2012 Vermont Trail Symposium Event Presentation Descriptions We would like to thank the following presenters for sharing their knowledge with us at the 2012 VT Trail Symposium! Everyone will participate in the same morning sessions. You will need to pick from the following tracts in the afternoon: Trail Structures, Mountain Bike Trails, Wetlands, Recreation Trail Resources, Stone Structures, Mechanized Trail Equipment, or Trail Easements. You can find more information about the workshops and presentations offered below. Enjoy!
Morning Presentations Heather Furman 10:30am-11:30am Concept to Completion: Mobbs Farm Trail Heather Furman has worked in the conservation, recreation and natural resource fields for nearly 20 years. Early in her career Heather spent 3 years in the Himalayan region of Nepal focused on community reforestation projects and sustainable small-scale farming. Upon her return to the US, Heather moved to Vermont and obtained an MS in Natural Resource Planning from the University of Vermont while working for the Vermont Youth Conservation Corps and the state’s Department of Environmental Conservation. She is the founding President of the Climbing Resource Access Group of Vermont (CRAGVT) where she led the organization in its first acquisitions of land to protect public access to popular rock and ice climbing areas. Heather also served on the Board of Directors of the Access Fund, a national non-profit climbing advocacy organization based in Boulder, Colorado. Currently Heather serves as Executive Director for Stowe Land Trust. Since 2003, she has helped the organization conserve over 1000 acres and oversees the management of several popular recreation areas. Heather is also Chair of the Mobbs Farm Committee in Jericho, Vermont,
charged with managing a 265 acre community-owned property. She is an avid trail runner and participates regularly in races up to 50 miles long. Heather lives in Jericho Center with her husband Dave. Heather will be giving a general synopsis of the Mobbs Farm Trail project from concept to completion. This project is a prime example of the many players and facets that are incorporated into a recreation trail project.
Laird MacDowell 11:30pm-12:30pm Making a large-scale trail project happen-The history to date of the Lamoille Valley Rail Trail
Resides in Jeffersonville, VT and has worked as a chemist for the past 32 years with IBM Corporation and works weekends in the winter as an instructor at the Smugglers’ Notch Resort Nordic Center. Laird has a BS in Biology from Johnson State College and a BS in chemistry from Trinity College (Burlington). Currently serving as Chair of the Lamoille Valley Rail Trail Committee and co-chair of the Cambridge Greenway Path Committee. Recreational activities include mountain biking, inline skating, snowshoeing and snowboarding. Believes strongly in the construction of recreational paths in Vermont communities primarily to provide dedicated paths for cyclists and pedestrians to avoid conflict with road traffic. The history to date of the Lamoille Valley Rail Trail (LVRT) will be presented including all the recent Act 250 proceedings. The LVRT, once completed, will consist of a 93 mile long, four season recreation path spanning the State of Vermont from Swanton to St. Johnsbury, with many sections of the gravel path adjacent to the Lamoille River on the former Lamoille Valley rail line. The path will be used for walking, running, cycling and horseback riding in the warmer months and for snowmobiling, cross country skiing, snowshoeing and dog sledding in the winter months.
Afternoon Workshops/Presentations Josh Ryan Low Impact Trail Design and Construction 1:30pm-2:30pm
Josh Ryan is the owner and manager of Timber & Stone, LLC, a trail design and construction business based in Woodbury, VT. Timber & Stone, LLC offers trail design, construction expertise, and education workshops to land managers who seek a sustainable approach to trail construction. Josh has managed the field programs of the Vermont Youth Conservation Corps and has taught college courses in Trail Design and Construction. Hybrid trail contracting partners professional trailbuilders with students, stewards, or volunteers to construct trails. The end result is a technically sound trail, less cost to the sponsoring organization, and a group of workers who have been trained in the skill of trail construction. This workshop will explore specific examples of this construction model and offer suggestions as to how you can construct trails similarly.
Trail Structures GMC Bridge over the Winooski Dave Hardy 2:30pm-4:30pm
Receiving his first trail maintenance seminar from Seymour Smith, the second maintainer/manager of Connecticut’s Appalachian Trail since 1925, Dave Hardy led volunteer maintenance trips in New Hampshire for Appalachian Mountain Club before moving to Vermont in 1991 to pursue his calling to work with volunteers and seasonal staff on the Long Trail in Vermont. Since 1999 he has been Director of Trail Programs for Green Mountain Club and during his tenure GMC has forged enduring relationships with VYCC and VT Forests, Parks and Recreation. GMC also works closely with the Appalachian Trail Conservancy and Green Mountain National Forest to manage the entire Appalachian Trail in Vermont and help move the North Country National Scenic Trail into Vermont. GMC, a private non-profit club with membership open to all, is Vermont’s largest non-profit organization with over 10,000 members. GMC mobilizes 1,000 volunteers per year contributing over 30,000 hours annually to hiking trails in America’s 14th state. When not permitting suspension bridges, Hardy is an enthusiastic and award winning homebrewer. He shares a home with his partner Carol and two Maine coon cats. Dave will explain the process of proposing, developing the plans for, and implementing the construction of the new Long Trail Winooski Bridge.
Water Trail Structures Walter Opuszynski and Noah Pollock 4:00pm-5:30pm
Walter Opuszynski is the Trail Director for the Northern Forest Canoe Trail, a 740 mile paddle trail extending from Old Forge, NY to Fort Kent, ME. Walter also serves as chair of the Vermont Trails and Greenways Council and is chair of the Public Outreach and Marketing subcommittee of the Lamoille Valley Rail Trail Committee. Walter firmly believes that recreation trails can reduce our carbon footprint and add to the mental and physical health of public while spurring Vermont’s economy.
Noah hails from Delmar, NY, and graduated from Cornell University in 2003 with a Bachelor of Science in Natural Resources. In 2007, he earned a Master's degree from the Rubenstein School for Environment and Natural Resources at the University of Vermont, where he studied sustainable community development and ecological economics. His thesis examined the economic impact of paddler tourism and recreation along the waterways that make up the Northern Forest Canoe Trail. Since earning his degree, Noah has continued his work with the NFCT, first as an intern, and then as the NFCT Field Coordinator, assisting with intern and waterway work trip programs, building on his experience leading trail crews with the Student Conservation Association. Walter and Noah will co-present a hands-on workshop about new structures in development for water trails. These structures have been developed through the Northern Forest Canoe Trail’s field programs and include floating log ladders, self-cleaning stone staircases, and cable anchored bog bridging. The group will be working to build a floating log ladder. Please bring work gloves and eye protection if you are participating in this workshop.
Mountain Bike Trails Mountain Bike Trail Design Brooke Scatchard 2:30pm-4:00pm
Brooke Scatchard has been riding, designing and building mountain bike and multi-use trails since 1998. He developed a passion for mountain bike racing as a teenager and has ridden many of the top trail networks and races in America, Costa Rica and British Colombia. A degree in Geography from the University of Vermont provided him with an introduction to GIS mapping and a comprehensive landscape awareness. After years of dedicated volunteer work, Brooke was hired as the Fellowship of the Wheel’s first employee in 2008 and served as Trail Director for three years. Brooke has completed multiple trails projects since then through Sinuosity, his trail building and mapping company. Sinuosity specializes in machine built Flow Trails and Pump Tracks, as well as hand built singletrack trails.
Managing a Network of Mountain Bike Trails C.J. Scott 4:00pm-5:30pm
CJ has been working at Kingdom Trail Association for 11 years, and is now the Trails Manager for the renowned 100+ mile mountain bike trail system located in East Burke, Vermont. He assist's in the management and everyday operations of the 501 (c) 3 non-profit organization, which includes direct management of the trail crews; trail design, construction and maintenance, general conservation, and operation and maintenance of machinery during both summer & winter seasons. He holds a degree in Adventure Based Programming from Lyndon State College, Vermont and is also a graduate of the National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS), participating in a Summer Semester in the Rockies, Teton Valley Branch, Idaho. In 2004 he Thru-hiked the entire 2,100+ mile Appalachian Trail, traveling northbound from Georgia to Maine. His passion for the outdoors is reflected in his crazy obsession of mountain biking, hunting, hiking, snowboarding, fishing, and any other excuse to get him in his natural outdoor surroundings. He lives in Wheelock, Vermont with his amazing wife and two beautiful children. His presentation will cover the following topics: A brief history of KTA Working with landowners/state agencies Coordinating/appointing a Trail Committee Vision and expansion of the trail system - developing a 5 year trail plan Crew/project management Risk Management Volunteer Work Days Bike Park Operations
Wetlands Peter Jensen Wetland Trail Structure Design 4:00pm-5:30pm
Peter Jensen is a trail planner/builder with more than 30 years experience planning and constructing pedestrian trails throughout the Northeast. His company is a member of the Professional Trailbuilders Association. He worked for the Appalachian Mountain Club until 1988 when he started his own business in the Berkshires of Massachusetts. In early 2005 he reorganized the business into Peter S. Jensen & Associates, LLC. He served as the Appalachian Trail Conservancy’s representative to the U. S. Access Board’s Regulatory Negotiation Committee on Accessibility Guidelines for Outdoor Developed Areas from 1997 to 1999 where he helped shape regulations for development of new trails, camping facilities, picnic sites, and beaches. He continues planning, design, construction, and consulting on the development of accessible trails. Training crew leaders, youth, volunteers, and agency/non-profit staff is also an important component of his work.
Recreational Trail Resources America’s Great Outdoors Initiative Kate Williams 4:00pm-5:30pm
Kate Williams has served as Executive Director of the Northern Forest Canoe Trail since March 2004. During that time, she has overseen the completion of the 13-map set covering the entire route, the publication of three books, including the official guidebook, and the development of three active programs: 1) Trail Stewardship; 2) Community Economic Development; and 3) Connecting People and Place. Kate is also Chair of the Board of the National Outdoor Leadership School, and is actively involved in her community in the Mad River Valley. In all of this work, Kate’s focus has been on building strong partnerships to more effectively connect people with the outdoors. Kate will share what she has learned about the America’s Great Outdoors Initiative, particularly what it might mean for trail in New England. She looks forward to questions and contributions from participants in the session to help create the most complete picture possible about the status and opportunities of this national initiative.
Finding the Funding and Resources to Get Your Trail on the Ground Jennifer Waite 2:30pm-4:00pm
Jennifer Waite is the Director of Vermont Projects for the National Park Service Rivers & Trails Program (RTCA). RTCA is the community assistance arm of NPS, providing technical assistance to help communities and organizations create trails, protect rivers and enhance natural areas. RTCA helps communities plan, organize partnerships and achieve on-the-ground success for the projects they initiate. In Vermont, Jennifer has worked with many projects including the Cross Vermont Trail, Woodstock Trails Partnership, Northern Forest Canoe Trail, and the West River Trail. She has been involved in the Vermont Trails and Greenways Council since 1989, most recently serving on the Recreation Trails Grant committee. Jennifer will be leading a workshop about how to gather the myriad of funding and other resources needed to take a trail project from idea to on-the-ground success. She’ll be using the Historic Faulkner Trail Restoration project as an example of creating a strategy for challenging, multi-year trail projects. Workshop participants are encouraged to bring their own success stories to share.
Stone Structures Charley MacMartin and Jessica Ricketson Stone Structures Workshop 2:30pm-5:30pm
Charley MacMartin is a Vermont dry-stone waller based in Hinesburg. He has over 15 years of experience and has trained through Britain's Dry Stone Walling Association. His stone work has been featured in Vermont Life and on Vermont Public Radio. Charley runs workshops on dry stone walling during the winter through his business, Queen City Soil & Stone. He will copresent with Jess Ricketson, vice chair of the Vemont Trails and Greenways Council. Their workshop will focus on the basic principles for dry stone walling and their application to trail work.
Mechanized Equipment Alex Hoffmeier Mechanized Trail Construction: Choosing the Right Machine for the Job 2:30-4:00 PM
Alex Hoffmeier works for Timber & Stone, LLC, a company specializing in trail design, planning, and construction. He has worked on trail projects throughout the northeast ranging in size from a 15 foot long bridge to installing 400 stone stairs near Niagara Falls. Combining his background in landscape planning and design with construction, he has found that trail work utilizes both skill sets and continually challenges him. On any given day he can be found behind the controls of an excavator, setting stone by hand, building a bridge, or working with volunteers. Alex will offer an overview of specialized low impact trail construction machinery. There will be a classroom slideshow highlighting a variety of machines used for building trails as well as a breakdown of efficient and effective operation. An emphasis on minimizing site impact, the import of material to remote sites, and the construction of multi-use and naturally surfaced trails will be discussed. A machine demonstration will take place during the second half of the workshop.
Trail Easements Trail Easements Steve Libby 2:30pm-4:00pm
The Vermont River Conservancy (VRC) works with willing landowners to conserve riparian lands for ecological resilience and provide public access to our public waters. This discussion will explore the various types of access/camping/trail easements used by VRC in a variety of settings. Long term stewardship and management of access easements is an extremely important aspect of a successful program, and will be discussed through a case study of the Upper Connecticut River Paddlers Trail. Steve Libby is the Executive Director of the Vermont River Conservancy. He is also a lecturer in the Rubenstein School at UVM.
Protecting Your Trails Amy Kelsey 4:00pm-5:30pm Learn the basics about how you can protect your trail system. We will discuss everything from simple permission forms to perpetual Trail Easements. We will discuss determining the value of a Trail Easement, funding sources, and ongoing stewardship responsibilities. Amy is responsible for all aspects of trail development, improvement, maintenance, and conservation on the Catamount Trail, Vermontยนs 300-mile backcountry ski trail. When she is not inside coordinating trail projects, she is likely leading work parties, instructing backcountry ski clinics, or scouting new routes for the Trail. Prior to joining the CTA staff, Amy worked in outdoor education and land-use planning. She lives with her family in Underhill, VT.