A volunteer may assist in any Forest Service program or activity but cannot perform law enforcement activities, or fight fire, or serve as a union representative.

Can Volunteers Serve as Collection Officers?

Most volunteers who are signed up under the Forest Service Volunteers Program can be designated as fee collection officers (FSM 6532.3; FSH 6509.14, sec. 01.1; FSH 6509.14, sec. 11.1) by regional foresters, forest supervisors, and station directors. As a collection officer, a volunteer can collect recreation fees and sell items such as permits, maps, and recreation passes (2005 Consolidated Appropriations Act, Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act (REA) in PL 108-447; FSH 6509.14, sec. 11.1). If volunteers will only be selling interpretive association materials, they do not have to be collection officers (FSH 6509.14, sec. 12.7 and FSM 6532.5).

The first step in designating a volunteer as a collection officer is completing the designation form FS-6500-248 (FSH 6509.14, sec 11.1). Once this form is signed by the authorized official, the original is given to the designated collection officer or unit collection clerk. A copy must be maintained in the administrative unit's headquarters and in the collection officer's or unit collection clerk's folder. After the designation, the volunteer must be properly trained (FSH 6509.14, sections 11.1 and 11.6) before any fees can be collected. No formal training has been designed for fee collection officers. Line officers are responsible for designing a proper training program in accordance with the material in the Servicewide Finance and Accounting Handbook (FSH 6509.11k, chapter 30) and in the Collection Officers Handbook (FSH 6509.14).

The Forest Service must provide surety bonds for volunteer collection officers (FSH 6509.14, sec. 11.1). A national surety bond will be purchased annually to cover volunteers. The Albuquerque Service Center (ASC) has responsibility for purchasing the bond.

Service positions and project ideas for volunteers may stem from your unit’s program of work or the volunteers' interests. You may already have a position or project you want volunteers to do. You may need a campground host, a receptionist at the front desk, or someone to build a trail bridge. If you already have a position or project in mind, you can skip ahead to the section on selecting service positions and projects for volunteers.

Volunteers will have projects they want to do. Be open to their ideas. Not every volunteer will want to do the projects you have selected. They can come up with creative projects that add to your visitors' experience. Volunteers are also the eyes and ears of the forests and grasslands and can bring your attention to needed projects or jobs (figure 10).

Figure 10—Volunteers help out in a cemetery.
Courtesy of Gary Morgan, Forest Service, Eastern Region

If you need to generate service positions and project ideas for volunteers, here are several ways. First, see what needs to be done on your unit. There is always more to do than resources available. And remember, many volunteers are skilled professionals.

• Do your outhouses need to be painted?
• Do your picnic areas need garbage picked up or weeds pulled?
• Do you need signs put up?
• Do your streams need to be monitored?
• Do you have interpretive programs to be conducted?

Another way to identify projects is to ask your staff if they have anything that volunteers could do. Archeologists and biologists often have projects that are highly sought after by volunteers (figure 11).

Figure 11—Researchers document brown bear
and people interactions on the Russian River.
Courtesy of T. DeBruyn, National Park Service
(submitted by Kristi Kantola, Alaska Region)

Selecting Service Positions and Projects for Volunteers

Some coordinators like to select the work for their volunteers. Others prefer having a staff or volunteer committee make the selection. No matter who selects the projects, experienced coordinators suggest that you select projects during the off or down season. This will give you time to really consider the projects and adequately plan without the pressure of a busy season.

Select your volunteer projects carefully. Do not give your volunteers projects that are too expensive, too technical, or too urgent. Consider the budget and resources you have for a project. Give volunteers projects that will show a positive return for their efforts.

Choose projects that can provide opportunities for a variety of volunteers with differing skills and abilities (figure 12). When possible, choose project and event sites that are accessible to everyone. If it is not possible to make the project or event accessible, make sure you have alternative projects or positions available so everyone can enjoy our national forests and grasslands.

Figure 12—During October 2007, Fort Braden
F-Troop spent 2 days building new boardwalks
through marshy areas, making improvements to
some existing bridges. Part of the Florida trail
system, the Fort Braden hiking trail is a side trail
that meanders through the rolling hills and bluffs
of the Lake Talquin State Forest. Courtesy of Megan
Eno, Florida Trail Association

Another consideration is the quality of work needed. For many of your jobs, the project will have relaxed requirements allowing volunteers with a variety of skills to do the tasks. In other instances, the project may be technical or require precise detail. In these cases, you will need to carefully match the project with a volunteer who has the necessary skills or licenses to do the tasks (figures 13a and 13b). Many volunteers will be able to do the project beautifully. If you don’t have a volunteer who fits your needs, hire an employee.

Figure 13a—When the Tick Island slough bridge had
to be replaced, the KICCO F-Troop used their rigging
skills to build and install a 60-foot bridge. Courtesy
of the Florida Trail Association

Figure 13b—A volunteer uses his lab skills to
clean equipment. Courtesy of Elizabeth (Liza)
Hernandez, Forest Service, International Institute
of Tropical Forestry

For projects with firm deadlines, make sure you consider volunteers' time and schedules. Volunteers may be able to meet—or even beat—your deadlines, but if they have other priorities, they could miss your deadlines. If you don't think your volunteers will be able to meet your deadlines for a project, assign hired employees. When volunteers need a more relaxed schedule, give them projects that are secondary priorities or that have soft targets you won't be able to meet without their help (figure 14). Such projects can have more flexible deadlines that accommodate the volunteer's schedules and other priorities.

Figure 14—A volunteer from the Michigan State
University, Asylum Church, "Give them the world"
foundation helps out with painting. Courtesy of
Jaime Valentin, El Yunque National Forest (Caribbean)

Finally, when selecting positions and projects for volunteers, one of the most important considerations is that the service be meaningful.