No, we didn’t import Times Square and the Empire State Building to this National Forest that, in some areas, receives 140-200 inches of rainfall annually. We brought the other NYC – the Northwest Youth Corps – to help with priority projects on the Pacific Ranger District. Thanks to donations from Lake Quinault Lodge visitors to the National Forest Foundation’s Forest Stewardship Fund, twelve youth were able to receive training and conduct 829 hours of critical restoration work on the Olympic National Forest through the Northwest Youth Corps. The Northwest Youth Corps program, for teens aged 16 to 19, provides a paid opportunity to gain job skill training and learn about public land stewardship.

The projects undertaken by the teens included trail restoration, recreation facility reconstruction, and soil/water conservation activities. The youth worked on nine miles of trails in the heavily used Quinault National Recreation Trail System and seven miles in the Colonel Bob Wilderness. They installed waterbars, climbing turns, and switchbacks; repaired a bridge; built retaining walls; and built a turnpike to elevate an area of trail above wet ground. The experience also exposed the youth to outdoor adventure: the crew camped in the field and members were able to spend some time recreating during their two weeks in the Lake Quinalt area of the Olympic National Forest.

The National Forest Foundation’s Forest Stewardship Fund provides funding for projects that improve forest health and outdoor experiences on National Forests and Grasslands and National Recreation Areas through donations made through partner lodges and resorts located on or adjacent to these Forest Service managed lands. Together with the guests who donate to the fund, community groups that implement the projects, and our partner lodges and resorts, we have achieved important restoration goals benefiting watersheds, wildlife and National Forest visitors.

For more information about this Forest Stewardship Fund, contact Marlee Ostheimer at [email protected].