POUDRE WILDERNESS VOLUNTEERS

The Results PWV has grown from 105 founding members in 1996 to 300 members in 2025. Poudre Wilderness Volunteers patrol approximately 290 miles along 70 trails in 650,000 acres of Wilderness, general National Forest, and National Grassland lands. PWV's efforts include establishing a: * Trail Crew to address insufficient USFS funds and personnel to clear fallen trees and other damage to trails. * Weed Crew helps the USFS locate, control, and eradicate noxious weeds. * Kids in Nature Program to support the USFS Kids in the Woods program. * Restoration Program when wildfires and floods ravaged the Canyon Lakes Ranger District. * Trails for ALL Program to foster safe, fun, and educational connections to the outdoors for people of all abilities. * Environmental stewardship and public outreach via the activities of other PWV programs, such as Adopt-a-Trail. Poudre Wildnerss Volunteers (PWV) has grown from 105 founding members in 1996 to 300 members in 2025. PWV patrols approximately 315 miles along 65 trails in 650,000 acres of Wilderness, General National Forest, and National Grassland lands. PWV's efforts include establishing an extensively trained Trail Crew to address insufficient USFS funding and personnel to clear fallen trees and other trail damage, and to construct new trails. * Weed Crew helps the USFS locate, control, and eradicate noxious weeds. * Kids in Nature Program to support the USFS Kids in the Woods program. * Restoration Program: When wildfires, floods, and wind storms ravage the Canyon Lakes Ranger District's trails and campgrounds, assist the USFS in restoring trails and campgrounds. * Trails for ALL Program to foster safe, fun, and educational connections to the outdoors for people of all abilities. * Leave No Trace Program to provide and facilitate training for PWV members in the teaching of LNT principles and outdoor ethics, so that they may, in turn, teach those concepts to members of the public. The committee's secondary mission is to teach LNT principles and outdoor ethics directly to the public. * Environmental stewardship and public outreach via the activities of other PWV programs, such as Adopt-a-Trail. PWV in 2025 continued to pursue its mission of assisting the United States Forest Service's Canyon Lakes Ranger District programs in managing and protecting the wilderness and backcountry areas. In support of our core effort to patrol trails and engage the public, we contacted more than 9,729 trail users while completing over 1,000 patrols. These contacts allow us to support backcountry users with advice, information, and education on Leave No Trace practices and USFS regulations, and to pursue restoration efforts focused on building bridges, constructing rock walls and steps, and controlling erosion on the trails. We continued our efforts to maintain trails at a high level last year, removing over 2,997 trees and clearing brush and limbs from over 62,100 feet of trail. Furthermore, in 2025, restoration efforts focused on building bridges, constructing rock walls and steps, erosion control on the trails, and installing grade dips and drains. PWV worked 21 days to improve drainage on our trails. We also worked for 21 days with the Rocky Mountain Conservancy's Youth Conservation Corps, building 2 bridges, 4 stepping-stone crossings, and 1,100 feet of rerouted trail. This amounted to 2,643 hours of trail work to restore the trails. In 2025, PWV contacted more than 9,729 backcountry users while completing over 1,084 patrols. Total volunteer hours - 23,180, Total number of patrols/reports - 1,000, Meaningful contacts with trail users - 9,729, Fallen trees removed from trails - 2,997, Feet of trail cleared of brush/limbs - 62,194, Pounds of trash removed - 339, Illegal fire rings removed - 87, Violations addressed or reported - 545, Patrols identifying or pulling weeds - 329, Constructed and repaired - 2 bridges and repaired 7 bridges, 38 check dam/steps,145 feet of rock wall, 51 steps, 15 drains and repaired 40 drains, 15 grade dips, 11 rock cairns, 2 stepping stone crossing, 6,516 feet of trail treads and repaired 70 feet of tread, decommissioned 763 of trail tread, constructed 703 feet of wall, repaired 123 water bars, installed 2 wood signs, repaired 21 wood signs, repaired 1 plastic sign, repaired 3 composite signs, installed 2 laminate signs, and repaired 1 laminate sign. PWV has gained regional and national recognition for its contributions, including the Larimer County Environmental Stewardship Award, the Take Pride in America Award for Non-profit Organizations, and the USFS Volunteer Group Award. PWV has no political agendas. Our single purpose is to protect the US Forest Service's Canyon Lakes Ranger District's Wilderness and backcountry areas through on-trail maintenance, construction, and public education. PWV has a rigorous and comprehensive training program for its recruits and recertifying veteran members. No other organization providing volunteer rangers for the U.S. Forest Service has as many members, provides as many hours on the trail, or does so much without any paid staff. _ A Successful and Different Organization PWV has gained regional and national recognition for its contributions, including the Larimer County Environmental Stewardship Award, the Take Pride in America Award for Non-profit Organizations, and the USFS Volunteer Group Award. PWV has no political or hidden agendas. Our single purpose is to protect the region's Wilderness and backcountry areas through on-trail service and public education. We are not an environmental advocacy group. PWV has a rigorous and comprehensive training program for its recruits and veteran members. No other organization providing volunteer rangers for the U.S. Forest Service has as many members, provides as many hours on the trail, or does so much without any paid staff.