Building a wilderness stewardship community

NWSA Newsletter • Fall 2020

2020 Memberships end NWSA/SWS Launch Wilderness December 31, 2020. Stewardship Awards. Remember to renew your NWSA Membership for 2020 The National Wilderness Stewardship a steward, organization, or Federal land Alliance in partnership with the Society agency whom they feel has demonstrat- and extend into 2021. of Wilderness Stewardship is pleased to ed outstanding ability in the following wildernessalliance.org/donate announce the creation of the National categories: Wilderness Stewardship Awards. The wilderness stewardship commu- Wilderness Rising Leader Join the NWSA! nity is filled with ordinary people doing To recognize young wilderness Membership in the National extraordinary work in some of America’s stewards who have demonstrated out- Wilderness Stewardship Alliance comes most amazing and remote landscapes. standing potential to lead the steward- in two forms: individual or organization Unfortunately, their work often goes ship community into the future. memberships. unnoticed, leaving Wilderness to suf- Wilderness Stewardship Individual memberships show your fer as a result. By showing people their Champion of the Year Award support for the mission and purpose work is important now, we can build a To recognize an individual wilder- of the National Wilderness Stewardship more sustainable wilderness steward- ness steward that has demonstrated Alliance and association with the greatest ship community for the future. outstanding ability to steward their people on earth - wilderness stewards. This awards program will allow wilderness areas. Any donation over $25 per year qualifies organizations and partners to nominate Continued, Page 5 you as an NWSA member for Workshop and Symposium discounts. Future NWSA Webinars: Organization memberships entitle your group to apply for NWSA Grant Get your suggestions ready programs, provide access to toolboxes By Dave Cantrell, NWSA Board and educational materials tailored to cooperative relations between riders support wilderness stewardship organi- It’s been a good year for NWSA and other trail users, public lands and zations, and participation in review and webinars! Our presenters, usually pre- climate change. comment efforts on industry wide-issues senting under COVID conditions, have 2020 presentations to come: led by NWSA. supported volunteer stewardship across All members have access to NWSA many fronts: updates on useful soft- Ethics and Effects of Wilderness services and support, including volunteer ware, volunteer-agency cooperation, Digital Media :Tuesday, October 20 workshops, webinars, and Conference/ Leave No Trace updates, balancing at 1:00 PM Mountain Symposiums, many at no or reduced cost. advocacy and stewardship, innovative The narratives crafted by organiza- A membership in NWSA is a wise approaches to Citizen Science, wom- tions and individuals about wilderness investment for the future of wilderness en-led stewardship and conservation, Continued, Page 6 stewardship. Collectively we are stronger than individually. All NWSA webinars, past and future, are wildernessalliance.org/donate available at wildernessalliance.org/webinars

www.wildernessalliance.org • facebook.com/WildernessAlliance NWSA Newsletter • Fall 2020 2 About NWSA From the Chair Andrew Downs Our Mission: Greetings from the National Wilderness The mission of the National Wilderness Stewardship Alliance. After 10 years, to look Stewardship Alliance is to develop a growing net- back on NWSA’s work is to see the strength work of volunteer-based organizations to provide of a Nation of Wilderness lovers to come stewardship for America’s enduring resource of together to cultivate stewardship in every corner of the Wilderness wilderness. preservation system. Looking forward, I see an organization well suited to con- Our Vision: tinue to support organizations of all sizes as they take on the ever increasing challenges maintaining healthy and publicly valuable Our vision is to see each wilderness area with- Wilderness areas. I also see an organization, early in its life-span in the National Wilderness Preservation System that must ensure that all communities have equal and equitable adopted by a wilderness stewardship organization access to the values of Wilderness so that they might join us in dedicated to protecting and nurturing the area’s the important work preserving these places. To do so, NWSA will character and values. We envision effective partner- engage new partners, but also look at ourselves and hold ourselves ships between community-based, non-profit wil- accountable to the expectation that our leadership, our partner- derness stewardship organizations and all govern- ships and our work bring a diversity of voices and communities to ment agencies charged with the management of our bear as we learn what Wilderness means to everyone, not just those national wilderness areas. within the current network of Wilderness stewards and advocates. Our Goal: Continued, Page 5 Our goal is to improve wilderness stewardship NWSA Member Organization Profile and create an allied constituency for wilderness by connecting stewardship organizations with each Friends of Scotchman Peaks other, linking our efforts and experiences, directing From the firsr Wilderness groups to resources, and fostering new organizations. Workshop in Las Vegas in March of 2011, Friends of Our Objectives: Scotchman Peaks Wilderness • Identify wilderness stewardship groups nationwide (FSPW)has been part of in order to determine the present level of support. NWSA. Executive Director Phil Hough attended the first, and • Through our website and other resources, share FSPW staff and volunteers have been at each Workshop since. knowledge, experience and expertise among Friends of Scotchman Peaks Wilderness, formed in 2005, is local, regional and national stewardship orga- committed to connecting the people of North Idaho and Northwest nizations. Montana with their wild backyard. Situated near the Idaho-Montana • Provide new groups with start-up models of border, Scotchman Peak is the highest point in Bonner County, different structures, help them anticipate the Idaho, at 7,009 feet. The Friends’ mission is to make sure this rugged questions that typically arise as groups form, land is saved for our children and grandchildren. and connect them with people who have built That means making the area successful organizations. accessible with well-maintained • Sponsor national and regional gatherings of trails. It means educating the public stewardship groups. about what wilderness is and why • Provide grants to help stewardship groups it matters. And it means advocat- accomplish on-the-ground projects benefiting ing for laws and public policy that wilderness keeps wild places undeveloped and • Help foster a culture within governing agencies untamed. that values volunteer-based wilderness stew- For almost 16 years, Friends of ardship organizations and has the means to Scotchman Peaks have been focused give them effective support. The Scotchman Peaks are in North on saving the wild Scotchman Idaho and western Montana Peaks for future generations. www.wildernessalliance.org • facebook.com/WildernessAlliance 3 NWSA Newsletter • Fall 2020 Message from In any given year there are 50-60 member organizations of NWSA. These local stewardship groups understand the the Director value of connecting to broaden the outreach and the power Randy Welsh of wilderness stewardship. They also share in the collective benefits of networking, learning, and sharing resources. Over the last 10 years the National This was very evident in the effort to create a unified cross Wilderness Stewardship Alliance has cut saw program for volunteers and working with other grown from the dream of a connected wilderness stew- national groups to fight misguided legislation to allow ardship community to a reality. As I write this article, the mountain bikes in wilderness. National Wilderness Workshop kicks off with over 400 par- NWSA has been instrumental in developing funding ticipants bringing wilderness stewards, volunteers, agency programs that the wilderness and trails communities can wilderness managers, rangers and academics together to participate in. Since 2016 over $1,000,000 in Wilderness share and discuss the latest issues in wilderness manage- Stewardship Performance funding has been spread around ment in a virtual format. The Workshop is but one of many the stewardship community contributing to many more activities sponsored by NWSA which brings the wilderness wilderness areas managed to agency standards. And since stewardship community together. Next year we look for- 2017 the National Forest System Trail Stewardship Partner ward to hosting the Workshop in Roanoke, Virginia. Continued, page 5 NWSA Fund established with help from the Dermody Family and David Berolzheimer Foundation

By Randy Welsh up costs and provide mentoring The vision of the National and advice to improve organiza- Wilderness Stewardship Alliance tion success. This is an exciting is to help support the forma- new offering for NWSA thanks tion of a wilderness steward- to the foresight of Elaine and ship group for every wilder- Win Dermody, and the generos- ness in the National Wilderness ity of the David Berolzheimer Preservation System. We are one Foundation. step closer to that reality thanks If you’d like to contribute to the generosity this summer to the Fund you can do so of long-time wilderness volun- on the NWSA website starting teers and supporters Elaine and in November. A new webpage Win Dermody, from Steamboat and payment processing for Springs, Colorado. the Fund is in the works. All I am pleased to officially Left to right are Win Dermody, Kevin Cannon, Dave Cantrell and contributions to the Fund will announce the formation of the Elaine Dermody. Chris Brown is in background. Photo was taken be deposited in the Oregon about 2010 during the early formation of NWSA. National Wilderness Stewardship Community Foundation for Alliance Fund. This fund was estab- Preservation System. You will be seeing the Fund to increase the endowment lished by a generous donation provided more about the Fund and opportunities and to allow NWSA to help more by The David Berolzheimer Foundation to participate in it this fall. stewardship groups form. to honor life-long friend and wilder- NWSA has established the Fund at I’m personally grateful to the Elaine ness champion, Elaine Dermody, who the Oregon Community Foundation and Win for the trust they have placed is a Founding Member of the National where it can grow to support a program in NWSA and for their vision of wil- Wilderness Stewardship Alliance. The of active creation of new stewardship derness stewardship for all areas of the proceeds from this endowment will be organizations. NWSA will solicit propos- Wilderness Preservation System. used to support the creation of wilder- als from groups starting to form or in the Thank you Elaine and Win! ness stewardship groups for every wil- initial stages of their existence. We hope derness area in the National Wilderness to be able to help defray some of the start- Read more about the grant on Page 5. www.wildernessalliance.org • facebook.com/WildernessAlliance NWSA Newsletter • Fall 2020 4 NWSA: Celebrating a decade of dedicated Wilderness lovers meeting for the Pioneers of NWSA at the formative meeting in 2010 common good Doug Scott takes us through the Wilderness Act, Las Vegas, 2011

Bob Hazelton welcomes the conference to Big Bear, 2013 Connie Myers instructs at the 2014 Workshop in Albuquerque

SAWS Field Trip, Tellico Wilderness, 2012 Inset: SAWS fringe benefits

Andrew Schurr weighs in on the cross-cut competition at Jimmy Gaudrey and Hawk Metheny the Wilderness Olympics in Missoula, 2016 at the 2015 Workshop in Missoula Arkansas Wilderness field trip in 2017

Opening Session, Gunnison, 2018 Bill Hodge on Wilderness, Bend, 2019

www.wildernessalliance.org • facebook.com/WildernessAlliance 5 NWSA Newsletter • Fall 2020

The Director, from page 3 Foundation to honor life-long friend Funding, which NWSA manages and wilderness champion, Elaine through a partnership with the Forest Dermody, who is a Founding Member Board and Staff Service and national trail groups, has of the National Wilderness Stewardship given $900,000 to support over 100 Alliance. The proceeds from this endow- of NWSA different trail projects. Our outreach ment will be used to support the cre- has grown and our impact on wilder- ation of wilderness stewardship groups ness stewardship has been tremen- for every wilderness area in the National Andrew Downs, Chair dous, all while strengthening local wil- Wilderness Preservation System. You andrewdowns@ derness stewardship groups. will be seeing more about the Fund and wildernessalliance.org And let’s not forget the value of opportunities to participate in it this fall. Katie Currier, Vice-chair NWSA webinars which for the last three NWSA has a bright future because [email protected] years have brought the wilderness com- of the dedication of wilderness stew- munity together for learning and edu- ardship groups and the importance Dave Cantrell, Programs cational sessions that advance wilder- of our mission protecting wilder- [email protected] ness stewardship. These thoughtful and ness areas. If you have an interest in provocative sessions have built a steady expanding your participation in wil- Anne Sentz, Secretary audience and are retained for future derness stewardship consider serving [email protected] learning opportunities on our website. on the NWSA Board or volunteering One final and most important thing for a committee assignment. It’s only Ann Baker-Easley to share about NWSA’s growth is the through the commitment of dedicated [email protected] creation of the National Wilderness volunteers like yourself that we can Zack Bumgarner Stewardship Alliance Fund. This fund achieve great things for wilderness. [email protected] was established by a generous donation For Wilderness Stewardship provided by The David Berolzheimer Randy Welsh, Executive Director Sandy Compton [email protected] Awards, from page 1 Nominations for the 2020 awards Wilderness Stewardship were accepted through September David Kallenbach Organization of the Year Award 30th, with the awards being pre- [email protected] To recognize a wilderness steward- sented after the National Wilderness Ian Nelson ship organization that has demon- Workshop. strated outstanding ability to steward Additional information about these [email protected] their wilderness areas. awards, including application materi- Chelsea Phillipe Wilderness Agency als, may be found on the NWSA web- [email protected] Partner of the Year Award site at http://www.wildernessalliance. To recognize an agency employ- org/awards. Randy Rasmussen ee or unit which has demonstrated Questions about the awards pro- randyrasmussen@ outstanding ability to work with wil- gram may be addressed to Randy wildernessalliance.org derness stewardship organizations to Welsh, Executive Director, NWSA at improve the stewardship of their wil- [email protected] or by derness areas. calling 801-808-2167. Randy Welsh Executive Director From the Chair, from page 2 invite new partners to sit down and The National Wilderness Workshop tell us their thoughts on the future of [email protected] will play a particularly important role Wilderness stewardship. 801.808.2167 in our future as we continue to broad- I look forward to the next ten years en and strengthen the partnership. I of work with the National Wilderness Mailing Address will miss seeing everyone in person Stewardship Alliance and encourage P.O. Box 752 this year and can’t help but reflect you to hit the trails this fall, find some Bend, OR • 97709 how important it will be to reconnect, quiet place, and as the old saying goes: www.wildernessalliance.org share stories by the campfire, and “Don’t just do something, sit there”. www.wildernessalliance.org • facebook.com/WildernessAlliance NWSA Newsletter • Fall 2020 6 The Evolution of the Dermody/Berolzheimer Grant By Elaine Dermody envelope and said, “This is something David wanted you Win Dermody first met David Berolzheimer at an army and Elaine to have.” Upon opening it we were shocked to reserve meeting in Clearwater Florida in 1958. There, a learn that David had established the David Berolzheimer friendship began that would span 61 years and soon include Foundation and left $500,000 to donate to five local non- Elaine Dermody and the Dermody children. David and profit organizations of our choosing! Bonnie Starr, his sweetheart of 45 years, became part of the What an incredible gift! We were so honored. With so Dermody family and had a close relationship with their chil- many incredible non—profits in Steamboat, we immedi- dren and grandchildren which continues now with Bonnie. ately realized it was going to be a difficult choice. As it was, After the Dermody’s retired to Steamboat Springs, David it turned out to be a very challenging and time consuming and Bonnie bought a condo there as well, and enjoyed spend- experience, but definitely a labor of love. ing part of their time in Colorado. They participated fully in We first discussed which non—profits David had been community life during part of every season. involved with and which he would feel good about. Then we Fast forward to March of 2020. After David’s untimely each made a list of non—profits to consider. Fortunately, we passing in the spring of 2019, Bonnie came to Steamboat listed the same non—profits, but narrowing the list down to and visited with us. Before leaving she handed Win an Continued, Page 7

Webinars, from page 1 Trails: National Scenic Trails, National cal to address (and often interact with issues and experiences have great Historic Trails and National Recreation the pandemic environment): overuse, power to influence public opin- Trails. A panel will discuss the attri- diversity, climate change’s impact, ion as well as wilderness steward- butes of each designation including the wildfire impacts and on and on. ship. However, technologies, like cells purpose of the designation, the desig- A personal example: The Cameron phones, that are increasingly used to nation process, protections afforded Peak fire has burned out much of craft these wilderness narratives also thru designation and opportunities for the area where my home organization affect the wilderness experience itself. volunteer stewards and advocates. patrols. We don’t know how much, and it will be a long time before teams Shared Stewardship — Building Looking ahead to 2021, we can get in to evaluate the level of Wilderness Partnerships Through plan to focus most of our destruction. Empathy: webinars on one question: It’s one thing to say “that beetle kill Tuesday, November 10 at What are the greatest was going to burn, and at least now 1:00 PM Mountain it’s gone.” But where will we patrol challenges to volunteer- Shared goals and understanding next year? What trails are left? How based wilderness will help us successfully steward wild do we talk to the public about our lands into the future and build strong stewardship today? ravaged landscapes? How do we keep and empathetic connections. Data our organization vital with perhaps collected during a session on shared From your perspective, as you look a majority of our trails unavailable? stewardship and empathy at the 2019 at your organization in the coming That’s the kind of question I’d like to National Wilderness Workshop will years, what worries you most? What’s see webinar panels address. deepen our understanding of the chal- going to be most difficult to deal with? We plan to approach each topic lenges and potential solutions to build How can NWSA help you meet that with a spotlight directed at the impact strong, empathic alliances. challenge? for wilderness volunteer stewards — How do we do our work within the and how we can meet the challenge National Trails: A look pandemic environment? That tough in our individual settings. Rather than at Trail Designations question jumps to the front for imme- one person delivering expert knowl- within the National Trail System: diacy, and NWSA is working hard edge, we look to form panels to bring a Tuesday, December 8 to help us all think about how we do range of perspectives, but always with at 1:00 PM Mountain our work in a dramatically different strong volunteer voices. The National Trail System Act environment. But other long-noticed Please send your thoughts to established three categories of National matters become more and more criti- [email protected]. www.wildernessalliance.org • facebook.com/WildernessAlliance 7 NWSA Newsletter • Fall 2020

Dermody, from page 6 ages all but one of the endowment Elaine and Win Dermody recognizing an appropriate number was difficult. funds. The helpfulness and profes- their many years of volunteering with We eventually settled on the final six. sionalism of their staff along with the US Forest Service. These funds are to We decided to have our chosen organi- that of David’s Foundation during this be used primarily to enable future joint zations apply for a grant from David’s process was above and beyond. projects with the RMYC and Friends of Foundation as they would any other The David Berolzheimer Foundation Wilderness. grant. Their executive directors and Grants to honor Elaine and Win Friends of Wilderness* — to be staff pitched in, worked together and Dermody are as follows: added to their Endowment Fund. created impressive grant application The Steamboat Art Museum — National Wilderness Stewardship packages. added to their Endowment Fund. Alliance (NWSA)* — an Endowment Our last requirement was that Steamboat Creates (Arts Council) Fund to help establish new wilderness each organization have an existing — an additional Endowment Fund. volunteer organizations throughout Endowment Fund so that David’s gifts Court Sports 4 Life — to build a the US. would grow over time and contribute new multi-use Pickleball Center. *Elaine is the founder of FOW and to the stability of the organization. Rocky Mountain Youth Corps one of the founders of NWSA. David We worked with the Yampa Valley (RMYC) — added to a previously estab- Berolzheimer was one of the early Community Foundation which man- lished Endowment Fund in honor of contributors to both organizations.

Friends of Northern Arizona Forests Sawtooth Society The National Wilderness Friends of Panthertown Selway-Bitterroot Frank Church Friends of Plumas Wilderness Foundation Stewardship Alliance Friends of Scotchman Peaks Siskiyou Mountain Club exists for its members Friends of the Allegheny Wilderness Sitka Conservation Society Friends of the Dillon Ranger District Sky Island Alliance and through their Friends of the Eagles Nest Wilderness Southeast Alaska Conservation support. NWSA Friends of the Inyo Southern Appalachian Wilderness gratefully acknowledges Friends of Wilderness, Routt NF Stewards Gila Trout Unlimited Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance these groups, who have Grand County Wilderness Group Stanislaus Wilderness Volunteers supported us since 2016. Great Basin Institute Student Conservation Association Great Old Broads - Bitterbrush Chapter Superior Hiking Club Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness Great Old Broads – National The Conservation Center Foundation (all Chapters) The Wilderness Land Trust AIM for Wilderness Stewardship Great Old Broads - Volcano Chapter Truckee Trails Appalachian Trail Conservancy Idaho Conservation League Upper Arkansas Wilderness Volunteers Arizona Wilderness Coalition Idaho Trails Association Upper Gila Watershed Alliance Ascend Wilderness Experience Idaho Youth Employment - Salmon Upper Gila Wilderness Coalition BCHA National Indian Peaks Wilderness Alliance Alliance BCHA- Motherlode Chapter Kaiser Wilderness Foundation Verde Valley Cyclist Coalition BCHA-Colorado Pagosa Springs LaVeta Trails Volunteers for Outdoor Colorado BCHA-Oregon High Desert Trail Riders Los Padres Forest Association Wallowa Mountain Hells Canyon Alliance BCHA-Washington Los Padres Forest Watch West Slope Conservation Center Bend Park and Recreation, Bend OR Mammoth Lakes Recreation Wild Places – Bob Marshall Wilderness Foundation Mountain Bike Missoula Wild South Colorado Fourteeners Initiative National Smokejumper Association Wilderness Corps Colorado Mountain Club New Mexico Volunteers for the Out- Wilderness Institute Common Ground doors Wilderness Next Corp Condor Trail Association New Mexico Wilderness Alliance Wilderness Workshop Continental Divide Trail Coalition Northwoods Volunteer Connection Wyoming Wilderness Association Cottonwood Canyons Foundation Okefenokee Wildlife Yavapai Trails Del Norte Trails Oregon Natural Desert Association Discovery Southeast Pacific Crest Trail Association NWSA has also re- Friends of Boundary Waters Partners of Joyce Kilmer-Slickrock ceived donations from Friends of Central Cascades Wilderness Phoenix School Friends of Kings Peak Poudre Wilderness Volunteers 60-plus individuals. Friends of Mt Evans and Lost Creek Rocky Mountain Field Institute Friends of Nevada Wilderness Save Our Canyons We are grateful to all. www.wildernessalliance.org • facebook.com/WildernessAlliance