Trail Conference Year-End Program Report: 2015 Look Back & 2016 Look Ahead

Here is a look at our 2015 accomplishments and a preview of plans for 2016

2015 Look Back

Catskills

• Grew the Catskill Conservation Corps through work trips, workshops, and litter pick-up events at the Blue Hole and other heavily used areas. 
• Worked with Woodchuck Lodge to create family-friendly trail system in Roxbury, N.Y. 
• Launched highly successes Summit Stewards program on Slide Mountain, the Catskills’ tallest and busiest mountain.

East Hudson

• Completed the South Taconic Trail extension. This lengthens the South Taconic Trail by 6.5 miles, reaching Rudd Pond and the outskirts of Millerton, N.Y. 
• Built an extension to the Round Hill Bypass Trail in Fahnestock, linking the Fahnestock Trail to School Mountain Road. 
• Built three new trails, a total of four miles, in Dover Stone Church Preserve.

New Jersey

• Conducted 30 trail crew outings with West Jersey Trail Crew, Ramapo Earth Crew, and Long Distance Trails Crew, comprising hundreds of work hours. 
• Played an early and leading role in successful effort to protect the Hudson Palisades from a proposed high-rise structure at LG Electronics USA headquarters. Revised lower structure preserves the Palisades viewshed and views from the Long Path. 
• Strengthened working relations with National Park Service in the Delaware Water Gap, resulting in increased partnerships and volunteer outreach in western New Jersey.

West Hudson

• Volunteers and groups built a new section of the Highlands Trail, eliminating a 1.4-mile road walk. 
• Long Distance Trails Crew re-routed an eroded portion of the A.T., installing rock steps and cribbing on Bear Mountain. 
• West Hudson North crew installed bog bridging on Mossy Glen Trail in Minnewaska.

Bear Mountain

• Completed approximately 500 highly labor-intensive feet of Upper East Face of the Appalachian Trail, reaching 60 percent completion. 
• Finished construction of Trails for People Exhibit at base of Bear Mountain on the A.T. Provided over 10,600 volunteer hours of labor.

Cartography and Publications

• Produced new print and digital editions of four maps sets: Catskill, Harriman-Bear Mountain, South Taconic, and West Hudson. 
• Completed and launched the brand new Circuit Hikes in Harriman book.
• Produced 15 new northern New Jersey state park maps, made available as free handouts at parks, as downloads on our website, and through the PDF Maps app.

Invasives

• Completed the fifth year of the Invasives Strike Force (ISF), reaching a milestone of over 1,000 miles of trails surveyed for invasive species. This was the cumulative efforts of 400 volunteers making over 60,000 observations. 
• Removed over 50,000 invasive plants from 20 parks, preserves, and partner properties, improving over 100 acres of land. 
• Convened over 40 partner agencies of the Lower Hudson Partnership for Regional Invasive Species Management (PRISM) to prioritize invasive species work, education, and outreach.

2016 Look Ahead

Catskills

• Rebuild German Hollow lean-to, which was crushed by fallen trees. Expand Summit Stewards program to other popular destinations in the Catskills.

East Hudson

• Expand and recruit a dedicated Hudson Highlands roving trail crew. 
• Collaborate with NYC Parks to recruit volunteers and offer technical assistance and documentation with trail maintenance projects.

New Jersey

• Promote, protect, and improve the long-distance Highlands Trail, New Jersey’s Millennium Legacy Trail. Develop workshops, volunteer outings, and events to draw attention to this nearby, under-utilized hiking treasure. 
• Expand Trail Conference presence and recruitment everywhere we maintain trails.

West Hudson

• Collaborate in a Trails Town event along south-western boundary of Harriman, attracting eco-tourism and highlighting improved trail access via mass transit. 
• Develop a Bear Mountain Stewards program. 
• Create a new trail loop in Sterling Forest’s recently preserved “donut hole.”

Bear Mountain

• Extend progress on the remaining 1,145 feet and 325 stone stairs of the A.T. on the Upper East Face. Complete all work by fall 2017.

Cartography and Publications

• Develop a new map set covering the entirety of the Long Path. 
• Produce revised editions of Jersey Highlands, Kittatinny, Sterling Forest, and Shawangunk map sets.

Invasives

• Ramp up invasives removal efforts by increasing summer crew service periods, engaging more volunteers and streamlining data collection and processing. 
• Lead the Lower Hudson PRISM to aggressively target priority areas and species.