Where Will We Be in 2010?

Picture yourself on the Pacific Crest Trail in three years. Where would you be? In the North Cascades? The desert? No matter where your trail days take you, the Pacific Crest Trail Association's Strategic Plan, approved by the Board of Directors in July 2006, will help ensure that the PCT you travel will be better protected and preserved down the road than it is today. Use the link below to download and read the plan: 

Pacific Crest Trail 2007-2009 Strategic Plan

The mission of the Pacific Crest Trail Association is to protect, preserve and promote the Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail as an internationally significant resource for the enjoyment of hikers and equestrians, and for the value that wild and scenic lands provide to all people.

The Association strives to achieve this mission by:

• Promoting the Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail as a unique educational and recreation treasure and as one of the finest trails anywhere in the world;
• Providing a broad range of services to its membership, including serving as a communications link among users and land management agencies, and publishing trail information;
• Assisting the U.S. Forest Service and other agencies in the maintenance and restoration of the Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail.

The current Pacific Crest Trail Association was formed in 1977, and is the natural outgrowth and merger of many smaller organizations dating back to the 1930's, all of which advocated and worked diligently on creating one continuous scenic trail along the crest of the major mountain ranges of the Pacific rim from Mexico to Canada. An outgrowth of that effort was the National Scenic Trails Act, which assigned primary responsibility for the trail, its construction and maintenance to the Department of Agriculture and the Forest Service. See HISTORY for more information on the early years.

Memorandum of Understanding

Between the PCTA and the U.S. Forest Service,
National Park Service and the Bureau of Land Management

The purpose of this agreement is to facilitate the management of the trail, coordinate the development and distribution of educational materials, encourage volunteer involvement, and to recognize the Association as the government's major partner in the operation of the trail. Because this agreement is so vitally important to the current operation and future plans of the Association, a summary of its key points is provided below.

The Association agrees to:

• Coordinate with the government in developing, publishing and distributing informational, educational and interpretive materials and will publish a bi-monthly newsletter;
• Coordinate with the government in the implementation of government trail handbook standards on all PCNST projects conducted by the Association and its volunteers;
• Take a leadership role in developing a volunteer recruitment and donation program for the purpose of providing assistance to the government in the management and operation of the PCNST;
• Assist the government in developing trail management strategies, construction, reconstruction, and maintenance plans for the PCNST; and
• Designate a representative to meet and coordinate agreement activities with the government representatives from each agency and agency subunits.

The Government agrees to:

• Provide technical assistance to the Association in developing construction, reconstruction and maintenance projects;
• Provide technical assistance to the Association in developing, publishing and distributing informational, educational, and interpretive materials related to the PCNST;
• Provide the Association with opportunities to comment on Government publications about the trail;
• Advise the Association on the implementation of the government's trail handbook standards and expected results on the PCNST projects conducted by the Association;
• Cooperate with the Association in the development of volunteer programs including recruitment and instruction of volunteers;
• Accept contributions specifically for development, publication, and interpretation of PCNST related information, management and operation;
• Designate government trail managers who will provide coordination with the Association's designated representative on all PCNST matters;
• Provide leadership in the development of instruction guides for trail signing, maintenance activities, construction and reconstruction activities;
• Jointly develop and conduct instruction sessions with the Association for volunteers who will be performing trail activities;
• Use the government' "Volunteer Agreement" to allow Association volunteers to participate on projects occurring on government lands;
• Provide the Association with notice to make timely comments on government actions that may affect the PCNST;
• Provide the Association with known appropriate information about private land owner's proposed actions that may affect the PCNST;
• Authorize the Association to use the PCNST logo on publications letterhead and other materials.
• Allow the Association to gather information about the PCNST and its condition directly through the Forest Service's computerized mail system; and
• Use the government's collection agreements, challenge cost-share agreements, and other means for transferring funds to be used for activities covered by the memorandum of understanding.

Both parties agree to:

• Coordinate in the management and operation of the PCNST and feeder trails, including signing, condition surveys, trailhead and trail use surveys, water development, Adopt-A-Trail program and construction and maintenance activities;
• Jointly plan and conduct an annual PCNST Management meeting with the objective of coordinating management of the PCNST;
• At least annually, conduct a PCTA Trail Operations Council meeting with various agency field units, the objective to be the coordination of all work projects; and
• Review the matters covered in this agreement each year, at one of the annual meetings.