Bigwood Backcountry Trails, a Wood River Valley nonprofit trails advocacy organization, has received the Sawtooth National Forest Award for Excellence in Conservation.
The award was presented by forest Supervisor Jane Kollmeyer at a ceremony June 1 at Roper Auditorium in Twin Falls. Bigwood Backcountry Trails volunteers Chris and Laurie Leman accepted the award on behalf of the organization.
The annual award recognizes a conservation project conducted wholly or partially on the Sawtooth National Forest. The group was nominated by Ketchum District Ranger Kurt Nelson.
"With support form Bigwood Backcountry Trails, Sawtooth National Forest trails within the Big Wood River area are being maintained at a world-class level," Nelson stated in his nomination letter.
In an interview, Leman said Bigwood Backcountry Trails has raised about $100,000 for trail maintenance since it was organized in 1996. He said about 100 people volunteer with the organization each summer. According to a news release from the Forest Service, those volunteers have donated over 5,000 hours of time during the past six years.
"Bigwood Backcountry Trails' efforts have evolved from individuals assisting on the Adopt-a-Trail program to becoming an active partner in all aspects of trail management and maintenance on BLM, Forest Service and private lands within the Wood River Valley," the press release states. "They have established a Web site with daily trail updates and work closely with people to encourage wise use and sharing of the trails with all users."
The award was in the form of a hand-carved wooden plaque with a quote from conservationist Aldo Leopold that states, "When we see land as a community to which we belong we may begin to use it with love and respect."
Anyone interested in participating with Bigwood Backcountry Trails can call Leman at 726-2948, or visit www.bwbt.org.
Chris Leman
