CONTINENTAL DIVIDE TRAIL COALITION

Stewardship - in 2024 CDTC continued work to cooperatively steward the CDT providing 17,305 volunteer hours dedicated to trail stewardship activities. This included supporting 12 volunteer projects, 3 adopter trainings and 338 volunteer Trail Adopters who conducted regular maintenance along the CDT. Success included adding an additional 15 gates to support trail infrastructure across southern New Mexico. It also include continued efforts to participate in over 20 public processes to participate in agency project planning efforts affecting the CDT support of the Partnership for the National Trails System and showcasing the CDT shared stewardship model across the BLM, NPS and USFS. CDTC continued work to build relationships with Tribal Nations through development of trailhead kiosks across the Carson National Forest and work with 5 Tribal fellows across the entire CDT. CDTC continued signage efforts and trail clearing and installed 34 drains, 102 signs and markers placed, 33,301 feet of trail maintained, 3800 pounds of rock removed, 1425 trees cleared, 2 double stringer bridges installed and scouted 71,000 feet of CDT for trail condition needs. Work also included close collaboration with the USFS CDT Program team on a 2025 GAOA project submission for Regions 2,3,and 4 of the USFS.

Public Information Outreach and Communication - CDTC hosted CDT Trail Days in Silver City, NM and welcomed over 3500 people to participate in the free and family friendly events. In addition, CDTC supported over 20 public events across the CDT that reached over 4500 people and helped raise awareness about the CDT and cooperative stewardship efforts. This included hosting 8 hikes in the Gila National Forest to help celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Gila Wilderness designation. In addition, CDTC worked with rural communities across New Mexico to invite first time stewards to the CDTC shared stewardship work through on the ground community stewardship events. CDTC continued to update its website to provide high quality, free online resources for trail information, including releasing a new hiker registration program, and continued work with partners all across the CDT to create broad support for the CDT and CDTC work.