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Lifetime Service | Hulet Hornbeck Award | Trails for Health | Partnership | Trails Public Service | Outstanding Media | Trails and the Arts | Planning/Design | Corporate | State-of-the-Art Technology | Trail Sharing | Trail Advocate Awards | Trail Worker Awards | Awards Index

American Trails is pleased to announce that State Trail Worker Awards were presented to individuals from 17 states, as part of the 18th National Trails Symposium in the Quad Cities of Iowa and Illinois, and are made possible by the National Trails Symposium Sponsors.

2006 STATE TRAIL WORKER AWARD WINNERS

For outstanding contributions and providing consistent support for trail planning, development or maintenance by individuals in their local area or state:

	Brooke Beazley

ALABAMA: Brooke Beazley
Brooke assisted the Chilton County Commission to develop Minooka Park, Alabama's first motorized park. From the initial park planning, to trail development and continuing trail maintenance, he has been a positive ambassador for OHV Recreation.

Brooke Beazley's work with OHV riding clubs in Alabama has resulted in the recent formation of the Alabama Off-Highway Vehicle Association (ALOHVA) and his election as the Club's first President. Brooke's enthusiasm for OHV recreation is reflected through his interaction with new as well as seasoned OHV riders. His promotion of education and proper trail usage to insure a positive future for Off Highway recreation are evidence of a volunteer worthy of recognition.

Mark Flint

ARIZONA: Mark Flint
Mark is nominated for his leadership as Co-Chair of the Cienega Corridor Construction Project under the Arizona Trail Association, and specifically for his success in mobilizing volunteers of the Tucson community to participate in building a 25-mile section of the Arizona Trail called the Cienega Corridor.

After two winter seasons the project is already a huge success. The number of volunteers has been capped at 50 per event. The Arizona Trail Association, its volunteers and sponsors, and all the citizens of Arizona are greatly indebted to Mark Flint and his outstanding leadership for moving the Arizona Trail almost 25 miles closer to completion.

	Ray Ford

CALIFORNIA: Ray Ford
As a current Board Member and past President of Los Padres Forest Association, Ray is committed to promoting conservation education, using the trails as a classroom. He has contributed significantly to planning, developing and enhancing recreation trail experiences for trail users in Santa Barbara and Ventura Counties.

Working closely with Forest Service and other agency and non-profit association officials, Ray has organized community involvement in critically needed trail projects. He has organized community support and developed grant funding to support his efforts, which have resulted in 41,000 hours of volunteer service to trails.

Tom Daniel

FLORIDA: Tom Daniel
In 2004, Hurricane Ivan destroyed Tom's home and over fifty miles of existing Florida Trail. Tom postponed the route establishment work he was coordinating on Eglin Air Force Base and hit the trail to assess the hurricane's damage. Based on Tom's data, the Forest Service brought in a chainsaw crew to complete the reopening of the trail. Tom worked alongside, providing on-the-ground expertise and ensuring that the work was completed to the standards agreed upon by the Florida Trail Association and the US Forest Service.

Tom's ongoing work as Section Leader for the Eglin AFB Trail has resulted in a collaborative relationship between federal, state and nonprofit partners where the needs of the trail, land manager and federal administrator are all met in a win-win partnership benefiting the public.

	Gerry Rowland

IOWA: Gerry Rowland
Gerry Rowland is known across Iowa as "the guy who started the water trails movement in Iowa". Endeavoring to make Iowa's rivers more accessible to all paddlers, Rowland worked to designate the entire 404-mile Des Moines River as a water trail. He is the founder of the Iowa Water Trails Association, created to support the development of water trails and assist in fund raising. Throughout the course of his work, Rowland continually incorporated volunteer generating events to accomplish more and involve more people. He also served on the Federal Recreational Trails Program Scoring Committee, bringing about national recognition and funding for water trails for the first time in Iowa.

ILLINOIS: Jerry Yockey

The General Dacey Multipurpose Trail near Shelbyville, Illinois

Jerry's dedication to work, family, and community is the driving force behind implementing one of the most successful trail development partnerships ever at Lake Shelbyville. As Chairman of the General Dacey Trail Committee, Jerry has been instrumental in developing a 4.5-mile long portion of the General Dacey Multipurpose Trail near Shelbyville, Illinois. Lake Shelbyville attracts from 3.2 to 3.5 million visits annually. The General Dacey Trail plan was developed in response to an increase in the interest for bike trail opportunities in the area.Jerry organizes and works alongside trail volunteers once a month to improve trail conditions by removing debris, improving drainage, placing benches, and performing ongoing trail maintenance.

	Greg Midgley

INDIANA: Greg Midgley
As President of the National Road Heritage Trail, Inc., Greg has spent the last couple of years advancing this cross-state trail. The idea has been thrown around for several years, but Greg has managed to move it from an idea to one of the most rapidly acclaimed projects for the State of Indiana.

He has been busy almost every weekend, organizing volunteer work days to complete the three-mile long Vandalia Trail, which is a National Heritage Trail shared use trail. Greg instills a sense of pride and ownership in everyone who has contributed to work on this project.

Frank Meyer

KANSAS: Frank Meyer
Frank's passion is for Rail-Trail development. He has served on the Kansas Rail-Trails Conversancy Board of Directors since 2000 and as President for the last 2 years. Frank is an active member of the KDWP Commission and makes many trips to Topeka to protect and improve our position by providing testimony to the KS legislature.

He volunteers for trail construction and has taken his road grader, "Kitty", all over the state helping volunteers develop trails in Kansas. Frank has volunteered over 2,000 hours annually to the trails of KS for over 20 years. Frank consistently demonstrates a long-term commitment to improving the quality of life and furthering the goals and mission of KS State Parks.

	James Stapleton

KENTUCKY: James Stapleton
As a member of the Elkhorn City Area Heritage Council, James was the key organizer for the IMBA Trail Care Crew visit, held March 16-19, 2006. He coordinated with new partners (mountain bikers) and old friends (kayakers) to develop and work the project.

James is an aquatic biologist in his working world, and cares deeply about his environment. He knows his mountains like the back of his hand, and is dedicated to helping to protect them. He understands that one way to do this is to create, maintain, and promote trails so that people can access the region and share his love for it.

Jocelyn Dodge

MONTANA: Jocelyn Dodge
Jocelyn serves as a Recreation Forester on the Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest in Montana. She is responsible for the management of Butte Ranger District trails and campgrounds and land acquisition for trails and other recreation opportunities.

She participated on the USDA Forest Service's national team for Meaningful Measures that developed quality management standards for trails, developed recreation and special use areas. She has also been instrumental in the improving of several segments of the continental divide trail on the Butte Ranger district with the Mile High Backcountry Horsemen, Continental Divide Trail Alliance, and Americorps.

	Dianne Raymond

NEW HAMPSHIRE: Dianne Raymond
As the Trail Administrator for the Sullivan County ATV Club, Dianne truly demonstrates, through dedication and a love for the sport, the value of volunteerism. In a broader sense, Dianne embodies SCATV as a whole: she is committed, hard working and friendly.

With great organizational skills, Dianne ensures that SCATV receives available funding for trail development and maintenance through the state's Grant in Aid program, the Recreational Trails Program, and other sources. With Dianne as Trail Administrator, SCATV is one of the most successful, informative and efficient trail clubs in New Hampshire.

Janet Carson

NEVADA: Janet Carson
Janet Carson, Project Manager for the Tahoe-Pyramid Bikeway, is a gal who makes things happen. The Tahoe-Pyramid Bikeway is fulfilling a vision of following the Truckee River by foot or by bicycle from its source at forested Lake Tahoe to its desert terminus, Pyramid Lake.

Progress is underway on laying out the remaining section of the trail; Janet wrote a Recreational Trails Program grant request with Nevada State Parks to pay for the work, and is partnering with the Tribe and Truckee Meadows Trails Association to implement this section. Janet's grant request for $486,000 from Nevada Q1 Grant Fund to build the Bridge at Pioneer Crossing was approved! If all goes well, the bridge may be built this year!

	Jim Talburt at work in the big woods

OREGON: Jim Talburt
In 1998, soon after retiring from the Forest Service, Jim Talburt founded The Motley Crew, a hard-working volunteer trail maintenance crew who average about 1,800 hours each year. All members are over the age of 61.

Talburt himself has accounted for nearly 20% (360 hours) of the total work. He knew the forest constantly faces funding shortfalls for trail maintenance and there is always plenty of work left unfinished. It didn't take long for him to assemble volunteer crew and convince the Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management to loan tools and reimburse them for mileage.

SOUTH CAROLINA: Bill Victor

Bill Victor

The many mountain bicycling and hiking trails in the Central Savannah River area have blossomed from the hard work of a "detonator in the explosion of trails," Bill Victor. Bill is a member of the Central Savannah River Chapter of the Southern Off-Road Bicycling Association; South Carolina State Representative for the International Mountain Bicycling Association; and Owner/Manager of Long Cane Trails, LLC.

Bill and a group of about 20 riders founded the Central Savannah River Chapter with the goal of fomenting excellent trail management and partnerships. What was once ten miles of illegal, eroding, poorly located trail, is now almost 30 miles of professionally designed and constructed trail, designed to be financially and environmentally sustainable for years to come.

	Sid Knutson

WASHINGTON: Sid Knutson
As Trail Construction Manager of the Hansville Greenway, Sid led the effort to provide Kitsap County with volunteer and financial resources to prepare two grant applications for the completion of the Hansville Greenway trails. In the last two years he has also managed two major trail construction projects and has been active in trail maintenance and improvement, in spite of being in his early 80's.

At the drop of a hat he can gather a dozen willing volunteers to work on maintenance or construction on the trails. He has an unmatched reputation with Kitsap County Parks staff as a community leader who gets things done.

Doug Wood in period costume

WEST VIRGINIA: Doug Wood
Doug has been involved with WV Scenic Trails Association for so many years, that he has also been given the title of historian, or antiquarian, or archivist! He is Coordinator for the southernmost section of the Allegheny Trail. Doug is an historical interpreter who presents the story of Ostenaco, Cherokee leader during the French and Indian War, performing frequently for conferences, school children, and reenactments.

Friends describe Doug as tireless, energetic, knowledgeable about trail construction and history, a prime mover for completion of the Allegheny Trail, a successful partnership-builder with landowners, and a mentor to many.

	Matthew Shannon

WYOMING: Matthew Shannon
Matthew Shannon is a Trail Crew Leader with the USDA- Forest Service in Bridger Teton National Forest. In 2005, as a summer Crew Leader for the Willow Creek improvements, he was responsible for completing a packbridge over Willow Creek and replacing three other bridges in the watershed.

Matt built partnerships with outfitters and guides who were instrumental in packing in and out thousands of pounds of equipment and materials for the project. The Forest Service was not able to provide these services, so Matt's ability to develop relationships with these outfitters was essential. Particularly impressive was Matt's strong work ethic as he put all his efforts into making sure his project was well done.

Lifetime Service | Hulet Hornbeck Award | Trails for Health | Partnership | Trails Public Service | Outstanding Media | Trails and the Arts | Planning/Design | Corporate | State-of-the-Art Technology | Trail Sharing | Trail Advocate Awards | Trail Worker Awards | Awards Index

See previous National Trails Award Winners from 2004, 2002, and 2000.

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