By Justin Andress The Mountain Times
“We are right now seeing a delay never seen before in our existing funded projects.”
These are the words of Steve Kruger, the Executive Director of Trailkeepers of Oregon (TKO), a nonprofit that works to maintain the region’s trails and foster a sense of ownership of the natural abundance for which our area is known. At the moment, however, achieving those goals is proving somewhat tricky.
In March, we had the opportunity to speak with Matt Ruddy, the Equity and Engagement Manager at TKO. Ruddy was excited about a recent grant the nonprofit received that would allow them to take a more significant role in maintaining the state’s trails and expand a program that provided on-trail instruction for visitors.
As of the end of April, however, funding for that grant still has not arrived. According to Kruger, that isn’t the only shortfall the nonprofit is experiencing. Nearly half a million dollars in funding is “stalled, delayed, or in question.”
What’s worse, TKO waited several months to be paid for work it had already carried out. Nearly $50,000 due for work completed was withheld from TKO until the end of March. In the past, when they’ve received approval for a project, the time between hearing a “yes” and receiving funds was between two and four business days. That is no longer the case. Kruger explains, “I was told, ‘Oh, it could take up to four weeks.’ And then I was told five weeks. And then six weeks.”
To hear Kruger tell it requests for information have gone unanswered once they pass the local or regional level. “Our local Forest Service folks are amazing,” says Kruger. “They’ve done everything in their power to move things forward. It’s that they are literally not receiving any notice. It’s been reviewed, it’s been acknowledged as ready to go, but then it hits a wall.”
In a year when Kruger estimates that most (if not all) trail maintenance will fall on the shoulders of organizations like TKO, a lack of response is troubling for more than financial reasons.
The federal government has seen several rounds of layoffs that, according to Kruger, have left the local forest services underprepared to keep the area’s trails looking their best. “The Scenic Gorge has gone from three to six staff on trails to one staff person. The east zone of Mount Hood — which includes Hood River and Barlow — they had a small crew of two to four people: they are down to zero.”
For Kruger and TKO that means “Fewer humans for the agency to partner with, to coordinate with, and to care for the visitors to Mt. Hood and its trails. The bulk of the work has always gone hand-in-hand with volunteers, partners, and contractors. But we rely on those staff to advise us on trail and project priorities.”
The people who are left are — by necessity — more focused on administrative work than the physical work required to keep our forests and trails safe for hikers and mountain bikers. In short, recent layoffs have created a shortage of able hands and a vacuum of practical knowledge.
TKO isn’t the only organization feeling the sting. In March, TKO joined the Outdoor Alliance in signing a petition aimed at reversing staffing reductions at the nation’s land management agencies. The two organizations were joined by a variety of other nonprofits and some of the nation’s largest brands, like Patagonia and REI.
Kruger’s message is clear: “The Forest Service layoffs are detrimental to maintaining our trail systems. Full stop.”
While some funding has begun to leak into the organization, the original grant The Mountain Times covered still hasn’t come through, and Kruger and TKO are scrambling to ensure they can continue to play their critical role in keeping our corner of Oregon beautiful.
Want to pitch in? Visit trailkeepersoforegon.org to find out how you can donate your time and money.