FoOTNotes - Vol. 2 / No 3 (April 2005)

FoOT Volunteers and Supporters,
We have had a very busy couple of months. We have logged over 1200 hours of work on the trail this year; we have had a successful "membership drive"; we had our first successful fund-raiser; and advanced our legal status by application for exemption under IRS code. I want to keep everyone up to date, as best my memory permits. First things first:

• Trail Status: A recent through-hike of the trail was completed in March of this year. The hikers did all 223 miles of trail in 22 days. Unlike the group who accomplished the same feat last fall, however, these two hikers noted only one really bad ("red") section of trail - on the Oklahoma side of Rich Mountain. Our official tracking (based on work reports and trail condition reports) shows 143 miles of open trail (Green), 76 miles of trail still needing some work (Yellow), and only 2.5 miles of trail difficult to traverse (Red). This is great progress.
  The Arkansas trails council Saturday discussed the legal status of the Ouachita Trail (Section 10) north of Lake Maumelle, where much of the trail lies on private property. There has been concern lately that a developer had purchased the land and that a major re-route of the trail was possible. With the facts on the table, however, that risk seems much lower. Most of the trail lies within property owned by Central Arkansas Water, and they have no plans to change the terms of the easement for the trail. The trail does touch the corners of a developer's property in four places, very briefly (a couple 100 yards each). The state is working with the developer to renew the easements in these areas. Because the encroachment is so small, and on the corners of the property, the state doesn't feel it will be a difficult problem. Worst case, the trail could require a few relocations of a couple hundred yards each, onto Central Arkansas Water property (closer to the lake). The one uncertainty remaining is the primitive campsite about half way around the lake, which is also on private property. If the current easement can not be renegotiated, an alternate site has been identified on land with a cooperative owner, about 1/4 mile from the trail.
• Recent Work Parties:
  • Mar 5 - 6: Oklahoma (Section 2) with Green Country Sierra Club of Tulsa and Green Country Outdoor Club of Tulsa. This was a great weekend with 22 people completing five miles of trail from Pashubbe Trail Head to Kiamichi River (miles 34.3 - 39.4). Everyone had a good time and JD Blackwell cooked up some mean steaks for the hearty appetites.
  • Mar 12: Sections 9 & 10 in the section of trail under the management of Pinnacle Mountain State Park. This was great day, with over fifty people working the entire thirty miles east of Ouachita National Forest. This was the first significant work done on this stretch in a long time. This project included a Training Day two weeks prior, which was the first time FoOT has trained volunteers that were not FoOT members. This was an important step in our growth as a credible organization. It was also the first major coordination we had had with Pinnacle Mountain State Park, and hopefully will be the start of a long and fruitful partnership with the park. We are certainly off to a good start. Ron Sallye, the Park Superintendent, said in a thank you letter:
    "Words simply cannot express my thoughts or feelings for what you have done with regards to preserving, enhancing, and presenting a high-level stewardship on the Ouachita Trail. Pinnacle Mountain State Park, the AR Department of Parks and Tourism, and the state of Arkansas are so very fortunate to have citizens like you. You have set an example that should be followed, on some level, by us all. You have manifested a great deal of respect for this great state of ours and its resources."
• Projects Completed:
  • Mile Markers: Thanks to Mike Sims of Little Rock, the east end of the trail (outside ONF) has a new set of mile markers. This thirty mile section was marked only by the markers that Tim Ernst put up 20 years ago when he wrote his first Guide to the Ouachita Trail. They were in pretty sad shape. Pinnacle Mountain State Park picked up the tab for materials, Mike did the leg work and Mike hung the new markers. They are 6-inch anodized aluminum 'diamonds' with the mile number etched into the metal and then highlighted with 1.5-inch numbers. Great job Mike!! Thanks to you and to PMSP.
  • Bake Sale: Susan Wortham, wife of FoOT Secretary/Treasurer Glenn Wortham, was chair of our first formal fund-raiser this year, a bake sale March 25 at the Hot Springs Wal-Mart. Thanks to some very tasty goodies cooked up by lots of FoOT members (and/or spouses) the sale netted $275. With lots of help from bakers and folks to set up and sell the goodies, Susan made this a great success. Thank You Susan! Thanks to everyone else who helped.
• Legal Progress: Our application to the IRS for exemption under IRS code 501c (3) was submitted last month. This is an important step in our organization development that will increase our ability to apply for grant money and make sure that our supporters get a tax deduction for their contributions. The process is expected to take several months. It is particularly important during this period that we establish and comply with procedures that will allow us to achieve and maintain this IRS status. The last thing most of us "trail people" like is paperwork and bureaucracy. If Friends of the Ouachita Trail is to be successful in the long run, however, we must achieve this IRS status - and that means we must exercise a certain degree of compliance and due diligence.
• USFS News:
  • Working with the Forest Service: As volunteers working on the trail, we are (in most cases) helping the USFS do their job. They have been most appreciative of our effort. A couple of incidents recently have reminded us that we need to work closely with the Forest Service and make sure we are doing what they want/need done. If we work at cross purposes, we are no longer helpful. Try to let your District Ranger office know when you are planning to work on the trail. Ask if there are any conditions you should be aware of. Most importantly, before doing any major tasks (like re-routing a trail section) that you have the concurrence of the USFS.
  • New Mile markers: The familiar metal discs marking the mileposts on the Ouachita trail are difficult to see and, in many cases, missing. The USFS is working on a program to augment the existing markers with a cheaper, easier to see alternative, which will hopefully have less 'souvenir value'. The new markers will be made of a carsonite strip, with stick on numbers, mounted on trees. Anyone who would like to get a glimpse of them, they are currently installed east of Foran Gap (hwy 71 trailhead) for about five miles (approx mile 64 - 68). They are definitely easy to see.
  • Revised Forest Plan: The draft of the new forest management plan has been released and the period for public comment is open through May 20. The Proposed Revised Forest Plan for the Ouachita National Forest and Draft Environmental Impact Statement are available for public review and comment. The comment period will close May 20, 2005. The documents are available on-line at http://www.fs.fed.us/r8/ouachita.
    One of the specific issues addressed by FoOT was Corridor Protection. The Forest office agrees that protection of the trail corridor is not being managed consistently across the ONF. At a meeting between the USFS and FoOT representatives, it was agreed that both the policy and enforcement needed to be addressed. One of the comments to the draft management plan will be to clearly state the policy for corridor protection. Consistent enforcement, particularly as it relates to controlled burns, will be the next challenge.
• FoOT Membership: A recent membership drive was a great success. This drive was done partially to comply with IRS regulations, which state that membership can only be bestowed on those who request it. At this time, anyone who has adopted a section of trail and signed a Volunteer Work Agreement is considered a "Working Member" of Friends of the Ouachita Trail. Members of the FoOT Patrol who have signed a Volunteer Work Agreement are also in this category. Approximately 75 people are members in this category. (Note: Those of you who have never returned your Volunteer Work Agreement should take note that this is the document we will use to meet the IRS requirement that you must request membership. You will still get to work, but you would not be listed on our formal membership list or be allowed a vote in FoOT matters.)
  "Supporting Members" and "Sustaining Members" have been identified as a result of the membership drive. Twenty-two "Supporting Members" have made a financial contribution to FoOT. Twenty-six "Sustaining Members" meet the criteria for working members and also made a financial contribution.
  Individuals who belong to one of the thirteen clubs/organizations who have adopted trail sections are certainly appreciated but are not automatically considered individual members in FoOT. If you have worked at least ten hours a year, you are however, eligible for membership and need only request it. Each of the thirteen groups in this category was recently requested to send the membership information to their members. Simply complete the form and mail it to FoOT (PO Box 8630, Hot Springs, AR 71910). If you have not received the information, you may send your request to friends_ot2003@yahoo.com . A membership form will be sent to you that you can print and return via mail.
• Funds: The recent membership drive has netted just over $1000. Together with the $275 from our march Bake Sale, these two sources will supply over half of our administrative expenses for the year. Thanks to everyone.
  In addition to the above, we have over $400 in the "Nancy Mountain Shelter Fund", from donations specifically designated to help rebuild the shelter. Thanks to you folks as well.
• Pending Projects:
  • Nancy Mountain Shelter. We have made a significant start on our intent to replace the Nancy Mountain Shelter, destroyed earlier this year by arson.
    We now have over $400 in the "Nancy Mountain Shelter Fund" already in the bank. More importantly, we are working on two significant donations. One donation would provide the logs for the shelter sides; the other could provide the remainder of funds needed for construction materials.
    Cash, materials, and volunteer time for construction are still needed. The shelter construction, if all goes well, could be scheduled as early as this fall. We are still looking for a volunteer to take charge as a "Project Manager". Ideally, this will be some one with easy access to the Jessieville district office, as they will work closely with that office. We will also need someone with some construction background as an on-site construction "boss". Any one wishing to help, please contact us at friends_OT2003@yahoo.com.
    I stated in the last issue of FoOTnotes the importance of this project to FoOT credibility. If FoOT can successfully replace this shelter, it will not only help the trail and trail users, it will also significantly enhance our credibility as an organization.
  • Americorp Team. Kris McMillen, our VP of Maintenance, is continuing to develop the work plan for the Americorp team expected in January 2006. Right now Kris needs two things - specific recommendations for projects the team can do while here and volunteers to be work supervisors. The team will be here for six weeks beginning in early January. FoOT will have them about half of that time, sharing this team with Lake Ouachita State Park, near Hot Springs. We will need people to take them out and supervise all-day projects during this six week period. For additional information, or if you think you can help, contact Kris at bamkm@sbcglobal.net .
• Volunteer Resources:
  • FoOT Maintenance Guide. Our new Maintenance Guide was distributed in late February. Anyone who still needs a copy need only ask.
  • Tools. FoOT has accumulated quite a collection of both hand and power tools over the past year, as a result of generous donations. Our latest acquisition is a new chain saw. Volunteers must be certified by the USFS to use a chain saw in FoOT, but we have several certified individuals who do not own saws. Here is your chance.
    FoOT owns several weed-eaters in various sizes and types. The weed-eaters in particular are not yet being used at anywhere near capacity. If you are working on the trail and need a weed-eater, contact Billy McMillen (Hot Springs, 501 922-4994). Billy is custodian of our FoOT tool locker. Weed-eaters have also been distributed to Ed Hawkins (Waldron, AR 479 637-4377), Martha Doty (Royal, AR 501 911-3841), and JD Blackwell (Tulsa, OK, 918 289-3776).
    You can also request tools from your District Ranger office, although they can not guarantee availability.
  • Web site: www.friendsOT.org Our web site was taken off line for a couple of weeks for re-design and upgrade. We hope to have it back up very soon. The web page is designed to be a useful resource for current FoOT members/volunteers, to be a FoOT recruiting tool, and to be a resource for trail users.
• FoOT Publicity / Public Awareness: In February, FoOT joined the American Hiking Society Alliance of outdoor clubs. This will provide us visibility on their national web site, including a link to our own web site. This should increase our visibility.
  I am continually surprised at the amount of public recognition that we have already attained and the interest for publicity that has sought us out. The May edition of Backpacker magazine requested an article from us. Look for a short article about hiking Flatside Wilderness on the Ouachita Trail, including a plug for FoOT.
  This past week, I was asked for information for a feature story in the Springfield, Missouri Leader newspaper. Again, they contacted us.
  Saturday, at the Arkansas Trails Council, one of the equestrian representatives wanted me to know what a good job FoOT was in setting an example for good trail use and stewardship and for working with the trail managers. She said her input came from comments she had been receiving from other people and groups.
  We must be doing something right. People are hearing about Friends of the Ouachita Trail. They want to know about us, and they want to tell other people about us. Keep it up.