UCC Bike Crew Wins Award for Great Use of Funds for Recreational Trails
During summer 2015, its first field season, the award-winning USU-based bike crew completed 2.22 miles of trail improvement at East Canyon and Deer Creek state parks in Utah while traveling more than 530 miles using only cargo bicycles to transport themselves, tools, food and camping gear.
The Coalition for Recreational Trails awarded the Utah State University-based Utah Conservation Corps bike crew its “Annual Achievement Award” for outstanding use of recreational trails program funds. The nation’s first pedal-powered crew won in the youth conservation/service corps and community outreach category. During summer 2015, its first field season, the bike crew completed 2.22 miles of trail improvement at East Canyon and Deer Creek state parks in Utah while traveling more than 530 miles using only cargo bicycles to transport themselves, tools, food and camping gear.
The coalition will present the award at a ceremony June 8, 2016, on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. The UCC will operate another bike crew that will begin maintenance on the Skyline Trail within the Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest in June 2016.
The Coalition for Recreational Trails is a federation of national and regional trail-related organizations. The “Annual Achievement Awards” are the centerpiece of Great Outdoors Month,™ part of the Coalition’s ongoing effort to build awareness and appreciation of the national recreational trails program. The program is funded in all 50 states through the Federal Highway Administration to enhance the quantity and quality of trail experiences available to the public.
The UCC bike crew was originally funded by a $20,000 grant by Utah State Park’s recreational trails program with additional support from Black Diamond, Hammer Nutrition, Keen, ProBar and Clif Bar.
In 2015, 173 UCC AmeriCorps members created or maintained 85.3 miles of trail, constructed or repaired 58 miles of fence, restored 8,558 acres of public land and recruited 4,711 volunteers serving 9,582 hours on projects throughout Utah.
More information on UCC can be found online.
Contact: Sean Damitz, Center for Civic Engagement and Service-Learning, 435-770-6104, sean.damitz@usu.edu
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