Forest Service Trails in Wyoming Need Help
The U.S. Department of Agriculture recently identified two Wyoming trail systems as priority areas for maintenance, but failed to set aside federal funds to address the issue. The Shoshone National Forest, a NOLS operating area, is one of these high priority sites. Andy Blair, assistant director of NOLS Rocky Mountain, says that there’s more work than the local Forest Service staff can keep up with.
“Two Wyoming trail systems were recently identified by the U.S. Department of Agriculture as being among 15 priority areas for combatting a $300 million backlog of infrastructure maintenance.
But while the need for repairs on the trails is real, no federal money has been allocated to the cause; hopes seem to be based on generating more volunteers and partners to do the work.
At the same time, volunteer groups — the largest in the Big Horn Basin being the Wyoming Back Country Horsemen of America — are having trouble recruiting new members and the aging group is finding it difficult to keep up with the laborious task of trail building and maintenance.”
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