With support from the National Forest Foundation, during the Summer of 2015, 26 youth had the opportunity to gain paid work experience in the beautiful Wild and Scenic Upper Priest River Corridor on the Idaho Panhandle National Forest. These students, working as part of the Northwest Youth Corps, worked for more than 1200 collective hours to complete critical maintenance and repairs on four miles of one of the most picturesque trails in the Upper Priest River. Trail “No. 308” provides one of the most popular hiking routes in the area, as it delivers scenic views of the river valley and majestic old growth cedar.

The trail had degraded to a point where it was no longer safe for users, as much of the trail puncheon (short-span footbridges built over boggy or wet soil) was in severe disrepair. In the four miles of trail that they repaired, the Northwest Youth Corps replaced 143 feet of puncheon. The work was not without its challenges: in mid-August the crew had to be evacuated due to wildfires several days before they had completed their wrap-up work. Despite this interruption, the work that the students were able to accomplish rectified the safety issues and the trail was reopened to visitors once the danger from wildfires had passed.

The Northwest Youth Corps conducts a range of conservation projects on public lands throughout the Pacific Northwest, providing youth with a paid work opportunity, and a chance to learn job, conservation stewardship, and leadership skills. Other local volunteers groups that supported this project included the Backcountry Horseman and the Pend Oreille Pedalers Bike Club. Additional funding was provided through the Idaho Recreational Trails Program.