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Groups seek to identify and preserve traditional trail skills

Effort led by Arthur Carhart National Wilderness Training Center and Student Conservation Association

Resources and background:

• Issue Paper on Retaining Traditional Trails Skills
• MOU on Traditional Skills Development Team Partnership between SCA and Carhart Center

The Issue:

Attrition of skilled workers, lack of specialized equipment, and misinformation about the economic, effective, and safe use of traditional skills appears to be increasingly compromising our credibility among some constituent groups and integrity of the National Wilderness Preservation System.

Action:

The Carhart Center, working with a number of internal and external partners, has identified steps to address this issue. Directors will identify, discuss and evaluate options for completing these steps.

1. Develop a national internal and external skills and project needs database

2. Develop standards and course curriculum including values and benefits of wilderness

3. Develop and distribute instructional materials

4. Identify and coordinate training needs and projects

5. Recruit, train, outfit, and supervise agency employees and volunteers including youth

6. Conduct hands on training using existing wilderness projects as training opportunities

Current Efforts:

A meeting was held October 23, 2007 to gather federal agency and NGO staffs together who are knowledgeable in traditional skills training needs and authorities to determine how we can establish a certified training program acceptable to both putlic agencies and private organizations that will add to the ranks of skilled citizen stewards. As agency staff and budgets continue to decline, NGOs and volunteers are increasingly filling the need to rebuild trails and trail infrastructure. Some of the primary barriers to increased use of volunteers for trail and site restoration are the lack of consistency in training requirements for certification and recertification, consistency in skills and knowledge, and a measurable and acceptable format for certifying that a volunteer has the competencies to get the job done safely and to standard.

AGENDA

1. Certification Requirements for Federal and NGO Staffs in Trail Skills Review agency authorities for establishing a certified training program

2. Identify Barriers to Providing Uniform Certification Determine how we ensure consistent certification across agencies Determine process by which NGOs can provide certified instruction

3. Draft Actions and Timeline for Advancing Certification Process

For more information on the Traditional Skills Development Team Partnership:

• Don Hunger, Student Conservation Association (360) 752-2479 - dhunger@thesca.org
• Connie Myers, Arthur Carhart National Wilderness Training Center (406) 243-4654 - cgmyers@fs.fed.us

The Carhart Center is located on the University of Montana campus:

Arthur Carhart National Wilderness Training Center
James E. Todd Building
32 Campus Drive, Missoula, Montana 59812-3168
Telephone: (406) 243-4682 -- FAX: (406) 243-4717

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