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Registration is now open for the Alaska Trail Building School, which
will be holding two field classes in Fairbanks and Palmer over the
last two weekends in June. The classes focus on multi-use trail
design, construction, and restoration. The all-day classes will
be held at Birch Hill Recreation Area in Fairbanks on Saturday June
19 and Kepler-Bradley State Recreation Area on Saturday June 26.
Free slide shows on sustainable trail construction from around the
world will be held on the evenings before the field classes: Friday
June 18 at Beaver Sports in Fairbanks, Thursday June 24 at Alpenglow
Ski Area in Anchorage, and Friday June 25 at the MTA training room
in Palmer. The classes and slide shows will be led by International
Mountain Bike Association (IMBA) Trail Care Crew. Since 1997 two
IMBA Trail Care Crews have traveled throughout North Americaleading
50 trail building schools per year. IMBA Trail Care Crewsalso meet
with government officials and land managers and work with local
trail clubs to improve opportunities for mountain biking and other
trail uses. "IMBA is excited to return to Alaska to provide trail
solutions," said thegroup's executive director, Tim Blumenthal.
"Trail Care Crew members Mark Schmidt and Lora Woolner are talented,experienced
trail experts," said Blumenthal. "They've provided great trailadvice
to land agencies and volunteers in nearly every U.S. state andseveral
Canadian provinces. They're good listeners and they apply a can-dospirit
to every new trail construction and management challenge they face."
The Trail Building Schools are being organized by a newstatewide
trails non-profit and a consortium of local trail clubs, businesses,
and local, state, and federal agencies. The new non-profit-Alaska
Trails-aims to support local trail groups and public agency trail
managers by networking, training, and leveraging resources for local
trails improvements. Other co-sponsors include the Fairbanks Cycle
Club, Beaver Sports, the Valley Mountain Bike Alliance, Lifetime
Adventures, Alpenglow Ski Area, Fairbanks-North Star Borough Parks
and Rec, Mat-Su Borough Parks and Rec, Alaska State Parks Mat-Su
District, the Alaska Recreation and Park Association, the National
Park Service Rivers, Trails and Conservation Assistance program.
Advance registration for the classes is recommended; the field class
costs $10 for Alaska Trails members, $15 for non-members, or $25
for the class and an Alaska Trails membership. The evening slide
shows are free. More information and mail-in registration can be
found on-line at http://www.alaska-trails.org. For questions on
local classes in Fairbanks contact John Haas at 459-1070; in the
Mat-Su contact Mark Gronewald at 745-2453. For more info on the
project statewide, contact Kevin Keeler of the National Park Service
Rivers, Trails and Conservation Assistance program at 644-3589 or
kevin_keeler@nps.gov. --END--
Privacy & Disclaimer
Author:Jane
Tranel
Last modified on: April 2, 2004
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