Clear The Trails Campaign

The Pagosa Area Trails Council fundraiser is called “Clear The Trails Campaign“.

Our goal is  to raise $150,000.  We have raised $104,380

If you would like to Donate :

Click PayPal Donate button above  for Credit Card or PayPal accounts  or

Mail check to:  PATC,”Clear The Trails”   284 Cool Pines Dr. Pagosa Springs, CO 81147

Update on the Clear the Trails Campaign for Pagosa Area Trails 

 December 2023

The Pagosa Ranger District of the San Juan National Forest’s trail crew, in partnership with the Pagosa Area Trails Councils (PATC), many other trail volunteer groups  and the Southwest Conservation Corps youth crews have been able to clear 95% to 100%  of the PRD’s  trails in 2020 thru 2023. 

Our goal when the “Clear the Trails Campaign” started in 2018 was to get all Pagosa Ranger District  area trails cleared of the spruce beetle killed trees that have been falling on our local trails at an epidemic rate. This goal of clearing 100% of the trails was achieved much sooner than originally planned.   We expect this will continue for another 5-10 years. We plan on raising funds more to use as cash portion of trail grants like the Colorado Parks & Wildlife State Trails grant. Our next grant cycle is in 2024. 

The work of clearing and performing much needed trail maintenance was accomplished by the  Pagosa Ranger District trail crew, the Southwest Conservation Corps, and by local user groups and outfitters such as San Juan Back Country Horseman,  San Juan Outdoor Club, Dust 2, Pagosa Trail Riders, Phantom Trail Clearers and local outfitters, who have contributed over 4,000 hours of volunteer labor. 

Many of these trails are located in the Weminuche and South San Juan Wildernesses where cross-cut saws must be used instead of chainsaws per the Wilderness Act of 1964. The Pagosa Ranger District has 469 miles of summer trails, with 175 miles located in designated Wilderness areas. We have cleared  over 30,000 trees were cleared from Pagosa Area  trails since we started Clear the Trails Campaign in 2018.   It cost about $50 per tree to be cleared and cut from these trails. 

Unfortunately, standing dead and weakened green trees continue to fall each year on the trails and likely will do so into the foreseeable future, with  5,000 downed trees needing clearing from trails annually.  Our goal is to continue to keep these trails clear and safe each year. 

In 2019, the PATC and the Pagosa Ranger District jointly applied for and were awarded a Colorado Parks and Wildlife State Trail maintenance grant. We received $106,000 from grant plus another $13,600 for a 21CSC grant. PATC donated $20,000 for the cash portion of the grant for a total of $139,600. The funds for the cash portion were raised from local nonprofits such as San Juan Back County Horseman, San Juan Outdoor Club,  Individuals, local government, businesses and local outfitters. Additional funding for trail clearing has been  provided by the Forest Service. The grants and funds raised were critical to the successes realized thus far, without which we could not have come close to achieving our shared goals.

The Pagosa Ranger District and PATC again applied and was awarded for a  3 year 2022 Colorado Parks and Wildlife State Trails grant for $150,000 to continue trail clearing and tread maintenance. From  donations, PATC provided a $20,000 cash match for the grant, and an additional $10,000 will be provided by the Wolf Creek Ski Conservation Fund as a cash match.  For a total of $180,000.  The Wolf Creek Ski Conservation Fund is based on a partnership established between the Wolf Creek Ski Area and the National Forest Foundation (NFF), where local season ticket holders donate $5 which are matched by 50% by the NFF to be used for local forest conservation programs. 

 

With the various grant funds, extra Forest Service funds, local contributions too “Clear the Trail Campaign  over $500,000 has been contributed to the cause of keeping our trails cleared, maintained and safe.  Plus the thousands of volunteer hours. This has been a very successful partnership. 

The  Goal is to continue too clear 100% of  Pagosa Ranger District Trail and provide much needed trail work on these trails for years to come.  

Also, PATC has setup a website for information on local trails at pagosatrails.org It provides detailed trail descriptions with pictures and maps of trails in our area, plus current trail conditions. It also provides “Leave No Trace” and need to know information and education for all trail users. It has been a very popular site with over 200 visitors per day during the summer season. I  invite you to check it out as well as join us in our efforts to conserve this resource that is so important to our community and visitors alike.  

The Clear the Trails Campaign could not have happened with out all the great donations  and volunteer hours that has made this a very successful partnered effort. 

 It is greatly appreciated!!!

Thanks,

Bob Milford

President

Pagosa Area Trails Council