SHERIDAN — A Partnership Opportunity Guide published this spring by Bighorn National Forest officials provides several options to become involved in preserving, protecting and improving national forest lands.
While not new, hands-on volunteer options exist for those looking for a practical way to ensure continued health and safety of the land and its inhabitants.
U.S. Forest Service’s Silas Davidson, Justin Reimer and Thad Berrett lead trail work and wildlife-friendly fencing projects, respectively, among other duties through the Partnership Opportunity Guide. While these projects include several other organizations, specific focuses remain in this year’s summer season on the mountain.
Davidson’s and Reimer’s focus this year is designating a West Tensleep Trailhead host and trail development and maintenance on non-motorized, motorized and Nordic trails throughout the forest.
“We get a lot of interest from people constantly looking to help, and it’s just a matter of matching them to their fit,” Reimer said. “There’s a lot of little specialities that come into play.”
Volunteers have a variety of experience and bring unique tools and assets to the project. Reimer said he and his staff’s job is to match each volunteer with a project that best fits their skills.
“More or less, there’s something for everybody, too, in that regard. If it’s just out there with a pair of loppers in their hands and trimming vegetation off some of the sides of the trails and opening up that corridor a little bit more,” Reimer said.
Reimer added that volunteers complement the work completed by a full-time staffer and four seasonal trail crew members joining in the summer months. In 2020, volunteers logged just more than 450 hours of trail volunteer time. Those groups help contribute to the multi-use trails in the Bighorn National Forest.
“I think it’s important for people to recognize the different user groups...and become familiar with their cares and concerns,” Reimer said. “Might help us all understand each other a little better and avoid user group conflict.
“I guess I think about it most for trail users, but I think it could be broader,” Reimer continued. “Hunters and anglers assisting livestock grazing-related opportunities, and vice versa.”
While still working out the details of the project, Berrett hopes to have volunteers or a single volunteer develop a spreadsheet of fencing needing modification or removal in the forest.
“(The spreadsheet also helps) identify what the needs are,” Berrett said. “Are they close to roads? Do you have to hike or ride horses in? Is it a two-person project for half a day or a 10-person project for two days? Quarter mile versus 5 miles?”
Berrett said instead of partner agency staff taking personal note of fencing needing fixed, he wants all to share a spreadsheet and document each of those elements and more to better track projects and progress.
Because several agencies and organizations will continue working on replacing non-friendly fencing and erecting new fencing where needed, tracking those projects and keeping record of projects still needing to be completed will help organizers like Berrett employ volunteer groups.
Berrett said as he and a coworker started gathering groups to help remove non-wildlife friendly fencing or fencing that dated 50, 60 and 70 years back, Wyoming Game and Fish Department staff joined the conversation with a vested interest in modifying fencing.
“We’ve developed a really good partnership,” Berrett said, mentioning WGFD, Bureau of Land Management and state lands, “in trying to address some of this.”
Agencies collaborate each year to work on a particular project, but other volunteers can help with scheduled or new projects, too. Volunteers can include individuals or groups looking to help on a particular project or individuals or groups who can adopt a section of fencing, similar to adopting a section of road for clean-up purposes.
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July 03, 2021 at 05:00PM
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Hands-on help: BNF offers ways to volunteer - The Sheridan Press
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