Olympic National Forest

Volunteering

Volunteers perform an integral service on Olympic National Forest. They complete thousands of hours of volunteer work every year and are an important part of the operation and management of facilities, sites and resources.

In 1972, Congress passed special legislation to enable interested citizens to assist in the important conservation work of the Forest Service. 

If you are interested in: 1) meeting people and making new friends, 2) working in the great outdoors, 3) the management of natural resources, and 4) the operation and maintenance of recreation sites and facilities on Olympic National Forest, we have need of your skills, talents, and time.  Examples of volunteer work includes recreation site and trail maintenance, campground hosts, fish and wildlife surveys, photography, roadside liter removal, and trail inventory surveys to name just a few.

How to apply for volunteer service:  Contact any Forest Service office in the area where you wish to serve and ask for a volunteer application or visit www.volunteer.gov/gov to see if there are available opportunities listed in the area.  Olympic National Forest managers recommend that you contact the Washington Trail Association (WTA) if you are interested in trail work. WTA has: 1) a staff of trained crew leaders, 2) tools, and 3) list of trails needing work.  Visit WTA's website at www.wta.org for more information and how to volunteer for trail work.

References:

How to Create eAuthentication Account

Two gracious volunteer Hosts are anxious to greet campers as they arrive at Lena Creek Campground.

Storm Damage Repair Volunteering:

The Olympic National Forest relies heavily upon the exceptional work of volunteers. As a result of the tremendous storm damage this winter, the Olympic needs volunteers more than ever. There is widespread damage among both ranger districts, with much damage still unknown due to winter conditions.

The Olympic’s trails received heavy damage from scouring, washouts, blowdown and bridge destruction. The anticipated cost to bring the trails program up to standard is more than $4.5 million.

• Thirty-eight percent of trails suffered known damage
• Trails affected include:
• Hood Canal Ranger District: Big Creek, Lower Gray Wolf, Living Legacy, Hamma Hamma Beaver Pond, Lower Lena Lake
• Pacific Ranger District: Gatton Creek, Quinault National Recreation System, Quinault Rain Forest, Bogachiel, Falls Creek, Mt. Muller, Kloshe Nanitch, Pioneer’s Path, West Fork Humptulips, Colonel Bob, Pete’s Creek and Fletcher’s Canyon
• Much routine annual maintenance to be accomplished, in addition to storm damage

The Olympic’s campgrounds fared no better, sustaining damage mainly from flooding and timber blowdown. Estimates for repair exceed $5.4 million.

• Fifty percent of sites damaged
• Affected sites include Coho, Klahowya, Willaby, Falls Creek, Hamma Hamma, Lena Creek, Brown Creek, Collins and Klahanie.
• As with trails, these sites also have routine maintenance needs

The Olympic encourages anybody interested in volunteering to contact one of the groups with which it routinely partners. These include the Washington Trails Association, the Pacific Northwest Trails Association, the Mountaineers, and the Backcountry Horsemen. Some of these groups assemble work parties throughout the season and recruit volunteers based on their interests and abilities.

Volunteers may also submit volunteer applications at the district offices, and the Olympic recreation staff will notify them when a project arises that meets their interests. Potential opportunities include trail crews, campground hosts and interpretive hosts.

Olympic National Forest: www.fs.fed.us/r6/olympic/volunteering

Washington Trails Association: www.wta.org

Pacific Northwest Trails Association: www.pnt.org

The Mountaineers: www.mountaineers.org

Backcountry Horsemen: www.bchw.org

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