Great Western Trail eNews 
 
GWT Dedication
 
Williams, AZ. The Arizona Council of the GWTA and its state and federal partners dedicated a new section of the Great Western Trail in Arizona. In a  ceremony held in  Williams on September 14th, 2002, this  addition that crosses  the Kaibab National Forest and the BLM Arizona Strip was officially added to the GWT inventory. The new section, which stretches from Sycamore Canyon area to the Utah border, (excluding the Navajo Nation and some privately held interests), adds nearly 100 miles to the already completed 550 miles through Arizona.
        The well-attended ceremony was held in the Williams Middle School auditorium and conducted by Sanford Cohen, a member of the Arizona Council of the GWTA. The key to the City of Williams was awarded to the Arizona State Director of the GWTA, Don Blackburn, by the Mayor. (see photo)
        Four GWTA members were awarded the prestigious Pioneer Award in recognition of their years of tireless service and dedication to the establishment of the GWT: Steve Barth, Don Blackburn, Jerry Huddlestun, and Jess Chinn. Jess and Jerry have donated at least one full week of their annual leave for the past 10 years to running and exploring potential GWT routes. Steve Barth is the GWT Trail Steward for the Northern part of the state, and Don Blackburn has served as the State Director for the GWTA for the past three years. This is the second dedication of new trail in Arizona since Don has been Director.
        Don announced at the ceremony that due to the tireless efforts of Trail Steward Steve Barth, a preliminary agreement has been reached with the leaders of the Navajo Nation that could open a section of the Great Western Trail through their lands as early as next year. Attending the dedication was Tony Robbins from the Cameron Chapter of the Navajo Nation.
 
 
 
Put Your Back Into It
 
Caribou National Forest, ID.  Members of the Idaho Council of the GWTA and Forest Service staff from the Montpelier Ranger District spent Saturday, Sept 14th,  enlarging a section of trail in the Caribou National Forest near Beaver Creek. Under USFS staff direction, Allen Mendenhall of Preston ID, led one crew south from Gibson Basin and John Borg of Logan, UT led a crew that worked north from Beaver Creek Campground. Because of the delicate ecosystem the Forest Service could not use their trail cat, so the crews widened by hand about 350 feet of trail removing boulders and dirt from the uphill to the downhill side. Idaho State Director of the GWTA, Lee Foster put his back into the project (see photo) which opened up a continuous route for pedestrian, equestrian, mountain bike, motorcycle, and ATV use through most of the Bear River Range from the Utah border to Soda Springs, Idaho.
        Montpelier District Ranger Dennis Deuhran expressed his appreciation to Lee. "With budget and personnel cuts hampering work being done in the National Forest, this type of service is welcomed by the government agencies." 
        The Forest Service, Bear Lake, Franklin, and Caribou Counties, and the GWTA are partnering in an effort to produce maps showing ATV accessible areas in the Caribou Forest and adjacent counties. Maps should be ready for public use in the Spring of 2003.
 

 

 

 

American Frontiers - A Public Lands Journey

 
Richfield, UT. Initiated by PLIA, the Public Lands Interpretive Association, the central mission of American Frontiers trek across America is to help educate Americans about the national treasure of public lands - their uses, value, and to learn more about the people and agencies that take care of our national inheritance. Two teams of "trekkers" traversing from the Canadian and Mexican borders through six western states by foot, horse, bike, canoe, and ATV have stayed entirely on public lands. (see  www.americanfrontiers.net  )
        Contacted in 2000 after the GWT snowmobile ride from Glacier Park to the Grand Canyon, the GWTA has assisted in providing information about our 2005 mile ride route and the location of the GWT corridor. Much of the American Frontiers trek was on existing or proposed GWT routes.
        Mike Browning, Executive Director of the GWTA, joined Max Reid from the Fishlake National Forest office and caught up with the trekkers at Elkhorn campground on the Fishlake Forest and Great Western Trail on Sept 17th. After joining with the trekkers for dinner, a campfire meeting with the Mountain Man ATV ride, and sharing a good nights sleep, Max and Mike escorted the trekkers 54 miles along the GWT on ATVs provided by American Honda. That day's journey through the mud, sleet, rain, and snow concluded at Gooseberry near the I-70 corridor. Paul Slavic of American Honda said "it was the most beautiful trail he had ever been on."
        The two teams of trekkers came together at Pine Valley Campground on the Wasatch Cache Forest east of Salt Lake City for an official joining ceremony on Sept. 27th. The next day, their joining was reenacted in Salt Lake City as part of National Public Lands Day. The event was attended by Secretary Norton, Department of the Interior, Congressmen Hansen and Cannon from Utah, and Governor Leavitt.  Congressman Hansen acknowledged the integral part the GWT plays in the West's public lands.
 
Other news...
 
Kanab, UT.  After many years of dedicated work by the staff of the newly established Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument, final approval was given this summer to the GWT route through the Monument. More info to come...
 
Washington, DC.  The Great Western National Trail feasibility study has been approved by the Chief of the Forest Service and submitted to Department of Agriculture Secretary Ann Veneman where it will remain until called for by Congress. (Mrs. Veneman has been recently diagnosed with cancer and we express our hopes and prayers for an effective and speedy recovery. See http://www.usda.gov/news/releases/2002/09/cancer.pdf )
        The desired National Trail designation for the GWT is that of Discovery Trail which differs from the current categories of scenic and historic because it would allow the inclusion of the GWT's motorized routes, as well as the non-motorized routes into the system. The creation of the Discovery Trail category is part of the American Discovery Trail amendment to the National Trail System Act . Senate bill #498 was introduced in the 107th session for the third time and passed August 8, 2001.  The House bill HR #36 is under consideration. The GWTA has worked closely with the American Discovery Trail Society for many years to promote this amendment to key legislators. For more information see the ADTS web site at www.discoverytrail.org
 
Idaho Falls, ID. On Aug 26, GWTA's Idaho State Director Lee Foster and Ex. Dir. Mike Browning met with Jerry Reese, the Caribou-Targhee Forest Supervisor to discuss obstacles to marking the GWT routes in Idaho. These routes have been identified since the 80's but remain unmarked and mapped as GWT routes. Mr. Reese indicated his hesitance to proceed prior to official designation by congress. It was suggested that the GWT should exist despite National Trail designation. Mr.. Reese agreed to further study and discussion with the forest's District Rangers.
 
Sandy, UT.  The annual Utah Outdoor and RV Show was held at the Southtowne Expo Center the 26th through the 29th of September. Robert Uzelac, the Utah State Director of the GWTA was able to secure donated space to have a GWT display and information booth.
 
Phoenix, AZ.  As part of the celebration of National Public Lands Day, members of the GWTA in Arizona provided a public information booth and display in downtown Phoenix. Gary Keller, a member of the Arizona Council of the GWTA and a GWT Pioneer, provided information as a public service along with  organizations such as Arizona Game and Fish, the Arizona Association of  4WD Clubs, and others.