Canyon Lakes Volunteers Worth a Million in More Ways than One

FORT COLLINS, Colo. – It was another amazing year for volunteers on the Canyon Lakes Ranger District on the Roosevelt National Forest. In 2017, 1,004 volunteers donated a total of 48,465 hours of service! This is worth an estimated $1,169,952 of value to our national forest. This is the sixth year in a row they have broken the million dollar mark.

Each year these incredible volunteers show up and support the National Forests and its visitors. The work they accomplish is equal to that of over 23 full time employees! The list of work accomplished includes contacting over 28,000 visitors, maintaining approximately 45% of the district’s 360 miles of trails, flood recovery work (more than 6,000 hours of the total), road work, wildlife support, the list goes on.

Along with wonderful individuals who make all of this possible are certain groups who help organize these large numbers of volunteers. A few of them include Wildland Restoration Volunteers, Overland Mountain Bike Club, Deadman Lookout Tower volunteers, visitor center hosts, numerous four-wheel drive clubs, Adopt-a-Trail, Cameron Pass Nordic Rangers, and Poudre Wilderness Volunteers, who provided 24,129 hours in their twenty-first year.

Our volunteers embody the mission of the Forest Service in “caring for the land, serving people.” They support virtually every aspect of the Canyon Lakes Ranger District and do it with a contagious love of our public lands. We cannot thank them enough for the time, energy and dedication they have for our natural resources and forest users.

If you are interested in participating in one of the outstanding groups mentioned above or would like to find out how to get involved in giving back to your local forest, please contact Kristy Wumkes at 970-295-6721 or check online at http://www.fs.usda.gov/main/arp/workingtogether/volunteering.