ESWA needs YOUR HELP to achieve our mission of helping the U.S Forest Service in many ways, including preventing environmental degradation, protecting Wilderness characteristics, promoting land stewardship ethics, maintaining trails, eradicating invasive plants, and helping with Wilderness education.
We thought you might like to see a few reports from the Wilderness from our Volunteer Rangers:
"Three people thanked me for being there, including one who had hiked Nolan Lake two weeks ago and counted 22 trees down on the trail. She was thankful that ESWA Sawyers had cleared the trees!"
"Response from one of the trail hikers: 'I'm 3 and I hiked 3 miles!'"
"A group of 16 of us spent the day clearing trees for a reroute of the very eroded Surprise Lake trail."
"We hiked with summer camp kids!"
"Removed a fire ring that was right in the midst of the beetle kill."
"Nine people thanked me for volunteering and asked about what I do. I told them about ESWA. One woman from California said she has been hiking almost daily in Colorado since May, and that I was the first Forest Service employee/volunteer she has seen all summer."
The mission of ESWA is to assist two US Forest Service Ranger Districts in maintaining three federally designated Wilderness Areas, which comprise about a quarter-million acres in Eagle County and Summit County, Colorado.
An all-volunteer non-profit organization, we strive to achieve our mission with boots-on-the-ground field programs focused on stewardship of the land and education of Wilderness visitors, as well as outreach to local organizations and advocacy for selected environmental campaigns.
We deploy nearly 100 Volunteer Wilderness Rangers on trails and at trailheads to engage and assist Wilderness visitors, promoting Wilderness ethics in general and Leave No Trace principles in particular. ESWA Rangers also help maintain trails and campsites in the Wilderness, and install signs on trails and at popular camping areas.
We deploy over 30 certified Sawyers and other volunteers who help keep trails free of deadfall trees. Together, the Rangers and Sawyers service trails and campsites deep in the backcountry, aided by pack llamas. Our WeedSpotters identify sites of invasive weeds infestations, which are then treated by professionals. With our Advocacy program, we support and promote projects that are broadly aimed at protecting and improving the health of Wilderness and its surroundings.
Our 2023 Season Numbers:
ESWA SAWYERS:
• 41 Outings to 16 different Wilderness Trails
• 706 hours in the field
• 513 trees cleared
ESWA VOLUNTEER WILDERNESS RANGERS:
• 97 different VWRs did 281 patrols
• 2123 Hours on Patrol
• 10,916 Wilderness Users contacted
• 166 Fire Safety conversations
• 1,120 Dogs were encountered (72% on leash)
ESWA TRAILHEAD HOSTS:
• 26 different TH Hosts did hosting at 7 Trailheads
• 99 Total Hours TH Hosting
• 1983 Wilderness Users
• 15 Fire Safety conversations
TRAIL WORK:
- Four llama-supported multi-day work trips deep into our Wilderness Areas
- Two day-long work trips on Deluge Lake trail
- Helped USFS re-reroute the Surprise Lake trail
INVASIVE WEED ABATEMENT
- ESWA's WeedSpotter Program participated in three weed-pull days
- Obtained a $30,000 grant to fund noxious weed abatement in or near our Wilderness Areas
We have been pursuing these objectives for more than a quarter-century. Read about these activities on other pages of our website.
Organization name
Eagle Summit Wilderness Alliance
other names
ESWA, Friends of Eagles Nest Wilderness
1994
Tax id (EIN)
84-1305851
Category
Environment
Organization Size
Small Organization
Address
334 Hillside Dr.Mailing
PO Box 4504Headquarters
334 Hillside Dr.Summit County, CO, US