This program is designed to allow for an expansion of independent volunteerism on our local trails, especially by mountain bikers. RFMBA’s mission is to create AND sustain the best possible trails for mountain biking in our region – and you can play a big part in this effort! This independence is offered as a compliment to the public projects and group efforts led by our valued partner Roaring Fork Outdoor Volunteers. If you’re new to the trail volunteering world, we recommend that you experience a scheduled event with RFOV or RFMBA to become familiar with trail stewardship.
As a Trail Agent, your training authorizes you to keep trails free of fallen trees, dedicate a couple hours in the middle of a ride to trimming back a tight section of overgrowth, or to spend an entire day maintaining your favorite local trail, all in a safe and effective manner.
The Trail Agent program is based on the Guide to Independent Stewardship for Trails. The Guide was developed through the Outdoor Stewardship Institute by a committee of dedicated trail advocates to meet the needs of public land managers. The Guide teaches volunteers the basics needed to perform typical trail maintenance independently or in small groups. When the training concludes, you will know how to identify and perform basic trail corridor, trail tread and drainage structure maintenance, as well as how to recognize and report on other more complex maintenance needs that are beyond the scope of this training. You will also learn basic safety and risk assessment, along with how to appropriately work with and represent volunteer organizations and land management agencies.
Importantly, we expect that you will schedule your time on the trail to fit well with your family, work, and play time. In fact, we encourage you to keep that folding saw or portable loppers in your pack, get out for a big ride, tackle fallen trees or a remote section of trail corridor or trail tread, and report your total volunteer hours as your entire door to door effort.
We’ll leverage your volunteer efforts to help secure additional funding towards for our local trails. We share annual volunteer hour totals with our potential and recurring funding sources, so your time will not only immediately improve trails for users like yourself, but in the long-run will directly help us to fund bigger improvements and future trails!
FREE Training Evenings
Virtual trainings are now available. Stay tuned for announcements on 2023 training opportunities, or email us to express interest in becoming a Trail Agent soon! email: info@rfmba.org.
Trail Agents receive a complimentary set of lightweight portable loppers, or a folding hand saw after finishing training. Additional trail tools and portable tools can be borrowed from RFMBA’s tool caches.
To become a Trail Agent follow these steps:
- As a pre-requisite, read the OSI Guide to Independent Stewardship for Trails prior to your training session. Approximate time: 60-90 minutes.
- Join a virtual or in-person RFMBA Trail Agent training session. Read the following Program Manual which includes a Synopsis of key issues to be reviewed during the training session, as well as more info. on the below steps. (2023 Program Manual coming soon.)
RFMBA Trail Agent Program Manual 2018 - Review current list of Roaring Fork region trails authorized for basic trail maintenance through this program. See page 5 of the Program Manual.
- Review portable trail tool resources. See page 8 of the Program Manual.
- Report your accomplishments on our webform at RFMBA.org/TA. See page 9 of the Program Manual for the generic reporting format.
- At the end of your training session, document comprehension of your training via a 10 question Quiz. See page 10 of the Program Manual for the quiz.
- Confirm with RFMBA that your field training component has been satisfied.
- Sign program Agreement and Waiver (on an annual basis). See pages 12 & 13 of the Program Manual. (2023 Online Waiver coming soon.)
- Already a trained Trail Agent? Bringing a friend or two on the trail? Please have them sign the waiver and return it to us via text message photo to 970-948-3486 (or old fashioned scan/email to info@rfmba.org)
RFMBA Trail Agent Waiver for Volunteer-Friend
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