Overview of Trail Ambassador ProgramGoals The Trail Ambassador Program has twin primary goals. (1) To greet, assist, and educate the public on the Flagstaff Ranger District. (2) To report the current condition of the District’s trail system to the Forest Service. Volunteers, who are called Trail Ambassadors in this context, may patrol the trails on foot or—where permitted—on mountain bikes, motorized OHVs, or horseback. Becoming a Trail Ambassador How could I become a certified Trail Ambassador (TA)? Here are the steps. 1. Become familiar with the written material provided later on this website. 2. Agree to follow some reasonable Forest Service requirements about safety, procedures, and dress (while on the trail as a Trail Ambassador). 3. Be a member of Friends of Northern Arizona Forests (FoNAF) or be covered in some other way by a volunteer agreement with the Forest Service. 4. Spend a field training session of at least two hours accompanying a certified, experienced Trail Ambassador or a Forest Service staff member on trail patrol--and win your mentor's endorsement. For the most part, it’s on-the-job training. Endorsement by your mentor will provide certification. Then you will receive a TA name tag from the Forest Service and may choose trails from the list (of 75 trails) that keeps track of trails and areas that need TA presence. A more detailed description of the Program’s goals, the qualifications required for participation, the opportunities offered, and the procedures to be followed is available later on this web page. If you have questions or want to get started, contact FoNAF’s coordinator or one of the Forest Service staff listed immediately below. Contacts FoNAF’s coordinator (pro tem): Ralph Baierlein. Email: Ralph.Baierlein@nau.edu Sean Murphy, Trails and Wilderness Coordinator for the Flagstaff Ranger District of the Coconino National Forest. Phone: 928-257-8225. Email: smurphy@fs.fed.us Justin Loxley, Volunteer Coordinator for the Flagstaff Ranger District of the Coconino National Forest. Phone: 928-527-8213. Email: jdloxley@fs.fed.us
Trail Ambassador Program in Greater DetailPurpose and Overview The Trail Ambassador Program has twin primary goals. (1) To greet, assist, and educate the public on the Flagstaff Ranger District. (2) To report the current condition of the District’s trail system to the Forest Service. Volunteers, who are called Trail Ambassadors in this context, may patrol the trails on foot or—where permitted—on mountain bikes, motorized OHVs, or horseback. A Trail Ambassador (TA) should give a friendly greeting to trail users and may provide general forest and resource information. Lack of preparedness while hiking and riding the District’s trail system is a major contributor to resource damage by forest users. When requested by forest users, TAs may provide information such as the anticipated weather, gear and clothing recommendations, travel directions, personal knowledge of the area, and “Leave No Trace” ethics. In this way, Trail Ambassadors can assist the Forest Service in providing a high level of service to all forest users and join the Forest Service in “Caring for the Land and Serving the People.” Qualifications
Scope of Duties
Note that law enforcement lies OUTSIDE the scope of duties. (More about this later.) Protocol for notification of plans and safe return Safety comes first and always. Your volunteer organization and the Forest Service want someone to know your plans and to know whether you have returned safely or not. 1. Tell a spouse or friend where you are going and when you expect to return. This person is your emergency contact. When you become certified as a TA, FoNAF will ask you for the name and phone number of your usual emergency contact and will maintain that information on a list given to the Forest Service. Also, FoNAF will give you a list of organizations that your emergency contact may wish to call if you fail to return on time. 2. If you patrol alone or if your group cannot find a reliable emergency contact, then follow the steps outlined here. (a) Before departure. Provide trip information by phone to the Forest Service.
You should provide your destination, time of departure, and expected time of return (as well as your name and phone number). (b) Upon return. Call whomever you called before and report your safe return. Expectations
Wear the TA name tag that the Forest Service will provide. You are encouraged to wear also a patch or logo that identifies your volunteer organization (if you are a member), such as Friends of Northern Arizona Forests (FoNAF). Note that the Forest Service patch (or logo) that FS employees wear may NOT be worn by Trail Ambassadors. Carry a cell phone (if you own one) and maps appropriate for the trail and surrounding area. Provide personal items such as water, food, medical supplies, extra clothing, et cetera, that are appropriate and adequate for the trail that you will patrol. Carry at least a minimal first aid kit. Do not, however, attempt to give first aid to anyone unless you have had proper training and have the person’s permission. If you encounter a visitor who is hostile to you or who is doing something that is illegal or against Forest Service regulations, do NOT attempt to enforce the regulations or apprehend the individual. Leave without getting into a confrontation. Take note of any identifying information, such as a description of the individual or an auto. Report the incident to the Forest Service. If urgent action is needed, call the Forest Service dispatcher: 526-0600. Otherwise, record the incident in your Ambassador Report. Trail Selection The FS Trails & Wilderness Coordinator has developed a list of some 75 trails that are of especial interest to the Forest Service. To read the list, click on Flagstaff District Trails List on the bar at the top of this webpage. For each trail, the list carries the latest date on which TAs have filed a trail report (during the current year). Trail use is highest on weekends. Thus weekends are especially good for greeting, assisting, and educating the public. Trails for which no or few reports have been filed offer you an opportunity to provide essential information about current trail conditions. We encourage you to explore some of the less-used trails that may be new to you and to supply those "missing" reports. Where can I find information about trails that are new to me? The website of the Coconino National Forest is one place. . Go to www.fs.fed.us/r3/coconino/ . Click on Recreational Activities in the left-hand sidebar. A map will appear. Next, click on the appropriate region of the map. Then scroll down to the Trails list. To learn details about a specific trail, click on the trail’s name. Also, you can send an email to FoNAF's coordinator and request a pdf file that lists a variety of sources. Ask for "Sources of Trail Information." Training Classes The Forest Service may offer training classes for volunteers. Over the course of time, FS training opportunities may include some or all of the following.
Use of vehicles Forest Service vehicles may be available for TAs; it all depends on who else needs the vehicles and when. Carpooling is encouraged, and so is trailhead drop off and pick up. To drive a Forest Service vehicle, a TA must have been certified by the Forest Service. Certification requires that the volunteer attend a Forest Service Defensive Driving course and pass a behind-the-wheel driving test. No reimbursement will be available for fuel, damages, or wear related to the use of personal vehicles. Ambassador Report No patrol is complete until the TA has filled out an Ambassador Report and sent it to the FS Trails and Wilderness Coordinator. The report form is available in an electronic version on this website. Just click on Trail Ambassador Report in the bar at the top of this webpage. To download a PDF version, click on TA Report PDF file. Paper copies will be available at the District office. The report will provide information about trail conditions, recommendations for trail maintenance, how many members of the public you met, the number of volunteer hours devoted to patrolling, and similar items. Filling out the form should take only five minutes. The electronic version enables you to submit the completed form with a single click. Frequently Asked Questions May I patrol solo? Yes, but the Forest Service recommends that you patrol with an adult companion or as part of a small group. What’s in a “minimal First Aid kit”? All the items, taken together, weigh less than a pound and fit into a freezer bag. When you become a certified TA, you will receive an explicit list. Certification as a Trail Ambassador How could I become a certified Trail Ambassador ? Here are the steps. 1. Become familiar with the written material provided above. 2. Agree to follow some reasonable Forest Service requirements about safety, procedures, and dress (while on the trail as a Trail Ambassador). The requirements were described above. 3. Be a member of Friends of Northern Arizona Forests or be covered in some other way by a volunteer agreement with the Forest Service. 4. Spend a field training session of at least three hours accompanying a certified, experienced Trail Ambassador or a Forest Service staff member on trail patrol--and win your mentor’s endorsement. For the most part, it’s on-the-job training. Endorsement by your mentor will provide certification. Then you will receive a TA name tag from the Forest Service and may choose trails from the list (of 75 trails) that keeps track of trails and areas that need TA presence. Questions and Contacts If you have questions or want to get started, contact FoNAF’s coordinator or one of the Forest Service staff listed immediately below. FoNAF’s coordinator (pro tem): Ralph Baierlein Email: Ralph.Baierlein@nau.edu Sean Murphy, Trails and Wilderness Coordinator for the Flagstaff Ranger District of the Coconino National Forest. Phone: 928-257-8225. Email: smurphy@fs.fed.us Justin Loxley, Volunteer Coordinator for the Flagstaff Ranger District of the Coconino National Forest. Phone: 928-527-8213. Email: jdloxley@fs.fed.us |
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