# American Frontiers: A Public Lands Journey

American Frontiers: A Public Lands Journey was a non-profit publicity project executed from July to September 2002 which was intended to raise awareness about public lands in the United States. It involved teams of travelers making their way across the United States, from Mexico to Canada, traversing exclusively public lands and avoiding private estates.

## Background

In 2002, the non-profit Public Lands Interpretive Association (PLIA) partnered with the National Geographic Society, federal and state land management agencies, private businesses, and other organizations in an attempt to focus national attention on American public estate by highlighting the experiences of two groups of travelers who followed a route from Mexico to Canada that stayed on public lands the entire way - "the first ever made entirely on public lands". This journey, known as American Frontiers: A Public Lands Journey aimed to create broad national exposure about the role and relevance of public lands.

## Trek

On July 31, 2002, two teams of travelers started simultaneously from the Mexican and Canadian borders in New Mexico and Montana. During the following two months, they travelled more than 2,600 miles and crossed six states, entirely on public lands.
The trekkers travelled using various modes of transportation, including foot, horseback, mountain bikes, ATVs, off-road motorcycles, canoes, whitewater rafts, motorboats, and four-wheel-drive vehicles.
The teams met sixty days later on National Public Lands Day in the Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest near Salt Lake City, Utah.

## Teams

The North Team left from the Canada–US border in Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park, Montana, and travelled south toward Salt Lake City, Utah.
North Team Trekkers :
| Name | Trek Duties | Home State |
| Michael Murphy | National Geographic Society (NGS) Teacher | California |
| Roberto Carlo | Trekker | New York |
| Dana Bell | Trekker | California |
| Charlotte Talley Stutz | Trekker | South Carolina |
North Support Team :
| Name | Trek Duties | Home State |
| Charlie Thorpe | Team Leader | Alabama |
| Robert Ashley | Education Outreach Coordinator/ NGS Teacher Alternate | Illinois |
| Bob Van Deven | Media & Special Events Coordinator/ 1st Alternate | Arizona |
| Stephen Braunlich | General Logistics | Virginia |
| Cheryl Fusco | Route Logistics/ Supply & Equipment Manager | Florida |
| Sidna Small | Food and Beverage Manager | Kansas |
| Paul Bucca | Food and Beverage Manager | Alabama |
| Ravinda Gupta | Medical Support | North Carolina |
| Michelle Wiliams | Medical Support | New York |
The South Team left from the Mexico–US border west of Las Cruces, New Mexico, and travelled north to Salt Lake City, Utah.
South Team Trekkers :
| Name | Trek Duties | Home State |
| Catherine Kiffe | National Geographic Society Teacher | Louisiana |
| Jan Nesset | Trekker | Montana |
| Richard Tyrrell | Trekker | Pennsylvania |
| Julie Overbaugh | Trekker | Alaska |
South Support Team :
| Name | Trek Duties | Home State |
| Bob Hammond | Team Leader | Washington, DC |
| Kay Gandy | Education Outreach Coordinator/ NGS Teacher Alternate | Louisiana |
| Jessica Terrell | PR/Media & Special Events Coordinator/ 1st Alternate | Missouri |
| Jacob McLeod | General Logistics/ 2nd Alternate | Florida |
| Rob Monnig | Route Logistics/ Supply & Equipment Manager | Kentucky |
| Sam Altman | Food and Beverage Manager | Kentucky |
| Lorie McGraw | Technical Support | South Carolina |
| Vipul Lakhami | Medical Support | North Carolina |

## Education

American Frontiers attempted to present a balanced view of America's public lands-their history and their uses-engaging the two teams in special public land showcase events, round table discussions, backcountry classrooms, and a route visits to schools and communities. Trek updates were shown on the television show “National Geographic Today” and through daily postings by team members on the American Frontiers website.

### Trek Events

Both teams took part in events along their trek. These events were hosted by US Fish & Wildlife, US Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, US Geological Survey, and others.
Some of the North Team trek events included a tour of the OCI Trona Mine near Green River, Wyoming; attending a wild horse and burro adoption event in Jackson, Wyoming; and paddling across Clark Canyon Reservoir in a dugout canoe, following the steps (or paddle strokes) of the Lewis and Clark Expedition.
Some of the South Team's events ranged from a Wilderness Roundtable discussion in Silver City, New Mexico, about the importance of the Gila Wilderness in the lives of surrounding communities, a discussion about ATV use in the Fishlake National Forest in Utah, and a presentation on Condor reintroduction in the Kaibab National Forest.

### Geography Action! 2002

American Frontiers: A Public Lands Journey inspired the National Geographic Society's Geography Action! 2002 curriculum, aimed at school-aged children.