Forest helpers

By The Standard Staff - 12/12/2007

Volunteerism is alive and well — at least around our neck of the woods. The Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest recently took stock of all the hours put in by volunteers this year, and the total is impressive.

“It came to over 12,400 hours in 2007 alone,” Steve Egeline, the Forest Service’s district ranger in Butte, said in a recent press release. “That’s the equivalent of six people working 40 hours a week, 52 weeks a year.” That’s pretty amazing, when you think about it — enough people donating time and muscle to make up the equivalent of six full-time, year-round positions. And the work is far from easy. Just hiking the trails in the summer heat is a challenge, and these folks grab shovels and axes to do the hard work of maintaining them.

About two-thirds of the hours were put in by Americorps volunteers from the St. Louis, Mo., area. Egeline said his office has a really good working relationship with the head of that program, and he likes to bring the crews, most of whom are in their late teens or early 20s, out to experience Montana.

From July through mid-October, Americorps crews of 15 to 20 at a time fanned out across the Butte, Pintler, Dillon and Jefferson ranger districts. They did maintenance on 101 miles of trails, cleared trees for nearly three miles of new trail, replaced six bridges, built 1,700 feet of fence, and on and on.

Local groups put in a lot of time as well, including the Mile High Backcountry Horsemen (274 hours), Mining City Trail Riders (448 hours), Highland Cycling Club (40 hours), East Ridge Foundation (200 hours), and the Montana Conservation Corps (960 hours).

More than 100 East Middle School students also pitched in, as did youth and adult volunteers from the Continental Divide Trail Alliance (320 hours). Rounding out the total was 1,536 hours put in by the hosts at the Sheepshead, Beaver Dam and Lowland campgrounds.

Egeline explained that volunteers tackle projects over and above those lined out in the annual work plan. With the agency’s limited budget and vast expanses to maintain, the to-do list always exceeds what the forest can accomplish each year with its own staff.

This high level of volunteerism has gone on for a number of years, Egeline said, and he predicts it to continue in 2008, which is great. Beyond the sheer work accomplishment is the good will it builds. People who spend long hours working to improve our forests are more apt to treat the landscape better when they’re at play, too. And Egeline said they tend to keep an eye on what others are doing as well — always a plus.

It’s all good — improved natural resources, good physical exercise and a boost to the spirit to spend time in nature. Thanks to all who contributed.