Maintainer Resources

Maintainer Report Form

Report Issues/Problems

Trail Registry Sheets (pdf)

Trail Maintainers' Guide (pdf)

Chapter Regional Coordinators

• Lowell Area
• - Chuck Hayden
  
• Rogue River SGA
• - Paul Haan
  
• Manistee National Forest
• - Larry Meyer
  

Trail Adopters

Currently, there are approximately 72 miles of completed trail that volunteers of the Western Michigan Chapter maintain on a regular basis. These miles have been divided into 20 segments, each being assigned to a "Trail Adopter."

Trail Adopters are responsible for visiting their sections for general maintenance 3-times per year - Spring, Summer, and Fall. General maintenance includes moving downed trees off of the trail, refreshing faded blazes, removing trash found along the trail, and clipping back growth in order to create a corridor that's safe from obstructions for our visitors. Only hand-tools can be used for clean-up activity.

Please refer to the Trail Maintainers' Guide for a better understanding of the duties and responsibilities of our volunteer Trail Adopters.

Reporting on Basic, Post-Maintenance Status

After completing their seasonal maintenance sessions, Adopters should complete a "Maintainer Report Form" and return it to the Chapter Regional Coordinator overseeing their section of trail. Maintenance reports simply describe the status of the trail and the work that was done, in addition to calling out any need for assistance in tackling jobs that are too big for the adopter to handle, such as removal of excessively large blow-downs that require the use of a chain saw.

Maintenance visits are to be performed each year by the following dates:

• Spring - April 15th
• Summer - July 1st
• Fall - November 15th

Reporting Major Issues

Adoptors who come across major issues that need the attention of a trail crew and/or the local land management agency should submit a "Trail Conditions Report Form." Examples of serious issues are those that involve hiker safety, flooding, erosion, illegal use or dumping, damaged trail structures, etc.

Trail Registers

Trail Registers can be found within a number of our sections. Trail Registers contain a registry form and a pen/pencil. Maintainers should make sure there are an adequate number of blank sheet in the register and that the pen/pencil is in working order. Completed registry forms should be collected and returned to Paul Haan.

Visitors are encouraged to fill out the form, which has room for the date, trip leaders name, number in party, home city, destination, and comments.

The Chapter uses this data to gauge trail use - how many people use the trail, during what seasons, etc.

---

See the Events page for the schedule of 2024 Work Days, open to anyone who is interested in helping us to build and maintain the Trail.