One of the keys to volunteer safety is matching volunteers' interests, skills, and abilities to positions and projects. Doing so helps keep volunteers' attention focused on the task at hand and ensures that they have the appropriate skills and training to do the tasks (figure 22).

Figure 22—Volunteers help build a fence, part
of the Red Hill Spring aspen restoration project
for the wildlife program. Courtesy of Mark Bagett,
Malheur National Forest

Matching volunteers to service begins with the volunteer application (Optional Form 301, appendix D). Applications in large type, Spanish, Russian, or Vietnamese are available at http://fsweb.wo.fs.fed.us/rhwr/yvh/. If volunteers are applying for a specific position or project, provide them with the service description/essential eligibility criteria when you give them the application. This will allow them to determine whether they think they meet the criteria (the Forest Service cannot require volunteers to have a medical exam as a condition of acceptance). For example, persons who have back problems would not want to apply for a project that requires heavy lifting. If they do not receive the service description beforehand, they may waste their time applying for this position/project only to be told they do not meet the criteria for heavy lifting. This might sour them on the whole volunteer experience and you might lose enthusiastic volunteers who do meet the service description criteria for other positions/projects.

The Interview

If the volunteer application indicates a volunteer may meet the service description/essential eligibility criteria, schedule an interview. You may do this over the phone or in person. It is always better to conduct an interview in person, but time and schedules don't always permit it. Here are a few tips for interviewing:

• Set aside a time and place for the interview.
  
  
• Try to have a relaxing setting where you won't be interrupted.
  
  
• If the weather permits, try to do the interview outside, away from the hectic office environment.
  
  
• If the interview is in person, before you start, ask the prospective volunteer if they would like coffee, water, or a soda and let them know where to find the restroom.

There is no perfect format for interviewing. Each interview will be unique to the volunteer. The best advice is to ask open-ended questions and listen—really listen.

Start the interview with questions about the volunteer:

• Where are you from?
• What do you or did you do for work?
• What are your hobbies or interests?
• What clubs do you belong to?
• What do you do for fun?

After you have broken the ice, talk to the volunteers about the volunteer application and review the service description/essential eligibility criteria. If the volunteer is applying for a long-term or sensitive position, ask for several work and character references.

Here are some critical questions coordinators should ask prospective volunteers:

• Are there skills you want to learn or training you want to obtain?
• Have you worked with the public or children? Do you enjoy this type of service?
• Do you have any medical concerns we should know about?
• Do you want to serve by yourself or with others?
• Do you want to be inside or outside?
• Do you have a valid driver's license? Is your driving record clean?
• Are there any Forest Service policies and activities that you want to discuss?

After conducting interviews, let the volunteer applicants know whether or not they meet the service description/essential eligibility criteria and whether or not you have any opportunities available. Sometimes, you will get more applicants than available positions or projects. If you don't have any positions or projects right away, let the volunteers know you will contact them as soon as something becomes available. If you do have volunteer positions and projects available, discuss these opportunities with them. Coordinators have found that most volunteers can contribute in various ways.

Background Checks

Homeland Security Presidential Directive 12 (HSPD–12) mandates background investigations for all Forest Service employees, volunteers, and contractors who require unmonitored access to Forest Service facilities and information systems for 6 months or longer. The National Agency Check with Inquiries provides an assessment of the individual's past, ensuring that they are in fact individuals we want serving with us. There is a fee for this background check that is used for both employees and volunteers. If you would like more information on background checks for volunteers, the latest policy direction, or to request a background check, contact the USDA Forest Service, Albuquerque Service Center–HSPD-12 Department.

Until Forest Service policy requires a background check, it would be wise to ask potential volunteers who may be placed in sensitive positions for three references. Contact these references. If something you hear doesn't line up or seems to indicate unsuitability for the position, you can politely decline the services of that volunteer.

Volunteers Who Have Disabilities

With all volunteer opportunities, it's important to match people's abilities, skills, and interests to the position or project. More than 54 million people in the United States have a disability that significantly limits one or more of their major life activities, such as some loss of function involving hearing, seeing, walking, breathing, and so forth. The vast majority of disabilities are not obvious. The most common disability is some loss of hearing. Most people will be affected with a temporary disability at some point during their lives. Focus on each person’s ability. A person with a disability should be welcomed by the agency and given the same opportunities to participate in the volunteer program as anyone else who meets the service description/essential eligibility criteria for a specific volunteer position or project.

Older Volunteers

Older Americans bring valuable knowledge and skills when they dedicate their time to the Forest Service. Their wealth of experience and available time greatly enhances Forest Service positions and projects. Unfortunately, as a coordinator you may at some point have older volunteers come to you and tell you they can no longer do a task because of their physical abilities. This does not mean they cannot continue to contribute in another way, in another volunteer position for which they do meet the essential eligibility criteria. You need to match their skills and abilities to their tasks through the service description/essential eligibility criteria—which will therefore also take into account their abilities if they have changed.

In a few cases, some coordinators have found themselves in situations where their older volunteers could no longer meet the safety-based essential eligibility criteria of the volunteer positions or projects they have been doing. In these cases, you must talk with the volunteer about your concerns and the safety based essential eligibility criteria for that position. Before your conversation with the volunteer, do some research. The best solution is to identify another volunteer position or project for which your volunteer does meet the criteria. In this way, the Forest Service maintains a valuable and experienced volunteer. If no other position or project is available for which the volunteer meets the criteria, ask yourself if there is a value in modifying the criteria so the volunteer can continue to do a portion of the position or project safely while another volunteer does the rest of the tasks. Once you have gathered this information, have a private conversation with the volunteer during which you explain your concerns and the available options. If a modification is not practical and another volunteer position is not available, you will have exhausted all the possibilities for which this volunteer meets the criteria and must decline the services.

Youth Volunteers

As a coordinator, you will be contacted by youth groups, children, and teens looking for volunteer opportunities. They can volunteer, but a parent or guardian must sign a consent form.

Children and teens are a wonderful source of enthusiasm and energy for many projects (figure 23). You will need to take into account their age, maturity level, and physical abilities when assigning them tasks and equipment.

Figure 23—One of the young Monkey Creek F-Troop
volunteers helps replace the Monkey Creek Bridge.
Courtesy of Kent Wimmer, Florida Trail Association

One key to maintaining the safety of young volunteers is supervision. Many coordinators prefer to have one adult chaperone for every three to five children. Often these chaperones are the children's parents or leaders from a youth organization. All chaperones need to know the history of the project, the purpose, the plan for accomplishing the project, and how to do the tasks. They also must be able to identify and mitigate safety hazards, maintain control over the group, and handle discipline problems.

Another key to safety with children is to keep their horseplay to a minimum by keeping them focused and occupied. Give them a variety of tasks throughout the day to keep them interested and excited about the project. Many coordinators recommend that employees who will be working with children read "Last Child in the Woods" by Richard Louv (2005).

Campground or Recreation Site Hosts

A host is a volunteer who agrees to spend part of or all of a season in a national forest/grassland campground or recreation site (figure 24). Hosts may be of different ages and come from different backgrounds, but all good hosts are friendly, enjoy the outdoors, and are eager to learn and share their knowledge about forest/grassland areas. Individuals or couples can be hosts, but they must be at least 18 years old. A host's position includes greeting visitors, providing information, and offering assistance. Hosts explain the rules and regulations, promote responsible camping, and gain visitors' cooperation in keeping areas clean and free of resource damage. Hosts also help keep up the grounds. They perform minor maintenance, pick up litter, rake sites, empty trash receptacles, clean fire pits, and clean and restock restrooms. In some areas, hosts post reservations, help collect visitor-use statistics, monitor registration boxes and sign boards, participate in interpretive programs, and assist with fee collection and compliance.

Figure 24—The Indian Boundary campground host
cleans trash cans. Courtesy of Mary Jane Burnette,
Cherokee National Forest, Tellico Ranger District

When a potential host first contacts you about volunteer opportunities, give them the host information sheet (appendix C), find out how long they can stay, and how often they can be in the campground or recreation site. Learn about their leisure activities, the type of equipment they have, and the area they would prefer. Make sure you tell hosts before they sign up that they will need to provide their own tent, camper, trailer, or mobile home and that most campground/recreation sites have water and toilet facilities, but very few have electrical or sewer hookups.

Once a host has been signed up under a volunteer agreement, assign the host a camp site (at no charge) near the main entry to the campground or at the recreation site. In some cases, you can let the host select the site so long as it is visible to other campers or visitors. Place a large HOST sign at the site entrance or by the host's campsite.

Before a host arrives, make sure you send a confirmation letter about the position, including any agreements you have made with the host. This will help prevent any misunderstandings or conflicts.

When the hosts arrive, give them the volunteer orientation, an information packet about the area, and have the recreation staff talk to them about the campground or the recreation site, how it operates, and the activities that are available nearby.

Adopt-a-Trail Volunteers

Adopt-a-trail volunteers are individuals or groups who volunteer their time and services to maintain Forest Service trails (figure 25). These volunteers adopt a whole trail or just a section of trail. The project is performed on an ongoing basis and the volunteers are expected to ensure the trail remains in good condition. Adopt-a-trail volunteers' service varies depending on the type of trail, weather, and terrain, but generally involves removing rock and debris from the trail, cutting out logs, trimming brush, and removing litter. In return for their service, the Forest Service puts a sign at the trailhead, recognizing the volunteers’ contribution.

To help you prepare for adopt-a-trail volunteers, experienced coordinators recommend you develop an adopt-a-trail packet tailored to your program or area (appendix C). If you need more information on trail maintenance standards, please refer to the Trail Construction and Maintenance Notebook (Hesselbarth and others 2007) published by the Missoula Technology and Development Center (MTDC) and distributed by the Federal Highway Administration.

Figure 25—In November 2007, the Juniper Prairie
Wilderness F-Troop trail crew paddled into the heart
of the Juniper Prairie Wilderness, FL, for a week of
backcountry camping and trail work. They floated tools
and supplies down Juniper Run so they could spend 5
days out on the trail. No power tools are allowed in the
wilderness area, so crosscut saws and axes were the
primary tools. Courtesy of John Cramer, Florida Trail Association