[at-l] Re: A Walk in the Woods

[camojack at comcast.net (camojack@comcast.net)]

Thanks for the update. Stick around...
-"Camo" (One amongst 35,000)
-------------- Original message -------------- 
> > If one does not like what is discussed on this list then instead of 
> > threatening to take up your bag and leave it might be better to share what 
> > you are doing in regard to the Appalachian Trail. 
> > 
> > Skylander PS Or just tell us a humorous story. 
> 
> Okay, you asked: 
> 
> For the past two years I've had the privilege of serving on the board 
> of managers of the ATC. I won't even begin to suggest that I had any 
> qualifications to be there. I just happened to be the happy victim of 
> fate, as my whole life seems to be one weighed heavily toward the 
> happier side of existence. I'm not complaining. Now, if I can only 
> squeeze in a thruhike. 
> 
> I had the opportunity to learn what ATC is all about, and the 
> challenges it faces. I learned about its incredible people, both 
> staff and volunteers. I had the opportunity to vote for the historic 
> changes the organization is now implementing. And like most of my 
> fellow board members, we voted ourselves out of a job by creating a 
> smaller, new board of directors that will have a tighter focus on 
> policy and fundraising. 
> 
> I saw how underfunded we are. There is a frustration and helplessness 
> when a race track developer can buy "justice" and get approvals to 
> build the Alpine Rose race track at Wind Gap. If we had the necessary 
> resources, we could have done our job of protecting the Trail. The 
> law was on our side. But justice ain't cheap, and the money ran out 
> quickly -- over $30,000 in a losing cause. When your resources are 
> slim and you have all that trail corrodor to protect, you have to put 
> a strict limit on resources devoted to any one threat. 
> 
> I learned that we only have 35,000 members out of the millions of 
> trail users. The AT technically is a national park and ranks in the 
> top ten (#9) among all the national parks. Getting our membership up 
> to 100,000 is our new goal. To do that, the ATC must be more closely 
> identified with the trail experience. 
> 
> I learned that funding for the park service and the forest service 
> have been cut dramatically in this administration and that ATC needs 
> to aggressively seek private funding to make up the slack and to 
> secure the remaining unprotected lands adjaent to the Trail. No 
> longer will the taxpayer be providing that service. The new ATC will 
> not be ashamed to let its members know of its financial needs. To 
> protect the Trail requires nothing less. 
> 
> I learned that the staff was terribly overburdened with work. 
> Everyone had good intentions, but without adequate funding, important 
> work did not get done. The board voted resoundingly to create a 
> well-funded, dynamic organization that would be able to preserve and 
> protect the trail and strengthen the corridor. 
> 
> I'm happy to report that the "new" ATC will support and honor the 
> incredible work of the clubs and the volunteer maintainers. They are 
> the red blood cells that have always kept our AT circulatory system 
> functioning. The new ATC will find the resources to build up our 
> white blood cells to protect the corridor from threats. The threats 
> are dangerous and escalating and money will be the drug that 
> strengthens our immune system. In no way will the emphasis on funding 
> diminish the work of the clubs, rather it will provide the necessary 
> support to keep the trail "healthy." 
> 
> I am also happy to report that the 4 new functional directors hired to 
> add expertise to the managerial structure of ATC are exceptional 
> people. Before, too much of the load fell on Dave Startzell. Now 
> there's Rich Hays in Finance, Mari Omland in Conservation, Karen 
> Kinney in Membership & Development and Marty Bartels in 
> Communications. Along with Dave, this is a great management team as 
> we enter the next 80 years of the Trail's future. The new ATC will be 
> able to meet the threats and challenges head on. 
> 
> It was fun working with people from red state and blue, with people 
> who pronounced the organization's name differently based on whether 
> they came from north or south. Just as the Trail weaves a magic spell 
> on those who hike it, I can report it does the same throughout the 
> ATC. These are good people who represent the trail in Harpers Ferry 
> and in the regional offices. Likewise, my fellow board members were a 
> talented and caring lot who gave so much of their time to work on the 
> strategic plan and its implementation. And finally, the staff of the 
> park service and the forest service assigned to the AT are good folks. 
> I wish every hiker could meet Pam Underhill of the ATPO and see her 
> passion for the AT. 
> 
> That's a little bit of the story I've been privileged to observe and 
> play the tiniest part in. I hope y'all share my enthusiasm for the 
> new ATC. There has been much change, and much is still to be done, 
> but the new Appalachian Trail Conservancy is ready to burst into life 
> on July 4th in Johnson City, TN. I hope to see a lot of you there for 
> the fireworks! Shoot, it's almost as much fun as a Gathering! 
> 
> Happy trails, 
> 
> Solar Bear 
> _______________________________________________ 
> at-l mailing list 
> at-l@backcountry.net 
> http://mailman.hack.net/mailman/listinfo/at-l From Slyatpct at aol.com  Sat May 28 04:43:47 2005
From: Slyatpct at aol.com (Slyatpct@aol.com)
Date: Sat May 28 05:44:21 2005
Subject: [at-l] Sneaks was  A Walk in the Woods
Message-ID: <1ee.3c94dfd8.2fc9a563@aol.com>

In a message dated 5/27/2005 10:50:26 PM Eastern Daylight Time, 
TrailR@aol.com writes:

> when it rained, 
> and in 03 it always rained. 
> 

Yeah, that's what I keep hearing.  You'd think '03 was the ONLY year it 
rained!  ; )

Sly