Event to Highlight Improvements to 200 Miles of Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail

WHAT: Celebration of a year of accomplishments on the Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail. The USFS and BLM received $4 million for trail-related projects and put 58 young adults to work upgrading nearly 200 miles of the 2,600-mile trail in the first year of a two-year project.

WHO: Speakers will include BLM-California Acting State Director Jim Abbott, Pacific Crest Trail Association Executive Director Liz Bergeron, and U.S. Forest Service Pacific Southwest Deputy Regional Forester Ron Ketter.

WHEN: 10:30 a.m., Friday, Nov. 5, 2010.  View demonstrations of trail maintenance and construction. Lunch with agency managers, trail leaders and public officials starting at noon, followed by formal event presentation starting at 1:30 p.m.

WHERE: Whitewater Preserve, 9160 Whitewater Canyon Road, Whitewater, CA 92282
(Take Whitewater exit off I-10, turn left on Whitewater Canyon Road, drive 5 miles to the preserve at end of road)

VISUALS: Student Conservation Association trail crew at work on the Pacific Crest Trail, demonstrations of trail maintenance and construction.

Parking at the event location is limited. If you plan to cover this event, please RSVP by Oct. 31 to Mark Conley at BLM at (916) 978-4641 or Jennifer Tripp at the Pacific Crest Trail Association at (916) 285-1853.

About the Pacific Crest Trail
The Pacific Crest Trail extends 2,650 miles from Mexico to Canada, spanning the states of California, Oregon and Washington. It crosses three national monuments, seven national parks, 25 national forests, five Bureau of Land Management public lands units, 33 federally designated wilderness areas, as well as, several state and county parks, and tribal lands. In 2000, it became a part of the BLM’s National Landscape Conservation System, which conserves and protects treasured landscapes including national monuments, wilderness, wild and scenic rivers, scenic and historic trails, and other special areas across the West. More than 90 events have been held across the country in 2010 to mark the 10th anniversary of the system, celebrating a decade of accomplishments and discoveries while setting goals for the next 10 years.