Summary
Organization name
Friends of the Dillon Ranger District
other names
FDRD
2005
Tax id (EIN)
20-2343008
Category
Environment
Address
680 Blue River ParkwaySilverthorne, CO 80498
Mailing
PO Box 1648Silverthorne, CO 80498
Summit County, CO, US
Friends of the Dillon Ranger District
A nonprofit organization
$41,585 raised by 207 donors
100% complete
$30,000 Goal
Give back to your local forest.
The White River National Forest (WRNF) is the most visited recreation forest in the nation with more visitors than Yellowstone, Grand Canyon, and Rocky Mountain National Parks combined. Approximately half of these WRNF recreation days occur in Summit County, which is encompassed by the Dillon Ranger District (DRD). These public lands sustain our local economy, comprise one of the most critical watersheds in the Western United States, and benefit millions of people who engage in healthful exercise in the WRNF.
FDRD works closely with the DRD to help reverse the declining condition of our local National Forest lands through positive community engagement and active stewardship. FDRD began as a group of local citizens who began collaborating with the USDA Forest Service, Dillon Ranger District (DRD) to provide opportunities for community members to play a more active role in the sustainable management of our local National Forest lands. Our programs have grown steadily in response to a high level of demand for organized, effective outdoor stewardship projects.
Objectives for 2023:
Your support will allow FDRD to expand the following programs:
- Youth Forest Stewards: In the third season of YFS, we intend to diversify programs, offering leadership + career development opportunities, in addition to a resume building workshop for the high school participants.
- Increased focus on the local watershed: Along with the USFS fisheries crew, we will offer a youth snorkeling program which will provide an opportunity for middle school and high school aged kids to explore the underwater ecosystem. As we focus more on maintaining the health of local watersheds, we will work with other nonprofits to collect data around the blue river watershed.
- Salt Lick Bridge Construction: This 4-5 day project will involve construction of a 16 foot bridge which will improve sustainability for our local Salt Lick trail system.
Mission
FDRD's Mission is to partner with the White River National Forest's Dillon Ranger District in Summit County to provide inlcusive opportunities for the community to play a more active role in the sustainable management of the local forest and to enhance the experiences of all who recreate here by:
• Conducting high quality projects to build and maintain trails, plant new trees, promote watershed restoration and perform other services to sustain the Dillon Ranger District
• Developing and maintaining collaborative partnerships between the Forest Service and a diverse population, including local organizations, stakeholders, individuals and users of the National Forest lands
• Creating excellent educational programs for our visitors, residents and youth to promote, protect and preserve our National Forest
Testimonials
“I have been working as a United States Forest Service (USFS) employee with the Friends of the Dillon Ranger District (FDRD) since the organization’s inception 18 years ago! FDRD has become vital to the success of the Dillon RD Recreation program. Without their tireless support and on-the-ground work the world class recreation experience we have all come to love on USFS land within Summit County would not be possible!” -Tyler Kirkpatrick – Trails, Wilderness, Motorized Recreation Manager – White River National Forest, Dillon Ranger District
"Working with FDRD within our youth programs has provided a learning opportunity about our natural environment, knowledge about the importance of trail maintenance, and of course fun for our campers. The Town of Frisco loves working with FDRD-our kids learn the value of community service!"-Sara Skinner, Recreation Programs Coordinator for the Town of Frisco.
"Through our partnership with FDRD we have been able in introduce local youth to the importance and pride of land stewardship. We are incredibly excited to expand our partnership with FDRD this year and start offering service learning opportunities for the youth we serve over the winter months as well." - Joan Dieter, Program Director for SOS Outreach
"I've been associated with FDRD for the past 9 years and watched the organization grow from a couple of part time employees emphasizing trail maintenance, to an organization with 4 full time employees and robust programs encompassing so much more than just trail maintenance. Thanks to an energetic staff and great Board support, FDRD now offers a wide range of programs focused on both youth and adults; educational summer hikes and winter snowshoe hikes with experts in forestry, geology, history, and others; a guest speaker series aimed at further educating the public on topics like the beetle kill, fire prevention, and other timely topics; and coordination and cooperation with a wide range of other nonprofits like Wildlands Restoration and the Colorado 14er Initiative to further our mission of forest stewardship." - Wayne Haley, Past President of FDRD Board of Directors
Background Statement
The White River National Forest (WRNF) is the most visited recreation forest in the nation with over 10.3 million user days - more visitors than Yellowstone, Grand Canyon, and Rocky Mountain National Parks combined. Approximately half of these WRNF recreation days occur in Summit County, which is encompassed by the Dillon Ranger District (DRD). These public lands sustain our local economy, comprise one of the most critical watersheds in the Western United States, and benefit millions of people who engage in healthful exercise in the WRNF. While these user days are increasing, funding for on-the-ground projects tied to recreation is not keeping pace. The lands managed by the DRD have been heavily impacted by the mountain pine beetle epidemic, and a significant amount of budgetary resources have been reallocated within the Rocky Mountain Region to help address immediate needs such as fuels reduction and hazard tree removal. This funding challenge makes successful partnerships with individuals and organizations particularly critical.
FDRD works closely with the DRD to help reverse the declining condition of our local National Forest lands through positive community engagement and active stewardship. FDRD began as a group of local citizens who began collaborating with the USDA Forest Service, Dillon Ranger District (DRD), in 2004 to provide opportunities for community members to play a more active role in the sustainable management of our local National Forest lands. Our programs have grown steadily in response to a high level of demand for organized, effective outdoor stewardship projects.
Since 2005, FDRD's volunteers have maintained and improved over 120 miles of trail, performed fire mitigation and restoration on over 75 acres, removed invasive weeds on over 100 acres, removed over 4.9 miles of obsolete barbed wire fence, removed over 8500 bags of litter and recycling from the forest, and contacted over 70,000 visitors through outreach education and volunteer ranger patrols. Our efforts have resulted in over 100,000 volunteer hours and over $1,900,000 of in-kind value leveraged for our National Forest lands. In 2010, FDRD received the Volunteer Program of the Year award from the National Office of the US Forest Service. This honor was due to the incredible energy of our volunteers and partners that has driven our programs from FDRD's inception.
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Organization Data
Silverthorne, CO 80498
Silverthorne, CO 80498