Desolation Wilderness Volunteer Program
Perhaps you, like many others, were inspired by your visit to beautiful Desolation Wilderness to share your passion for its preservation and protection. Here's your opportunity! The Forest Service is looking for a few dedicated volunteers who love the outdoors, enjoy talking with people and are dedicated to preserving wilderness, our nation's most pristine natural resource.
Desolation Wilderness Volunteer program is a cooperative effort between the Eldorado National Forest and the Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit. Its goals include increasing community involvement in wilderness management and enhancing the experiences of Desolation visitors. Funded entirely through donations collected at wilderness trailheads, the volunteer program is an example of the crucial role that members of the public play in caring for wilderness.
Volunteers choose from a variety of activities, including backcountry patrol, trailhead naturalist, resource monitoring and wilderness information desk positions. In these positions volunteers provide an informational contact for visitors on the trail, at trailheads or at ranger stations, offering practical information and conveying wilderness ethics and etiquette, including “Leave No Trace” practices. They answer general questions about trails, ecology, and the history of Desolation and provide a communication link to wilderness rangers in the event of emergency. Additional opportunities arise seasonally in the areas of trail maintenance and involvement in educational presentations.
Each year the Forest Service seeks wilderness enthusiasts to join the Desolation volunteer team! If you have further questions please contact us at the numbers listed below.
Season: June through September - 6 day commitment over the
course of the season.
Public Interest Meeting:
- April 4, 2008, 7 p.m. - El Dorado County Building C, 2850 Fairlane Court, Placerville, CA. (530) 644-2349.
- April 8, 2008 7 p.m.- Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit office - Emerald Bay Conference Room, 35 College Drive, South Lake Tahoe (530) 543-2600
Mandatory Training day - May 3, 2008 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., refreshments at 8:30, Pacific Ranger Station, 7887 Hwy 50, Pollock Pines, CA 95726
Project Lead:
Gwyn Ingram-Eldorado National Forest
Pacific Ranger Station
7887 Highway 50
Pollock Pines, CA 95726
(530) 644-2349
(530) 647-5405 Fax
gingram@fs.fed.us
Volunteer Coordinator:
Gary Martin-Eldorado National Forest
Pacific Ranger Station
7887 Highway 50
Pollock Pines, CA 95726
(530) 644-2349
(530) 647-5405 Fax
LTBMU Contact:
Chris Engelhardt-Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit
Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit
35 College Drive, SLT, CA
(530) 543-2600
Desolation Wilderness Volunteer Opportunities (pdf) 31k
Desolation Wilderness Volunteer Application (pdf) 36k
