With the Salt Lake City section of the trail now open, we need to focus on completing the trail in Salt Lake County. Because there is comparatively little public land along the Bonneville Bench in Salt Lake County, easements across private land will need to be secured, and in some cases private land will need to be purchased. Completion of this portion of the trail will require developing cooperative relationships with neighborhood communities and the Salt Lake County government agencies.
The time required to get neighborhoods involved and government and private funding in place is significant. The Bonneville Shoreline Trail Committee (BSTC) needs more help.
Trail Alignments and Property
Before building a trail, there has to be an alignment (route) as well as the permission to build on it. The task of this committee is to help neighborhoods establish viable routes, assist in getting acceptance and then approval for the trail, and then planning the details of construction. Special skills for this committee may be technical (working with maps, knowledge of trail design), legal (land acquisition and management), or organizational (organizing community meetings, facilitating discussion, working with government).
Trail Construction
Once an alignment is in place, the more enjoyable part of building the trail begins. This committee works with both volunteer and contracted groups to cut, construct, and maintain the trail. While construction work is physical, a strong back is not always required. Organizing the volunteers and running trail days, coordinating with the agencies such as the Forest Service or National Guard, and instructing on proper trail construction techniques and safe tool use require interpersonal skills and a willingness to work with people.
Public Affairs
The task of public affairs is to pass information around and make sure people know about the trail. The newsletter you are reading or the web page you surf in order to download a trail map are all products of the Public Affairs Committee. So if you like to draw, write, organize events, or work with the media, this committee is for you!
Financial Management
As a charitable organization working to raise funds for trail development, we require a certain amount of financial management and accounting. The BSTC must file tax returns and maintain financial records, as well as manage personnel accounting. An individual with previous accounting or tax experience could make an especially appreciated contribution to this committee.
Fundraising
Developing and building a trail takes money and the BSTC has been very successful in raising funds. However, there are many opportunities that go untapped because each takes time to pursue. If you like to write grants, organize fundraising events, or work with potential donors to the trail, there are valuable roles for you on this committee.
Membership
Without an active and informed membership, the BSTC cannot function. The task of this committee is to manage all aspects of the trail membership. Specific duties include managing the membership database, attracting, recruiting, and looking after members, and matching members with opportunities for them to help the trail. Useful skills range from computer database management to the ability to talk to people and extol the benefits of becoming an active member of the BSTC.
