Trail Sponsors agree to be responsible for the maintenance of a section of the FLT system.  Trail sponsors may be individuals who have responsibility for a particular 5-10 mile stretch of trail, or hiking clubs, trails clubs, scout troops, or other organizations that have responsibility for longer segments.  Sponsoring organizations may maintain their segment by assigning individual trail section maintainers or they may organize frequent work parties to handle trail maintenance.

Trail Sponsors also agree to keep a log of maintenance activities by trail segment, and to report total hours of trail work, driving time, and administrative work, by trail segment, to the Regional Trail Coordinator at the end of each calendar year. This information is a critical part of FLTC reporting to state and federal agencies.

Individual Trail Sponsors

As an individual Trail Sponsor, you will work with your Regional Trail Coordinator (RTC) to take responsibility for trail maintenance in your trail section. You can perform the maintenance yourself or you can recruit others to help with the entire section or part of your trail section.

Maintenance responsibilities are the same as for an individual maintainer:

  • Visit the trail three times per year.
  • Perform routine maintenance: clear vegetation and fallen branches, refresh blazes and signs as needed.
  • Check up on trail infrastructure such as register boxes, benches, bridges, lean-tos, etc.
  • Contact your RTC for anything you can’t handle yourself, such help from a certified chainsaw operator.

You will be responsible for reporting the work and travel hours for yourself and others helping you and for submitting required forms to the FLTC office. You will also be invited to attend occasional training meetings in your region.

Organizational Sponsor

As an sponsoring organization,  your club, troop, or other organization agrees to assume full responsibility for maintenance of its trail section. Your Trails Chairperson or equivalent will perform the following duties:

  • Recruit others (normally members of your organization) to perform the functions of a trail maintainer listed above, either on an assigned part of your section, or as a “floating” maintainer  working across your sponsored section. Many organization members will adopt their own section as well as helping out on work crews.
  • Keep records of all organized work events including persons involved and the work and driving time hours for each.
  • Obtain reports of hours from maintainers working independently on assigned sections.
  • Ensure that any forms required from maintainers are collected and sent to the TLTC Office.
  • Report volunteer hours, trail conditions, project accomplishments to your RTC.

The organization is also expected to assist the FLTC with stewardship of the trail and with landowner relations. Training of organization members may be arranged with the FLTC.

Become a sponsor

Trail sponsorships are available in sections of the trail that are not already sponsored by a local hiking or trails club, or another organization or individual. Email [email protected] for more information.