Appalachian Trail Conservancy

Effective Stewardship - Ensure A.T. and associated facilities are in topnotch shape for a high-quality recreation experience and natural and physical resource protection.

Proactive Protection - Advocate for broader protection of the natural and cultural resources within the A.T. corridor and adjacent landscapes.

Broader Relevancy - Engage and connect to a younger more inclusive audience and broaden the understanding of the physical and mental benefits provided by the Trail, cultivating the next generation of people who value and steward the Trail.

Engaged Partners - Engage and maintain a network of partners that reinforces ATC’s goals for the A.T. and its programs.

Effective Stewardship:
•Annually assess the A.T. treadway, open areas, boundary line conditions, and improve related data management systems
•Work collaboratively with Clubs, the National Park Service’s Appalachian Trail Park Office (APPA), the U.S. Forest Service and state agency partners to develop annual plans for Trail maintenance and land management priorities to effectively direct volunteer engagement and resource allocation
•Assess all ATC-owned parcels annually and address all easement violations
•Transfer or sell parcels to conservation partners, only retaining ownership of parcels that can be leveraged for greater conservation and education purposes and develop plans for these parcels
•Enlist and train volunteers to assist with annual monitoring of each ATC-owned parcel and train volunteers to support and maintain landowner relationships

Proactive Protection:
•Identify and prioritize by region adjacent landscapes along the Trail where ATC will focus on landscape conservation and create media and public education campaigns to support landscape-level protection strategies
•Seek additional funding for landscape conservation strategies from the Land and Water Conservation Fund and other sources
•Forge new partnerships with land conservation organizations and government agencies that share our vision for protected A.T. landscapes
•Coordinate efforts with APPA, the U.S. Forest Service, the National Trust for Historic Preservation, and state historic preservation offices
•Use environmental research and monitoring programs
•Identify specific priority Trail protection campaigns in each of its four regions
•Collaborates with key partners to leverage available corridor science data

Broader Relevancy:
•Collect research and engage educators and other partners.
•Assess existing programs and priorities to determine how they best fit with ATC diversity plans.
•Create partnerships with other organizations that have expertise in the field of physical and mental health.
•Collaborate with Trail communities and schools on opportunities for enhancing physical and mental well-being through hiking and volunteering along the A.T.
•Develop a plan to promote the physical and mental well-being benefits of A.T. hiking and promote the physical beauty of the Trail to non-hikers

Engaged Partners:
•Invest in volunteer-leadership development, strong and credible volunteer training, and volunteer recognition for Trail management
•Renew or implement management agreements with all primary federal, state, municipal, and private partners
•Further enhance ATC relationships with state and local agencies that have a significant role in A.T. management and protection
•Work closely with the established Appalachian Trail Communities to enhance the effectiveness of programs
•Broaden the base of the program by adding new communities.
•Work with ATC partner schools to engage teachers and students in Trail activities
•Stimulate the involvement of the Clubs and other partners

We work collaboratively with trail clubs, the National Park Service’s Appalachian Trail Park Office (APPA), the U.S. Forest Service, and state agency partners to develop annual plans for Trail maintenance and land management priorities and to effectively direct volunteer engagement and resource allocation.

Current strategic benchmarks:

Effective Stewardship:
•Increased annual funding for Trail improvement projects
•All priority Trail improvement projects are completed
•Priority visitor use management plans developed and implementation initiated
•Hire, train, and place at least 30 ridgerunners for priority high-use sites
•Increased (>85%) thru-hiker use of the A.T.Camp voluntary registration system
•Design and construction of the Damascus Trail Center is completed

Proactive Protection:
•Hire a contract employee to coordinate A.T. landscape related communications and improve communications products – website, email, social media, and coordination with communication partners
•ATC and landscape partners protect at least 2000 acres and expand capacity for conservation across all landscape focus areas
•Manage at least 250 acres of early-successional habitat for target species
•Develop agenda for 2019 Science and Stewardship Symposium
•Expand A.T. House caucus to at least 30 members
•Complete current condition reports and any necessary baseline documentation reports for at least 10 easements.
•Sell the Kellogg Conservation Center to a conservation partner.

Broader Relevancy:
•Host 3 youth summits – 2 in Maine, 1 in Massachusetts and scale the program for continued and expanded engagement
•Develop plan and funding to expand the Conservation Leadership Corps with Groundwork USA
•Create a campaign with Positive Tracks for youth to lead and share physical and mental benefits of the Trail
•Create and share MyATStory to highlight mental benefits of the Trail through a veteran story
•Connect with at least 5 volunteer affinity group leaders to foster connections to the Trail and ATC

Engaged Partners:
•At least 7 of 31 A.T. maintaining club’s.VSAs and MOUs are executed
•6,533 A.T. volunteers in 2018, a 10% increase in over 2017 volunteer participation
•Host 8 regional partnership committee meetings and 2 Stewardship Council meetings
•Host a Volunteer Leadership Meeting for at least 60 volunteers with representation from each of the 31 clubs
•At least 30 of 45 Communities will participate in Summits, and 9 of those attending summits will partner with A.T. clubs to host, promote, recruit, and participate in volunteer opportunities that highlight the 50th Anniversary of the ANST in 2018