G-T/File Photo Inexperience didn’t slow Pacific Northwest Trail backpackers (l-r) Matt Marquardt, Brian Magelssen and Austin Wagoner, who made their way westward through Oroville from Glacier National Park on their way to the Olympic Peninsula in 2013.

PORTLAND – The U.S. Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Forest Service are recruiting additional members interested in serving on the Pacific Northwest National Scenic Trail Advisory Council.

The council, established under the National Trails System Act, provides recommendations to the Secretary of Agriculture through the Chief of the Forest Service about matters relating to the administration and management of the Pacific Northwest Trail.

Designated by Congress as a National Scenic Trail in 2009, the trail travels through some of the most scenic terrain in the northwestern United States—connecting diverse landscapes and communities along a 1,200-mile route through Montana, Idaho and Washington.

The Forest Service is seeking a diverse and representative council that reflects perspectives from across the trail and throughout the United States. We seek applicants from all sex and gender identities as well as racial, cultural and ethnic identities and backgrounds. We highly encourage applications from people with disabilities and people from historically underserved communities.

The Advisory Council will meet about once a month, for 1½ to 2 hours, to develop shared recommendations for how the Pacific Northwest National Scenic Trail should be developed and managed. Meetings will be virtual and will begin in Fall 2022 and may continue through Spring 2024. The Advisory Council will include representatives of Tribes, government agencies, hikers, mountain bikers, equestrians, gateway communities, tourism and outfitters, environmental education and youth engagement, recreation and trails organizations, environment and wildlife organizations, and private landowners.

Applications must include: 1) completed USDA form AD-755, 2) a brief resume, 3) a brief cover letter highlighting which stakeholder group(s) the applicant could represent, and 4) an endorsement letter/email if applying to represent an organization.

For more information about the Pacific Northwest National Scenic Trail, visit: https://www.fs.usda.gov/pnt.

For information about eligibility and applying for the trail’s Advisory Council, visit: https://www.fs.usda.gov/main/pnt/working-together/advisory-committees.

For questions, please contact the Trail Administrator Becky Blanchard at becky.blanchard@usda.gov.

Applications are welcome through Sept. 30, 2022.