OREGON — The Pacific Northwest region signed a region-wide agreement with Big City Mountaineers, a nonprofit organization that connects youth from underserved communities to the outdoors by outfitting and bringing participants, free of charge, into the wild.

The agreement is the first-ever, regional nominal effects and non-commercial determination letter that allows Big City Mountaineers and the Forest Service to focus on their respective programming, processing many requests each year for backcountry access rather than multiple districts and multiple staff members.

“Most importantly, the determination represents an opportunity to remove barriers to access and to provide a unique avenue for partnership,” said Sarah Kassel, volunteer coordinator for the Pacific Northwest Region.

Big City Mountaineer programs engage nearlly one-thousand youth each year to help the youth develop the skills and confidence needed for more promising futures in, and stewardship of, the back country.  
“Big City Mountaineers mission and activities align with the Forest Service’s value of connecting communities with their public lands,” said Regional Forester Glenn Casamassa.  “It’s important for us to find ways to increase access to public lands and make it easier for partners to work with us  so they can focus on their mission.”

Both the Region and Big City Mountaineer see this innovative approach as an important step to further move people and communities together to answer the call of conservation by exposing them to the wonders of their public lands.

Kenny, a 14-year-old Big City Mountaineer participant from Seattle, expressed such wonder during a trip to Surprise Mountain in the Alpine Lakes Wilderness Area on the Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest. The 6,300-foot mountain is part of the Wenatchee Mountains 90-miles east of Seattle. “I have seen the mountains from the city before, but I never imagined I would stand on top of one,” Kenny said.

“When I plan a trip for students who have not had access to backpacking before, I really want to awe them with the beauty of the National Forests that are close to their home,” said Anne Hayward, Big City Mountaineer program manager for the Pacific Northwest Region. “This waiver allows us to facilitate opportunities for that awe, and potentially build a deeper belonging and connection to land that could inspire a lifetime love of outdoor recreation and care for the forests.”