VALLEJO, Calif., Jun. 22, 2009—On June 24, a Student Conservation Association (SCA) trail crew comprised of nine students enrolled in the Forestry Program at Reedley Community College will begin a 60–day trail maintenance project on the Sierra National Forest. The team is funded through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act and has been organized by the Student Conservation Association in partnership with the Sierra National Forest.
The nine–person crew will begin its backcountry trail work on the Florence Lake Trail around Florence Lake, an entry point into the John Muir Wilderness Area for both hikers and pack strings. The team will refurbish and perform heavy maintenance on up to 81 miles of national forest trails to protect forest resources, reduce and control runoff and erosion, and provide improved public access. The crew will tackle a variety of tasks. Logs and rocks will be used toinstall waterbars and rocksteps, rock retaining walls will be built, as well as elevated rock causeways through fragile sites to protect habitat and control runoff and erosion.
“SCA is thrilled to be partnering with the U.S. Forest Service on this backcountry trail project. It is good for the land, good for the public, and provides summer employment to community college students facing economic pressures,” said Jay Watson, Western Regional Director for the Student Conservation Association.
"I am proud that the Forest Service Pacific Southwest Region is playing an important role in creating jobs for these students on their national forests," said Regional Forester Randy Moore. “This is an excellent way to gain natural resource experience and we are pleased to work with SCA on this project.”
About the Student Conservation Association
SCA is a nationwide conservation force of college and high school volunteers who protect and restore America’s parks, forests, refuges, seashores and communities. For more than 50 years, SCA’s active, hands-on practice of conservation has helped to develop a new generation of conservation leaders, inspire lifelong stewardship, and save the planet. SCA is a non-profit organization headquartered in Charlestown, New Hampshire with regional offices in Washington D.C., Oakland, Pittsburgh and Seattle. For more information, see: http://www.thesca.org.