Pacific Crest Trail Association

Trail and land management and protection:in 2023, the Pacific Crest Trail Association (pcta) partnered with land trusts and federal agencies to evaluate acquisition opportunities from private owners that own land including or adjacent to the pct. The pcta worked with partners on the acquisition and transfer of 1,172 acres and 2.5 miles of the pct to the usfs for permanent protection.in addition, pcta advocated for land and water conservation fund support for the u.s. forest service and the bureau of land management.in 2023, 532 miles of the pct were closed because of fires. With 194 Trail miles burned, pcta assisted the forest service to develop extensive restoration plans.pcta also monitored or responded to ongoing threats or land management projects along the Trail, including the following: - trailwide - timber harvesting, fuels reduction, reforestation, invasive plant eradication, watershed, meadow, and fire restoration, illegal and incompatible uses, grazing, ski resort expansion, commercial and competitive events, housing developments, bridge installations, Trail network expansions, illegal motorized use, public land transfers, impacts from increased use, designated pct management areas, forest planning, travel management and over-snow vehicle planning;- California - wind and solar development, energy transmission lines, water pipelines, dam reauthorization, endangered species, California high speed rail, highway 138 expansion; - Oregon - Pacific connector natural gas pipeline; pedestrian walkway advocacy for the bridge of the gods;- Washington - grizzly bear reintroduction in the north cascades; evaluation of the pct alignment and location; Pacific northwest national scenic Trail comprehensive plan development and served on the pnt advisory council; vegetation management projects; north cascades backcountry camp modifications along the pct. Our 2023 protection activities also included virtual "hike the hill" meetings to talk with federal agency leaders and congressional representatives and their staff in Washington, d.c. to advocate for federal Trail management, operations and land acquisition funding for the pct.

Trail promotion and education:through our print and electronic publications and personal outreach,- we promote the Pacific Crest Trail as a safe and inclusive space for everyone- promote safe and responsible use of the Trail by educating Trail users in leave no trace principles, as well as informing Trail users about Trail closures and the impacts from wildfire- mobilize volunteers to maintain the Trail- keep our members and elected leaders informed of programs and issues facing the Trail - introduce new audiences to the richness of the Pacific Crest Trail experiencein 2023, promotional activities included: - publishing three issues (37,000 copies) of the Pacific Crest Trail communicator magazine, and distributing it to members, partners and elected officials; - publishing an annual calendar; - publishing twelve regular issues of Trail dirt, the pcta's electronic newsletter;- publishing dozens of blog and hundreds of social media posts & storiesthe pcta also...- responded to 7,823 inquiries from Trail users and the general public;- issued 3,632 long-distance permits and 1,715 section hike permits;- garnered 1,544,671 website visits;- engaged 313,000 social media followers.

Trail maintenance:each year the pcta brings together agency partners and volunteers with shared values and serves as a liaison between people and public lands. Volunteers and corps crew members perform the hard, physical labor of annual maintenance on the pct, giving hikers and horseback riders the opportunity to enjoy the beauty of wild and scenic lands while traveling on safe, passable Trail. Pcta volunteers contributed 57,124 service hours in 2023, an in-kind value of $1.8 million. These hours included:- 1,437 miles of Trail maintenance- 27 miles of Trail reconstruction- 89 volunteer training eventstrail skills college - recruiting and educating volunteerspcta's comprehensive training programs are designed to actively support and involve our volunteers in carrying out safe and top-notch work on the Trail. Led by seasoned staff, agency partners, and volunteer leaders well-versed in Trail maintenance and leadership, the pcta's training events provide an inclusive platform for volunteers to learn the essential elements of Trail design, reconstruction, maintenance, and upkeep. Additional training events focus on evaluating and certifying volunteer sawyers under the national saw program and providing wilderness first aid and cpr certifications. - 6 Trail skills college weekends- 65 classes- 559 participants with 57% of attendees being first-time volunteers- 181 saw certification registrants- 852 hours contributed by first-time volunteersgreat american outdoors actthe great american outdoors act presented a distinct opportunity to tackle the maintenance and backlog in our national parks, forests, monuments, and other public lands. In 2023, the pcta successfully organized 48 gaoa-funded Trail projects across national forests in region 5 and 6.