trail, the CDT runs north-south along the ridge of a major chain of mountain ranges. Along its 3,100-mile route, the CDT accesses some of the most wild and scenic areas in the United States.
The Continental Divide Trail Alliance (CDTA) was formed in 1995 to assist the Federal land management agencies in building and managing the trail. The goal of CDTA is to complete the entire trail through five States while “conserving the environment and promoting the well-being of all who use it.”
Several Conservation Corps have served as important resources in building the CDT. For these groups, the trail is a major source of pride, as well as employment, year after year. Montana and Colorado each have Conservation Corps that provide crews specifically for improving and extending the trail. Under the banner of the Continental Divide Trail Alliance Youth Corps, three regional organizations bring crews together for CDTA projects. In addition to the Montana Conservation Corps (MCC), they are the Rocky Mountain Youth Corps – Colorado (RMYC) and the Southwest Conservation Corps - Colorado (SCC).
A key objective of CDTA is creating an identity for the crews working on the trail. They receive CDTA T-shirts for work and special polo shirts for taking part in public presentations. In 2009, crews will have business cards to give to people they meet.
A full day of orientation helps the crew learn the facts of CDTA; at the same time, they also get a sense of being part of something really big. Young people who are developing their own identities seem to respond to this connection to the history and stories of America’s long-distance trails. It is a way to contribute: to see results, to feel pride. It’s not someone telling them what’s important or what to believe. They experience it by themselves--and for themselves.
Recognition
In 2007, the CDTA Youth Corps project received a Recreational Trails Program Annual Achievement Award. The Coalition for Recreational Trails (CRT) presents these awards in June each year for outstanding projects funded through state RTP grants. The “Youth Conservation/Service Corps” award is one of several categories intended to highlight effective use of RTP funding.
Four projects in Colorado were part of this RTP grant and resulted in the construction of 15 miles of new trail. In New Mexico, CDTA Youth Corps completed five projects in the Burro Mountains and Aspen Mountain areas, and crews worked four weeks to build five miles of the CDT. In Wyoming, corpsmembers and volunteers in partnership with the Forest Service completed seven miles of major trail reconstruction as well as turnpikes, bog bridges, drainage structures, and other improvements.
Funding Sources and Challenges
The biggest funding issue with CDT, as in many areas of vast public lands, is declining Federal recreation budgets. The RTP funds have helped the trail project by serving as a source of ongoing and dependable resources for youth corps work. To supplement or match the RTP funds, other grants have been made through Colorado’s share of State lottery dollars. The success of this vast undertaking is also largely due to Federal appropriations through the land management agencies. These infusions of funds have been provided for the CDT in the recreation budgets of the U.S. Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management. Other major funders of the trail work have included the National Forest Foundation, the Fausel Foundation, and REI, an outdoor merchandise company.
In 2007, MCC contracted with CDTA to manage crews in Montana, much in the way that RMYC and SCC’s CDTA-sponsored crews operate in Wyoming, Colorado, and New Mexico. Two CDTA Youth Corps crews in Montana and northwest Wyoming were planned for 2008 but, as budget problems developed for the Federal partners, projects were cancelled for the entire year. By contrast, RTP-funded work can be planned with more certainty because grant applications and contracts take place one-to-three years in advance.
Collaboration on a Large Scale
A long-distance trail will be completed only with commitment and cooperation among many interested parties. The CDT is a larger and more complex partnership than most youth corps efforts. As the CDTA maintains the public identity for the project, each partner takes on its role as contractor for specific parts of the job. A great deal of flexibility is required, as roles and opportunities evolve.
Because Federal budgets have their ups-and-downs, it helps for several partners to be working on funding opportunities. In writing grant proposals RMYC, in many cases, is the organization that compiles the application for State funds, while most of the details of trail work and scheduling typically come from the Forest Service. Dedication to sustainable trail design and high-quality construction, however, is a constant among all partners.
Presentations to the Public
An important aspect of CDT Corps experience is learning to do public presentations. During the last week the crew is together, members present programs about their work to schools, organizations, and community meetings. They can explain the importance of CDT and how the corps has helped them learn. For the short term, this provides a good tool for developing community support for grants and projects. More importantly, for the long term, the young people who talk enthusiastically about their hard work are likely to become the next generation of stewards of our public lands.
Benefits
Because the Continental Divide Trail is well known, it is a more attractive project than routine work. Because it is a long-term project with years of work behind it and ahead, the corps gains in experience in the type of work and standards expected by the sponsors. Young people really want to work on the CDT. Many come to the corps already knowing about the Trail. It represents prestige and experience for returning crew members, and the series of complex projects provides a proving ground for dedicated crew leaders.
For funders, the trail follows a plan toward a measurable goal; grants are seen as contributing to a clear public benefit. Land managers increasingly rely on outside interests to find money and develop partnerships. For CDTA, qualified project managers are ready with a dependable work force for the next season. For elected officials, there is wide support from rural citizens and large, well-established environmental groups. Communities increasingly regard sustainable tourism as a way to develop a future economy to replace the extractive industries of the last century. For the media, it’s a great story with great images: young people hard at work, smiling volunteers caring for public lands, and promotion of the region’s scenic beauty.
Key Points and Lessons Learned
To work effectively on large, complex projects, agencies, organizations, and corps should:
» Work together to operate a branded corps program rather than replicate existing agency programs
» Be flexible and open to new types of work and partnerships
» Have experienced, committed crews, as well as supervisors, available for technical work
» Create dedicated crews for whom the project is a source of pride<
» Develop relationships with established, well-funded sponsors and partners
» Seek opportunities for awards and media coverage that get the attention of decision makers, agency heads, and elected officials.
» Develop ties with local public education officials and include crew members as advocates for the corps experience
For more information, Contact:
Continental Divide Trail Alliance Youth Corps
www.americantrails.org/awards/CRT07awards/
cdt07CO.html
Continental Divide Trail Alliance
PO Box 628 Pine, CO 80470
(303) 838-3760
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
www.cdtrail.org
Montana Conservation Corps, Inc.
206 N Grand Avenue, Bozeman, MT 59715
(406) 587-4475
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
www.mtcorps.org
Rocky Mountain Youth Corps
PO Box 775504
Steamboat Springs, CO 80477
(970) 879-2135
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www.rockymountainyouthcorps.org
Southwest Conservation Corps
701 Camino Del Rio, Suite 101
Durango, CO 81301
(970) 259-8607
www.sccorps.org
