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