Pacific Northwest Trail Association

Trail work is done by both volunteer and paid trail crews led by our regional permanent staff members. PNTA is proud of breaking down traditional barriers to inclusion in the outdoors by providing youth and young adults from Washington's trailside communities with a living wage and training in our summer season trail crews. In addition to training, these paid young workers receive food, transportation and access to the Association's gear library to ensure that all participants are adequately equipped to thrive in the backcountry. 

These trail crews often consist of youth from local alternative schools, such as Job Corps, specializing in reaching struggling students. Experienced PNTA crew leaders provide these young adults with unique work experience, learning and applying construction trade skills and using equipment and techniques appropriate to remote backcountry settings. These crews construct bridges, puncheon walkways, trailhead kiosks, campground facilities, trails, and other outdoor recreation infrastructure and experience personal growth, teamwork, stewardship, and Leave-No-Trace Ethics, while working and living in a rugged, backcountry setting. Through our programs, youth gain science, conservation, and leadership skills, which will diversify agencies, industries, and organizations when they enter the workforce. 

As we approach the end of the year and the giving season, your financial contribution is more crucial than ever. In 2025, the U.S Forest Service will not hire seasonal trail maintenance crews due to a budget shortfall of nearly a billion dollars. This decision has significant implications for the PNT. With fewer - if any - Forest Service crews available for trail maintenance next year, our trail crews will have more work to do and less support from the Forest Service to do it. 

This underscores the importance of your support in helping us maintain the trail's integrity and safety. Your individual gifts are the lifeblood of our organization, enabling us to meet the needs of the trail regardless of federal budget constraints or political will. Your contribution directly serves the trail by providing funds for staffing and program administration, project agility, and supplies.