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February 28, 2006
What does American Hiking Society do?
So, somehow you've found yourself at the Southern Appalachians Initiative blog, and now you're scratching your head saying, "Who is American Hiking Society, and what the heck do they do?" Well, pull up a chair and let me tell you!
American Hiking has been around for 30 years. Based in Silver Spring, Maryland, we are the only National organization that advocates on behalf of the hiker and the hiking experience. Sounds good, right? But what does that really mean to you, the hiker?
We have several programs that are important to the hiker and the 240+ hiking and conservation organizations that are members of the American Hiking Society Alliance. The first program of interest is National Trails Day. Held the first Saturday in June every year, this event brings together trail enthusiasts to discover, learn about and celebrate trails while participating in educational exhibits, trail dedications, gear demonstrations, instructional workshops and trail work projects. This year's event will take place on Saturday June 3, 2006, and the event theme is "Experience Your Outdoors".
Volunteer Vacations is another of our signature programs. In 2006 over 100 service projects are planned in our National Parks, National Forests, state parks and natural areas. Participants sign-up and join a trail crew to help build or maintain trail, or remove exotic species, or rehabilitate a trail shelter. In 2006 in the Chattanooga area, Volunteer Vacations are planned with the Lula Lake Land Trust, the Cumberland Trail Conference, and the Tennessee River Gorge Trust. You can join trips planned in Hawaii, Puerto Rico, California, or any number of great destinations. The fee is $120, and includes a 1-year membership in American Hiking. Airport pick-up, camping fees and food are often included, and better yet, your travel expenses are tax deductible! Checkout our list of 2006 Volunteer Vacation trips .
Perhaps most importantly, American Hiking has a full-time Conservation Director who works on issues impacting hikers and the hiking experience. From ensuring funding for our Federal partners to advocating for clean air, American Hiking Society is your voice on Capitol Hill. Our annual “Trails Advocacy Week” took place earlier in February, and representatives from trail organizations from across the USA “Hiked the Hill” to visit with their Congressional representatives. While this work may not be sexy, it is vital to help maintain support and funding for trails, nationwide.
Our National Trails Fund gives out $40,000 in grants annually to trail clubs. These grants help to build bridges, purchase tools, or help to acquire land or the conservation easements that allow trails to be extended.
Our Public Lands Fellow Seth Levy works to ensure that the Bureau of Land management's (BLM) 26 million acre National Landscape Conservation System is protected for future generations.
And then of course, there is our first regionally focused program, the Southern Appalachians Initiative, which seeks to build a 5,000-mile trail network here in the southeast. That office is based right here in Chattanooga, Tennessee.
I hope that gives you a little better understanding of who we are, and what we do. If you'd like to become a member of American Hiking, you can do so online, safely and securely! Your membership helps us carry out our mission of protecting hiking trails, and the natural areas that they pass through. So please give it some thought. We'd like to have you join today!
Happy Hiking!
Jeffrey Hunter
American Hiking Happenings | By Jeffrey Hunter | 12:43 PM
