For Immediate Release (Wednesday, January 11, 2006):
Contact:
Bill Tetley, tetley.wr@juno.com or 409-722-8974 Joe Murphy, jmurphy2@gt.rr.com, 409-883-6126
The
Lone Star Chapter of the Sierra Club consists of over 25,000 members.
The Chapter spans the entire state of Texas, excepting El Paso, which
is part of the Rio Grande Chapter.
Located in Austin, the Lone Star Chapter's State Conservation Office
serves Sierrans as their grassroots communications center. We also provide
Sierrans with a full time professional activist staff employed to represent
Sierrans as we fight at the state level to protect and conserve Texas'
diverse and valuable natural heritage.
Golden Triangle Sierra Club - Trail Maintenance Days
Feb 11, Mar 11, and Apr 8
-- Golden Triangle Sierra Club invites all earnest outings goers, trail hikers, and lovers of the East Texas pineywoods forest to participate in trail maintenance days this spring on Golden Triangle's baby, the 28-mile Trail Between the Lakes, (TBTL) damaged this fall by the high winds of Hurricane Rita.
Bill Tetley reports on the situation, "Golden Triangle Group is the only group of people who dreamed up, designed, coordinated with the USFS, scouted, located, got approval of, then actually cut and tagged the TBTL out of the Sabine National Forest (SNF) in southern Sabine County, and constructed the original bridges on the 28.2 mile hiking trail, beginning all this in 1981. We are also the only people who have actively maintained it ever since. We are faced with a loss of many people who helped in the past due to advanced age, health concerns, job changes and relocations to other areas of the state and nation. Lastly, there are several sections of the TBTL that have a significant number of felled trees, many from Hurricane Rita damage."
"A group of five worked this past Saturday in one of the hardest hit areas and were able to clear just over 1 mile of trail. I would estimate that there are at least 5-6 more miles of the trail that are in that same shape, with the remainder requiring less work. A combined volunteer work force of Sierra Club friends from around the state on any of the days set forth, Feb 11, March 11, or Apr 8, would indeed be helpful."
"What we need is people experienced with chainsaws and other equipment needed to clear the Trail. For our part, we have several volunteers with chainsaws (we had 4 saws available last Saturday and at least one more available normally), but the situation requires a minimum of
2 chainsaws working as a team as many of the downed trees are under tension so that when cutting them, it is almost impossible to avoid getting a chain pinched as the trees split unexpectedly."
If you have trail maintenance skills or would like to assist with removing the fallen wood from the Trail's pathway or with cooking for the group, plan to attend one of the Golden Triangle's trail maintenance dates this Spring.
Participants can pitch tents at several dry campsites near the work locations. There is a USFS campground with chemical toilets, tables, lamp posts and perhaps water right at the Trail head. And, there are some marina/resorts nearby for an alternative. Bill and Joe will advise and coordinate.
Please contact Bill Tetley, tetley.wr@juno.com or 409-722-8974 or Joe Murphy, jmurphy2@gt.rr.com, 409-883-6126.
