The “Kendall Katwalk” on the PCT in Washington’s Alpine Lakes Wilderness. Photo by Stephen McMillan.
As we enter 2022, one of our highest work priorities is to realign PCTA with diversity, equity, and inclusion through a new strategic plan and “Mission, Vision, and Values” statements. In October, PCTA’s board extended our current strategic plan while adding language acknowledging our emerging DEI and climate change work, which was not previously included in the plan. This allows PCTA staff, board, and community the time necessary to plan our future for a more equitable and safe trail.
In the meantime, our organizational transformation has been steadily progressing:
- PCTA’s commitment to internal change is illustrated by our ongoing work with The Bridge Project’s equitable hiring pathway for conservation and environmental jobs. Our wonderful staff team is growing in both size and diversity, indicating that our hiring practices are improving as we are learning.
- Our paid Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) moderation team has excelled, transforming our social media spaces to be more inclusive and aware.
- We have deliberately posted more DEI-related content and stories by BIPOC authors in our Communicator magazine (see PDF examples here and here) and in our blog, and will continue to do so in the future. We are also building relationships with BIPOC-centered companies such as Black Folks Camp Too.
- A Community Advisory Group was formed to help with PCTA’s commitments. After a hiatus, the group will soon resume—we look forward to sharing more about this in the coming months.
- We are expanding PCTA’s policies to include zero tolerance language for violence or threats thereof. We will keep you updated as these policy changes get rolled out.
We look forward to continuing to build our DEI work in 2022 and want to thank our impassioned community members for demanding better from us.