Restoration in Action:

The First Five Years of the 

Legacy Roads and Trails Program

April 2013
 “I am honored to have helped to create the Forest Service Legacy Roads and Trails 

Program. I have watched the work across the nation, especially 

in the Skokomish Valley in the Sixth Congressional District. 

This work has helped restore watersheds and improve water quality 

and fish habitat, and at the same time provided jobs that are 

desperately needed in our rural communities. 

This is a great program and one that I am proud to have sponsored. 

A lot more restoration work is needed, so I hope this program will continue 

to help the Forest Service get the job done.” 

— The Honorable Norm Dicks

U.S. Representative for Washington’s 6th Congressional District, 1977 – 2012

We thank USDA Forest Service staff for their assistance in providing data and images, and Marlies Wierenga, 

Dave Heller, and Dan Funsch for their dedication, long hours, and hard work.

Restoration in Action:

The First Five Years of the Legacy Roads and Trails Program

April 2013

Cover photo credits: Recontoured road on the Gallatin National Forest, MT, credit: Wildlands CPR; fisherperson, photo credit: Kent Miller.
Restoration in Action 1 

Executive Summary

The Legacy Roads and Trails Remediation Program(Legacy Roads and Trails) is a cornerstone of watershed 

restoration in our National Forests. Created to fix environmental 

problems resulting from the Forest Service’s extensive road 

and trail system, Legacy Roads and Trails has reduced stream 

pollution, restored fish and wildlife habitat, created jobs, and 

improved essential roads to ensure safe access. Legacy Roads 

and Trails has been a success from the start; it is smartly and 

efficiently managed, and achieves on-the-ground results in real 

time. 

Since its inception in 2008, Congress has appropriated $270 

million to Legacy Roads and Trails. With these funds, the Forest 

Service has: 

✔ Decommissioned 4,510 miles of unneeded roads to 

reconnect habitat and greatly reduce the delivery of 

sediment to streams;

✔ Maintained and/or storm-proofed 12,053 miles 

of needed roads to increase their ability to stand-up 

during powerful storms and ensure safe access;

✔ Restored fish passage at 823 sites to provide fish and 

other aquatic species access to more than 1,000 miles 

of upstream habitat;

✔ Upgraded or fixed 3,215 miles of trails to guarantee 

recreationists can safely use the areas they love;

✔ Created or maintained an average of 810-1,296 jobs

annually; and

✔ Reduced annual road maintenance costs by 

approximately $3 million per year.

Legacy Roads and Trails was created specifically to provide 

crucial resources to fix and storm-proof the roads we need, 

and to reclaim unneeded roads causing the most damage. The 

Legacy Roads and Trails program is a proven tool that: 

• Restores clean water and healthy fisheries, and 

reconnects fragmented wildlife habitat;

• Saves taxpayer money and creates high-wage jobs;

• Ensures safe and reliable access for recreation and 

resource management; and 

• Enjoys broad support by a wide variety of partners.

This report highlights Legacy Roads and Trails accomplishments 

during its first five years. It provides a general accounting of 

appropriated funds and spotlights a sampling of projects from 

across the country. As illustrated here, Legacy Roads and Trails 

is a mission-critical program for the Forest Service that deserves 

continued investment.

Photo credit: USFWS

Photo credit: USFS

Photo credit: USFS
2 The First Five Years of the Legacy Roads and Trails Program

Overview of the Legacy Roads and Trails Program

The National Forest System stretches from Florida to Alaska and consists of 155 individual National Forests and Grasslands. Forest 

Service lands are crisscrossed by an astounding 374,000 miles of road 

– more than eight times as many road miles as the national highway 

system. Many of these roads are often referred to as legacy roads – that 

is, roads left on the landscape after decades of intensive logging. Some 

of these old roads are used today for recreational access and resource 

management while many others sit unneeded, unused and undermaintained – a growing ecological and fiscal liability. 

Legacy Roads and Trails was created in FY 2008 to restore 

watersheds damaged by decaying roads. It funds decommissioning 

of unneeded roads, critical repair and maintenance on the roads 

and trails we do need, and projects to restore fish passage where 

streams cross underneath roads. Legacy Roads and Trails reduces 

environmental harm and long-term costs, while creating high-wage 

jobs and securing safe and reliable access to our national forests. 

With growth in outdoor recreation, hikers, hunters, fishermen, bikers, 

and campers rely on a small portion of the road system to access 

recreational destinations. This access is not assured, however, as roads 

continue to crumble, creating unsafe conditions or even blocking 

Comparing Road Mileages

L.A. to N.Y. = 2,448 miles

Distance around the earth = 24,900 miles

National Highway System = 42,793 miles

Distance to moon = 223,000 miles

FS roads = 374,000 miles

access entirely. The public rightfully expects that 

important recreational roads will be maintained; 

the Forest Service also needs access for resource 

management, including restoration and fire control. 

A safe and durable transportation system -- sized, 

located, and maintained appropriately to reduce 

risks to people, water, and forest resources -- is 

essential. 

Culverts are placed in road beds so that streams can 

flow under the roads. Many are damaged or too 

small and need to be replaced.

Photo credit: USFS

Photo credit: Wildlands CPR

Roads that encroach on stream channels damage aquatic 

habitats and processes.
Restoration in Action 3 

The Challenge of Legacy Roads in National Forests

In the past, many logging roads were designed for temporary use, and 

often they were not well-planned or well-constructed. Roads were placed 

in floodplains, along steep slopes, and through wildlife habitat. Sometimes 

roads were densely stacked - in parallel lines - one atop the next. Once 

logging was complete, the roads were typically left on the landscape. 

Historically, the Forest Service had funds to build and maintain roads, but 

as timber harvests declined, so too did road maintenance funding. At this 

point in time, the Forest Service is able to maintain or improve only about 

20% of its road system in any given year. The bulk of that funding goes 

towards passenger vehicle roads, which are most important for access. 

“If we don’t fix our roads we’re going to drink our roads.” 

Congressman Norm Dicks 

Representing Washington’s 6th District, May 2007

When roads are not maintained or under-maintained, 

culverts become clogged with debris, landslides occur, 

bridges weaken, and roads wash out. Large amounts 

of sediment pour into what used to be clear mountain 

streams, suffocating fish and burying stream channels. 

Hazards, such as washouts, pose serious safety risks 

to those driving on forest roads, at times even making 

access impossible. 

The consequences of unmaintained roads 

are surprisingly severe and far-reaching:

Roads help spread non-native pests, pathogens 

and weeds. 

Decaying roads break apart and dump sediment 

into streams polluting water, endangering fish, and 

reducing fishing opportunities. 

Road-related sediment degrades drinking water 

and increases municipal water treatment costs. 

Under-maintained roads fail, costing taxpayers 

millions in mitigation and restoration costs. 

Roads fragment habitat and reduce the vitality 

of deer and elk herds and related hunting 

opportunities. 

Collapsing roads cut-off access to trailheads, 

campgrounds and other popular recreational 

destinations. 

Photo credit: Dave Heller

Photo credit: USFS

Photo credit: USFS
4 The First Five Years of the Legacy Roads and Trails Program

“Western Governors urge Congress and the 

Administration to fund and implement a 

sustainable roads program.” 

— Western Governors’ Association 

Policy Resolution 08-3

The Legacy Roads and Trails idea was conceived by a 

coalition of conservation and recreation organizations, 

state agencies, and tribes in Washington State called the 

Washington Watershed Restoration Initiative. Driven by 

the serious road-related water quality problems plaguing 

Washington’s national forests, the Coalition campaigned for 

a targeted fund to address the forest road system, earning a 

broad array of support from organizations across the country. 

Once established, Legacy Roads and Trails quickly became 

a cornerstone of the Forest Service’s restoration program, 

reducing road impacts on water quality and fish, and better 

aligning the road system to current management needs and 

capacity.

Legacy Roads and Trails works because it is targeted, resultsoriented, and collaborative. The program delivers funds to 

address road problems in real time, which enables the Forest 

Service to efficiently plan, design, and implement restoration 

treatments. It is an essential tool for implementing updated 

and improved national forest transportation plans and 

watershed restoration initiatives. It is also a successful tool for 

leveraging non-federal funds resulting in more robust projects 

and enhanced community engagement. And because funds 

primarily go to actual work on the ground, Legacy Roads and 

Trails creates high wage jobs for contractors, including those 

who specialize in stream restoration, environmental design, 

and heavy equipment operation. 

For all these reasons, Legacy Roads and Trails enjoys broad 

support from tribes, watershed councils, state agencies, 

conservation groups, anglers, hunters, hikers, backcountry 

equestrians, utilities, municipal water suppliers, dam 

operators, conservation districts, unions, and more (see list on 

inside back cover).

An Effective and Dynamic Program

Monitoring is an important component of Legacy Roads 

and Trails for assessing how well projects are working and 

for applying lessons learned to improve future projects. 

Recent results show:

✔ Sediment delivery to streams is significantly 

reduced at studied sites:a 

• 80% reduction of sediment after storms at 

9 decommissioned sites.

• 67% reduction of sediment after storms at 

4 storm-proofed sites.

• Study locations: MT, ID, OR, WA, CA, UT 

✔ Fish are accessing previously unavailable 

habitat, at nearly all studied sites where barriers 

were removed.b 

• Study locations: OR and WA

✔ Black bears are frequenting areas where roads 

were decommissioned in significantly higher 

numbers than areas where roads had gates or 

barriers.c 

• Study location: Clearwater National Forest, ID

✔ Roads that were ‘storm-proofed’ had fewer 

landslides than roads that did not receive 

maintenance when damage from two large 

storms was compared.d

• Study location: Siuslaw National Forest, OR

Monitoring is providing important feedback to improve 

future projects. For example, monitoring results are being 

used in the development of a new Forest Service technical 

guide which will provide staff with information to quickly 

determine the maximum spacing of road drainage 

features without increasing storm-damage risk. This helps 

save staff time and construction expenses.e

A Unique Solution – The Legacy Roads and Trails Program

Photo monitoring has shown that wildlife such as mule deer use 

reclaimed roads more often than gated roads.

Photo credit: Wildlands CPR
Restoration in Action 5 

Legacy Roads and Trails is funded as part of overall Forest Service appropriations as 

determined annually by Congress. Over the 

past five years, Congress has appropriated a 

total of $270 million to this program.

Fiscal Funds Appropriated

Year (millions dollars)

2008 $ 40

2009 $ 50

2010 $ 90

2011 $ 45

2012 $ 45

Funding History

Funding is used for projects that often require skilled contractors. 

3,788

51,335

31,926

46,330

36,130

46,666

90,307

38,995

28,180

 Northern (R1)

 Rocky Mountain (R2)

 Southwestern (R3)

 Intermountain (R4)

 Pacific SW (R5)

 Pacific NW (R6)

Southern (R8)

Eastern (R9)

 Alaska (R10)

Miles of System Roads by 

Forest Service Region

Forest Service Region

 Northern (R1*)

 Rocky Mountain (R2)

 Southwestern (R3*)

 Intermountain (R4*)

 Pacific SW (R5)

 Pacific NW (R6)

Southern (R8)

Eastern (R9)

 Alaska (R10)

$60

$50

$40

$30

$20

$10

0

Key

2012

2011

2010

2009

2008

Regional Legacy Roads and Trails 

Allocations, FY 2008 – FY 2012

Annual 

Funding 

(Millions)

Photo credit: USFS

* In FY 2012, Congress created a pilot budget program in Regions 1, 3 and 4 called Integrated 

Resource Restoration (IRR) and merged Legacy Roads and Trails funds into it. Thus this graph 

does not include the FY12 allocations for those regions.
6 The First Five Years of the Legacy Roads and Trails Program

Watershed Health and Roads

Direct Legacy Roads and Trails dollars are only part of the 

funding story. In many places, the Forest Service successfully 

leverages Legacy Roads and Trails money with a variety 

of other funding sources, dramatically increasing the onthe-ground and economic benefits of the program. Some 

examples of leveraged funding sources include:

• Secure Rural Schools (federal);

• Emergency Relief for Federally Owned Roads (federal 

funding in transportation bill);

• Federal Stimulus (federal);

• Salmon Recovery Funds (federal/state);

• Watershed Restoration Grants (state/private);

• Clean Water Grants (federal/state); and

• Bonneville Power Administration (federal).

Legacy Roads and Trails also enhances other national and regional 

Forest Service efforts by providing funding to implement the 

roads portion of those initiatives. Examples include: 

➤ Watershed Condition Framework – Legacy Roads 

and Trails can be used to fund road and trail related 

watershed restoration projects in priority watersheds.

➤ Travel Analysis Process – By the end of 2015, 

every National Forest and Grassland will have a 

completed Travel Analysis Report that will guide future 

transportation planning projects, including road 

reclamation and storm-proofing. Legacy Roads and Trails 

will provide critical funding for implementing these 

projects. 

➤ Collaborative Forest Landscape Restoration Program - 

Under this program, restoration projects are developed 

and implemented collaboratively. Legacy Roads and 

Trails can provide required matching funds.

The Power of Leveraging

$110 million is needed to fix the first round of high-priority road and trail 

problems. This addresses only 2% of the sub-watersheds in the 

National Forest System.

In 2010, using the newly developed 

Watershed Condition Framework, 

the Forest Service assessed 15,065 

sub-watersheds across the National 

Forest System, and found that 67% 

of them are negatively affected by 

roads. 

Each forest identified two priority subwatersheds for focused restoration 

investment over the next few years. 

The agency created Watershed 

Restoration Action Plans (Action 

Plans) outlining the key projects for 

each priority subwatershed. 

In the initial set of 284 Action Plans, 

the Forest Service identified more 

than $350 million in “essential 

restoration projects.” Of that, $110 

million, or 31%, is needed to fix highpriority road and trail problems. 

Legacy Roads and Trails is crucial 

for implementing the road work 

identified in these Action Plans.

Rainfall during storms is collected and 

directed through culverts that often lead 

directly to streams. This can foul stream water.

Photo credit: USFS

Photo credit: USFS
Restoration in Action 7 

National Accomplishments

Legacy Roads and Trails accomplishments begin with numbers – for example, miles of roads reclaimed or 

maintained. But the achievements go far beyond these numbers 

to reach the ultimate objective – watershed restoration and 

sustainable transportation. Replacing nearly one thousand 

blocked culverts means fish can now access habitat that was 

unreachable a few years ago. Improving and maintaining more 

than ten thousand miles of roads means the access to popular 

trails, camping sites, and fishing holes is safer. Reclaiming more 

than 4,000 miles of roads means wildlife can migrate more 

freely and rivers and streams run with cleaner, colder water. 

These accomplishments are significant and the beginning of 

an essential national investment to correct environmental and 

infrastructure problems created over the past century. 

✔ Restored Fish and Wildlife Habitat

Legacy Roads and Trails projects have resulted in:f

– 1,030 miles of stream habitat restored or enhanced;

– 243 acres of lake habitat restored or enhanced;

– 177,233 acres of terrestrial habitat restored or enhanced;

– 27,193 acres of water or soil resources protected, 

maintained, or improved;

– 2,114 acres treated for noxious weeds and invasive 

plants; and

– 823 stream crossings fixed to allow fish to swim 

upstream.

Photos: USFS

Small culverts are replaced with larger bottomless culverts. The streambed is re-created making 

it easier for fish to move up and down stream.

Key

Roads & Trails Improved 

(miles)

Roads Decommissioned 

(miles)

Fish Passage Restored 

(# of sites)

2008 2009 2010 2011 2012

Roads Decommissioned, Trails Improved, Fish Passage Restoredg

180 163

262

143

75

1,509

531

929

581

960

3,035 3,077

4,144

2,799

2,113

Note: 

This figure is not 

to scale.

Photos: USFS

Recently ripped road as part of a larger road reclamation project.

Outcomes
8 The First Five Years of the Legacy Roads and Trails Program

✔ More Jobs

A 2011 University of Oregon study found that every $1 million 

invested in watershed restoration work creates 15-24 jobs.h 

With $270 million appropriated so far, the Legacy Roads and 

Trails Program has averaged $54 million per year, creating or 

maintaining between 810 and 1,296 high wage jobs per year 

for heavy equipment operators and a variety of restoration 

specialists.

An estimate of jobs created nationally as a 

result of the LRT program, 2008-2012

Funds Appropriated (millions)

2008 2009 2010 2011 2012

high estimate

$45 $45 $90 $50 $39

500 low estimate

1,000

1,500

2,000

Outcomes, cont’d

✔ Consistent and Safe Access

Legacy Roads and Trails helps maintain needed roads and trails 

for both resource management and recreational access. With 

these funds, the Forest Service has:

– Constructed (or reconstructed) 123 bridges;

– Maintained or improved 3,215 miles of system trails;

– Improved 3,634 miles of roads; and

– Maintained 8,418 miles of roads.

unit sediment 

delivery 

down 80%

road-stream 

hydrologic 

connectivity 

up 33%

drainpoint 

problem rate 

down 38%

road-stream 

hydrologic 

connectivity 

down 44%

untreated roads after storms

treated roads after storms

unit 

sediment 

delivery 

drainpoint up 94%

problem 

rate 

up 50%

Definition of Terms

A hydrologically connected road means that the road is part of the stream 

network. Rainfall is intercepted by road surfaces and cut slopes, and delivered to the 

stream, instead of infiltrating naturally.

A drain pointis a location where water collects and drains from a road. Poorly placed 

or ineffective drain points can lead to road failures.

Unit sediment delivery refers to the amount of sediment delivered to a stream per 

length of road per year.

Photo credit: REI

✔ Clean Water and Healthy Streams

Initial Forest Service monitoring shows that Legacy Roads and 

Trails treatments are highly effective at reducing hydrologic 

impacts. The Rocky Mountain Research Station is in the 

middle of a multi-year analysis of the responses of treated and 

untreated roads to large storms. The study assessed 60 km 

of decommissioned roads and found significant benefits, as 

displayed in the figure below.

✔ Taxpayer Savings

Regular maintenance, improvements, and storm-proofing 

reduce storm damage to roads, saving taxpayer money. 

Moreover, reclaiming unneeded roads eliminates future 

maintenance and environmental costs. 

The Forest Service estimates that Legacy Roads and Trails work has 

saved:

– ~$3 million per year in annual road maintenance, and 

– ~$17 million from the deferred maintenance backlog.i
Restoration in Action 9 

Regional Accomplishments

This section highlights Legacy Roads and Trails projects 

in five Forest Service regions: Northern Region, 

Southwestern Region, Pacific Southwest Region, Pacific 

Northwest Region, and the Eastern Region. The types 

of regional projects and the accomplishments vary 

considerably due to differences in priorities and severity 

of road-related issues.

Legacy Roads and Trails Accomplishments by Forest Service Region, FY 2008 – FY 2012

Region 

and % of system road miles

Northern (1)*

14%

Roads decommissioned (miles)

Roads/trails improved or maintained (miles)

Culverts fixed (number)

Rocky Mountain (2)

9%

Roads decommissioned (miles)

Roads/trails improved or maintained (miles)

Culverts fixed (number)

Southwestern (3)*

12%

Roads decommissioned (miles)

Roads/trails improved or maintained (miles)

Culverts fixed (number)

Intermountain (4)*

10%

Roads decommissioned (miles)

Roads/trails improved or maintained (miles)

Culverts fixed (number)

Pacific SW (5) 

12%

Roads decommissioned (miles)

Roads/trails improved or maintained (miles)

Culverts fixed (number)

Totals

990

2,451

161

716

899

61

139

541

13

1,156

720

66

100

2,342

8

Pacific NW (6) 

24%

Roads decommissioned (miles)

Roads/trails improved or maintained (miles)

Culverts fixed (number)

Southern (8)

10%

Roads decommissioned (miles)

Roads/trails improved or maintained (miles)

Culverts fixed (number)

Eastern (9)

7%

Roads decommissioned (miles)

Roads/trails improved or maintained (miles)

Culverts fixed (number)

Alaska (10)

1%

Roads decommissioned (miles)

Roads/trails improved or maintained (miles)

Culverts fixed (number)

TOTALS

Roads decommissioned (miles)

Roads/trails improved or maintained (miles)

Culverts fixed (number)

825

4,837

67

368

1,854

46

145

961

101

71

662

300

4,510

15,267

823

Region 

and % of system road miles Totals

*In FY 2012, Congress created a pilot program in Regions 1, 3 and 4 called Integrated Resource Restoration (IRR) and 

merged Legacy Roads and Trails funds into it. Regional totals here include IRR accomplishments from FY 2012.
10 The First Five Years of the Legacy Roads and Trails Program

Northern Region – Region 1

Featured Project: 

Yakus Road and White/White Road Decommissioning 

Forest: Clearwater, Idaho

River basin: Lower and Upper Lolo Creek

Year: 2011

For thousands of generations, the Nez Perce (“Numipu” – 

the real people) have hunted, fished, and gathered across 

a vast landscape in the intermountain West, including 

Clearwater country. Although they ceded much land 

through treaties, the Nez Perce maintained their rights 

to hunt and fish. The Forest Service now manages many 

of those ancestral lands, but they have been altered by 

a variety of past land management activities including 

wide-scale logging and mining. Steelhead trout, bull 

trout, and Chinook salmon once thrived, but now struggle 

to survive.

Roads are a major environmental problem across this 

landscape. The high road density coupled with poorly 

designed stream crossings, inadequate maintenance, and 

erodible soils has led to widespread damage. 

The Nez Perce-Clearwater National 

Forest and the Nez Perce Tribe run an 

award-winning partnership to restore 

watersheds, fish habitat, and water quality 

on the ceded lands. Legacy Roads and 

Trails is part of the watershed restoration 

program and provides important matching 

money to support this 6.5 million per 

year partnership. For the past 20 years, 

the Forest Service and Nez Perce Tribe 

have worked together to decommission 

more than 1,000 miles of unneeded roads 

and replace more than 100 culverts to 

restore access to fish habitat. They have 

also implemented in-stream restoration 

projects and improved maintenance on 

needed roads. The projects highlighted 

here, Yakus and White/White, provide an 

excellent illustration of this work.

High road densities have led to widespread damage. 

Stream crossing restored to its natural condition.

 Photo credit: USFS.

Photo credit: USFS.
Restoration in Action 11 

Project Treatments:

✔ Decommissioned 24 miles of 

roads

✔ Stabilized and stored 4 miles of 

roads

✔ Restored stream crossings

✔ Recontoured fill slopes

✔ Constructed cross-drains

✔ Revegetated with native brush

“We must be patient but persistent...thinking back to when this partnership program began and I looked over the 

landscape in the Clearwater Basin - the maze of roads and obstacles for fish...I asked myself how are we going to get there?

One mile at a time we chipped away understanding it will be years before we restore all of the Clearwater - from ridge 

top to ridge top. I keep in mind the stories from my grandparents...of how they fished, hunted and gathered and 

how they drank the water from these streams “the blood of life” while observing Grizzly Bears fishing the streams.... 

Yes there is hope, one mile at a time we’ve made progress.”

Ira Jones, Watershed Division Director, 

Nez Perce Tribe

Reconstructing stream channel. 

Major Partners:

Nez Perce Tribe

Bonneville Power Administration

Healthy stream channel two years after 

project completion.

A plugged culvert backs up water along the 

road. Plugged culverts like this are prone to blow 

out delivering damaging slugs of sediment to 

streams.

Excess sediment in a stream can suffocate fish eggs.

Funding:

$70,000 Legacy Roads and Trails

$100,000 Nez Perce Tribe

$35,000 other Forest Service 

funds

Outcomes:

✔ Improved habitat for steelhead trout, west slope cutthoat trout and 

Chinook salmon

✔ Reduced sediment delivery

✔ Restored surface and subsurface water flows

✔ Reduced road maintenance costs (enabling limited maintenance 

dollars to be spent elsewhere)

Photo credit: USFS

Photo credit: USFS

Photo credit: USFS

Photo credit: USFS
12 The First Five Years of the Legacy Roads and Trails Program

Rocky Mountain Region – Region 2

Featured Project: 

Shoshone South Zone Wilderness Trail Improvements

Forest: Shoshone, Wyoming

River basin: Multiple River Basins

Year: 2009

The Fitzpatrick and Popo Agie Wilderness areas within the 

Shoshone National Forest offer some of the most majestic and 

wildest scenery anywhere in this country. Rugged peaks, alpine 

lakes, deep and narrow valleys, sheer granite walls, and perennial 

snowfields define these remarkable places. A network of trails 

used by backcountry horsemen and hikers serve as the primary 

access to and through the Fitzpatrick and Popo Agie areas. 

Many of the trails traverse delicate wetlands. In some places, trail 

managers build timbered paths elevated above wet areas, called 

puncheons, to protect wetlands. The puncheons on several 

important recreational trails in the South Zone of the Shoshone 

National Forest had deteriorated to such a degree that trail users, 

including horses, were breaking through the tread posing a severe 

safety hazard. In addition, trail users were bypassing the puncheons 

and creating a braiding effect in the wetlands and through small 

stream crossings. 

In this project, the Forest Service addressed the 

highest priority safety and resource issues by 

repairing or replacing fourteen trail puncheon 

sections. The rugged and remote country 

presented logistical challenges, especially on 

those trail segments located within the Wilderness 

boundaries, where motorized equipment is 

prohibited. To address them, conservation corps 

crew members, local outfitters, and volunteers 

helped transport materials on horseback and 

construct the puncheons.

Deteriorated puncheon prior to replacement. 

Photo credit: USFS

Popo Agie Wilderness in the Shoshone National Forest. 

Photo credit: Sara Domek
Restoration in Action 13 

Project Treatments:

✔ Rebuilt 490 lineal feet of severely deteriorated puncheons 

on the following trails: Middle Fork, Sheep Bridge, 

Stough Creek Lakes, Pinto Park, Glacier, Wolf Creek, and 

Yellowstone

Outcomes:

✔ Ensured safe access across wet areas for at least 50 years

✔ Restored wetland habitat 

✔ Created lasting partnerships for trail stewardship with 

local user groups

✔ Reduced annual and long-term maintenance costs 

Funding:

$50,000 Legacy Roads and Trails 

$29,270 Other partnership funds 

“At the field level, this project displays the continued value of leveraging partnership funding and services through 

the Legacy Roads and Trails Program and furthers three of the focus areas - Restore and Adapt Recreation Settings, 

Forge Strategic Partnerships, and Promote Citizen Stewardship - identified in 

A Framework for Sustainable Recreation.”

Chris Sporl

Regional Landscape Architect and Recreation Planner,

Rocky Mountain Regional Office

Final constructed puncheon bridge replacement. 

Photo credit: Shoshone National Forest

Due to remoteness, materials were transported far into the backcountry using stock.

Photo credit: USFS

Project volunteers proudly show the fruits of their labor. Volunteer 

labor was an essential component of this project given the remote 

and rugged country in which the trails were located. 

Photo credit: USFS

Major Partners:

Lazy TX Outfitters

Diamond 4 Ranch

Sierra Club 

National Outdoor Leadership School

Backcountry Horsemen of America

Wilderness Volunteers

Wilderness Ventures

Wyoming Conservation Corps
14 The First Five Years of the Legacy Roads and Trails Program

Southwestern Region – Region 3

Featured Project: 

Valle Vidal Road Decommissioning

Forest: Carson, New Mexico

River basin: Comanche Creek/Rio Costilla

Year: 2009

Comanche Creek is a 27,262 acre watershed in north central New 

Mexico. The creek is a tributary to the Rio Costilla that eventually 

empties into the Rio Grande River. It provides valuable habitat for 

the Rio Grande cutthroat trout, which is New Mexico’s state fish 

and a candidate for protection under the Endangered Species 

Act. The largest elk population in New Mexico roams the upper 

portion of the Rio Costilla watershed and the area is a prized 

location for hunting, fishing, hiking and bird watching.

When the Valle Vidal management unit was donated to the Forest 

Service, it contained more than 400 miles of roads in the upper 

watershed. The area had been logged using “jammer roads” 

spaced just 150 feet apart across the hillsides with no regard 

to watershed and water quality impacts. Although the Forest 

Service determined most of these old logging roads were no 

longer needed and closed them to public motorized use, the 

impacts remained. The roads persisted as a chronic source of 

accelerated sediment delivery into the stream system, adversely 

affecting trout habitat. 

The Comanche Creek area is a focal point 

for a variety of restoration efforts by the 

Forest Service and multiple partners. 

The goal of this featured project is 

to restore watershed conditions and 

improve native Rio Grande cutthroat 

trout habitat by reducing or eliminating 

the flow of road-borne sediments to 

Comanche Creek.

The headwaters to Comanche Creek flow from the forested hills 

through meadows to the valley bottoms.

Roads often turn into streams during storms because the hard road 

surface cannot absorb the rainwater.

Photo credit: George Long, USFS

Photo credit: George Long, USFS
Restoration in Action 15 

Project Treatments:

✔ Decommissioned more than 10 miles of road

✔ Restored original slopes, vegetation, and drainages

Outcomes:

✔ Improved habitat conditions for native Rio Grande 

cutthroat trout

✔ Improved big game habitat for deer, bear and elk - 

protecting the quality of this “once in a lifetime” elk 

hunting area, which contributes more than half a million 

dollars annually to local economies

✔ Reduced sediment into the creek

Funding:

$15,000 Legacy Roads and Trails

$20,000 partners 

Major Partners:

Quivira Coalition

New Mexico Department of Game and Fish

The Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation

“Water is New Mexico’s most precious resource, yet clean water is becoming increasingly scarce. Its abundance or 

scarcity is critically important to all residents of the state. Thanks to the Legacy Roads and Trails Program, 

New Mexico’s rivers run a little clearer and cleaner.”

Rachel Conn, Projects Director, Amigos Bravos

Comanche Creek with successful riparian restoration 

visible. Photo credit: George Long, USFS

Ripping up the old road bed and re-establishing the hillslope allows 

water to infiltrate.

Many roads in the Valle Vidal collect rainwater for many hundreds of 

feet. The collected water then dumps over the edge of the road 

at the lowest point. These drainpoints can weaken and 

collapse sections of the road.

Photo credit: George Long, USFS Photo credit: George Long, USFS

Photo credit: George Long, USFS
16 The First Five Years of the Legacy Roads and Trails Program

Pacific Southwest Region – Region 5

Located in Northern California, the Lower 

Canyon Creek sub-watershed is just over 

38,400 acres and contains Soldier and 

Conner Creeks. These creeks flow into the 

nationally designated Wild and Scenic 

Trinity River, which provides critical habitat 

for threatened coho salmon and steelhead 

trout. Local communities rely on the river 

as an important water source for drinking, 

irrigation, and recreation.

Though important to fish and people, the Trinity River is impaired due to 

excessive sediment loads and temperatures. Several studies identified the 

Soldier Creek sub-watershed as a significant contributor of sediment to the 

Trinity River. That sediment threatens the survival and development of salmon 

and steelhead eggs, and increases the costs of drinking water treatment. 

When the Eagle Fire swept through the area in 2008, the need to address 

sediment runoff became urgent.

In 2009, the Shasta-Trinity National Forest developed a multi-year road 

action plan in collaboration with key partners. Two partners, the Trinity 

County Resource Conservation District and Trinity River Restoration Project, 

secured 50% of the total funding for Canyon Creek watershed restoration 

work, including work on Soldier and Conner Creeks. Total collective funding 

for watershed restoration in the Canyon Creek area was approximately $2.5 

million.

Threatened coho salmon and steelhead 

depend on cool and clear water for survival.

Featured Project: 

Canyon Creek Road Improvements

Forest: Shasta-Trinity, California

River basin: Trinity River

Year: 2008-2012

Canyon Creek sub-watershed was a contributor of sediment to the Trinity River. 

Photo credit: USFS

Photo credit: USFS
Restoration in Action 17 

Project Treatments: 

✔ Improved 47 miles of road drainage after wildfire

✔ Storm-proofed 54 miles of road 

✔ Decommissioned 4.6 miles of road 

✔ Removed 5 in-stream barriers 

✔ Treated 96 stream crossings 

Outcomes: 

✔ Improved roughly 16 miles of in-stream habitat 

✔ Restored 25 acres of watershed

✔ Improved water quality for coho, steelhead trout, and community 

water supplies 

✔ Reduced risk of flood damage 

✔ Improved water quality and channel continuity

Funding:

$692,000 Legacy Roads and Trails 

$1,858,000 Ten Partners and other funds

“The Shasta Trinity National Forest Legacy Roads and Trails projects focus on addressing road issues throughout 

entire watersheds.  The Legacy funding provides the seed money that brings multiple partners to the table to 

continue efforts for a much more effective holistic watershed restoration approach. It’s amazing how much more 

we can get done when we all work together. All restoration programs have to start somewhere, for us the Lower 

Canyon Creek Restoration Program all started with the Legacy funding. “

- Christine Mai, Watershed Program Manager, Shasta Trinity National Forest.

Small culverts easily become blocked during a storm, forcing water Decommissioned road and restored stream crossing.

over the roadway where it picks up more sediment.

Major Partners: 

Photo credit: USFS

USFS Region 5 Trinity County Resource 

Conservation District 

Trinity River Restoration Program

US Fish & Wildlife Service

CA Dept. of Fish & Game

Trinity Co. Dept. of Transportation

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration

National Association of Counties

National Fish & Wildlife Foundation

California Coastal Conservancy

Lan Mark Forestry

Restoration work often requires the use of heavy 

equipment and skilled operators.

Photo credit: USFS Photo credit: USFS
18 The First Five Years of the Legacy Roads and Trails Program

Pacific Northwest Region – Region 6

Featured Project: 

Jack Creek Road Relocation 

Forest: Okanagon-Wenatchee, 

Washington

River basin: Teanaway River

Year: 2010-2012

Teanaway Ridge sits on the east side of the Cascade 

Mountains in the Okanagon-Wenatchee National 

Forest. Popular with recreationists, the area boasts 

views of the entire Stuart Range, including beautiful 

Mt. Stuart. Jack Creek Road (FS 9738) provides a scenic 

drive along Teanaway Ridge, and is used to access 

numerous public recreation opportunities, and private 

lands. Thirteen miles long, the road also winds through 

a valley bottom where it runs close to the creek and 

important habitat for Chinook salmon and threatened 

steelhead trout. 

While the road clearly provides important access, the 

road segment that traverses the floodplain has caused 

problems for years by severely constricting the natural 

movement of the stream. To make matters more 

complex, the road cuts across both Forest Service and 

private land so any solution had to involve both the 

public and the agency. 

The Forest Service and local landholders had a serious 

challenge: To provide continued recreational and 

private land access while also addressing the needs of 

fish and wildlife. The solution required the cooperation 

of many partners and included: decommissioning 

the most problematic part of the road and relocating 

it onto an elevated terrace; extensive stream and 

floodplain restoration on private lands; and staged 

implementation with both government and nongovernment contractors working in concert. 

Roads can be a type of dam, preventing creeks from moving around 

on their floodplains.

Photo credit: Mid-Columbia Fisheries Enhancement Group

Photo credit: USFS

Jack Creek helps support meadow habitats in the valley bottom.
Restoration in Action 19 

Project Treatments: 

✔ Relocated nearly one mile of road to a stable upslope location

✔ Obliterated and fully recontoured the valley bottom road 

✔ Restored creek channel and placed large woody debris

✔ Restored riparian areas with plantings of native vegetation

✔ Restored the floodplain

Outcomes:

✔ Two miles of Jack Creek restored to natural conditions

✔ Improved cover and spawning habitat for steelhead trout and 

Chinook salmon

✔ Improved water flows 

✔ Improved capability to absorb floods without road damage or 

lost access

Funding:

$226,800 Legacy Roads and Trails plus other Forest Service funds 

$166,000 Partners

“Funding from Legacy Roads and Trails allowed the Cle Elum Ranger District to analyze the effects of road 

relocation, and to contract with a local firm to move 0.9 miles of road off the banks of Jack Creek. The investment 

and commitment shown by the Forest Service helped to persuade other funding agencies to support additional 

restoration work, leading ultimately to in-channel enhancement and floodplain reconnection 

along nearly two miles of the stream.”

Rebecca Wassell

Yakima Basin Program Manager, 

Mid-Columbia Fisheries Enhancement Group

Volunteers plant native trees and shrubs in the 

footprint of the decommissioned road. 

Moving the road, ripping up the old road bed, planting vegetation 

and placing large woody debris improves the creek for native fish.

When roads are adjacent to streams, streamside plants cannot grow 

and shade the creek. This results in warmer water and lack of cover, 

both of which harm salmon.

Major Partners: 

Mid-Columbia Fisheries 

Enhancement Group

Salmon Recovery Funding Board

US Fish and Wildlife Service 

Partners Program

National Forest Foundation

Overlake Fly-fishing Club

Yakima Tributary Habitat Access Project 

American Forest Land Company, LLC

Local volunteers

Photo credit: USFS Photo credit: USFS

Photo credit: Mid-Columbia Fisheries Enhancement Group
20 The First Five Years of the Legacy Roads and Trails Program

Eastern Region – Region 9

Featured Project: 

Fish Passage Restoration and Storm-Proofing

Forest: Green Mountain – Finger Lakes, Vermont and New York

River basin: Multiple river basins

Year: 2008-2013

The Green Mountain and Finger Lakes National 

Forests are located within a day’s drive for 

more than 70 million people, offering a wealth 

of recreation opportunities. In Vermont, the 

headwaters of many of the state’s rivers flow from 

the National Forest, supplying communities 

with drinking water and providing habitat for 

native fish. 

Communities located lower in the watersheds 

recognize the importance of restoration work 

in these upper areas, not only for recreation 

and wildlife but also flood protection. Forest 

Service assessments showed the potential for 

severe damage and road failures during major 

storms, especially at road/stream crossings. Those assessments 

also determined that native brook trout and Atlantic salmon were 

blocked from accessing good habitat at more than 60% of the 

stream crossings. Beginning in 2008, the Forest Service restored 

fish passage and storm-proofed roads and stream crossings based 

on the results of the earlier assessments. The Forest Service used a 

new design tool called “stream simulation” to effectively determine 

how large the crossings should be to accommodate flood waters 

and debris during major storms.

In August 2011, Tropical Storm Irene hit the Northeast leaving many 

communities isolated by destroyed roads, bridges, and culverts. 

However, most of the treated sites in the National Forest suffered 

little damage and safely passed huge volumes of water, gravel, and 

trees without major impacts to downstream communities.

The headwaters of many of Vermont’s rivers originate in 

the National Forest.

It is not unusual for culverts to become plugged during a storm, forcing water to break 

through a road bed. The purpose of this project was to redesign culverts to 

prevent this type of mass failure.

Photo credit: USFS

Photo credit: USFS
Restoration in Action 21 

Project Treatments:

✔ Fixed 32 road-stream crossings 

✔ Replaced 15 culverts 

✔ Removed 10 culverts 

✔ Replaced 3 pipes 

✔ Replaced 4 bridges 

Outcomes:

✔ Restored access to 49 miles of stream habitat for brook trout 

and Atlantic salmon

✔ Reduced risk of catastrophic road damage during heavy storms 

✔ Ensured safe access to communities and recreational areas

Funding: 

$995,000 - Legacy Roads and Trails

$3.1 million – other federal funding sources

“It has become quite clear to us in recent years that restoring fish passage, by replacing under-sized culverts, is a 

fiscally responsible public investment and also an investment that benefits our fish populations and reduces the 

potential for increased flooding and erosion in our communities.”

Steve Roy

Natural Resources Staff Officer,

Green Mountain & Finger Lakes NF

Improved design included natural streambed and larger 

culvert for high volumes of water.

Culverts were too small for large storm flows, and blocked fish 

from moving upstream. 

White River Partnership

Trout Unlimited

Vermont Department of Fish and Wildlife

Major Partners:

US Fish and Wildlife Service

Natural Resource Conservation Service

Local communities and watershed groups

Photo credit: USFS Photo credit: USFS

Photo credit: USFS

The Forest Service removed an old culvert and replaced it 

with a bottomless arch culvert to improve fish passage.
22 The First Five Years of the Legacy Roads and Trails Program

I

n 2008, conservationists, Forest Service staff, water 

quality specialists and others lauded the creation of 

Legacy Roads and Trails for its extraordinary potential 

as an innovative tool for funding watershed restoration 

and long-term transportation needs. Five years and 

thousands of accomplishments later, it is clear the 

program has lived up to expectations. Legacy Roads and 

Trails is cleaning up our water, restoring fish and wildlife 

habitat, creating high-wage jobs, reducing long-term 

costs, and improving access. 

While Legacy Roads and Trails is making a difference, a 

significant amount of work remains, reaching far beyond 

the capacity of the current program. Legacy Roads and 

Trails projects to date have treated less than 5% of the 

road system, and deferred maintenance continues to 

grow. It took more than a century to create the legacy 

of roads in our national forests. Likewise, it will take time 

and investment to fix, reclaim and rework that road 

system to meet 21st century transportation, fiscal, and 

ecological demands. 

Big challenges call for big solutions. Road management 

is a continuing challenge for the Forest Service and an 

important ingredient in the agency’s restoration agenda. 

A healthy, robust, and effective Legacy Roads and Trails 

program remains a vital tool for achieving Forest Service 

restoration objectives across the nation. 

Conclusion

Photo credit: USFS

Photo credit: USFS

Photo credit: USFS

Photo credit: USFS
Restoration in Action 23 

Endnotes

a Nelson, Nathan, Tom Black, Charles Luce and Richard Cissel. 2012. 

Legacy Roads and Trails Monitoring Project Update 2012. USDA 

Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station. Available: http://

www.fs.fed.us/GRAIP/downloads/case_studies/2012LegacyRoadsMo

nitoringProjectUpdate.pdf

b Robertson, Greg, Brian Bair and David Heller. 2011. Pacific Northwest 

Region Aquatic Organism Passage-Stream Simulation Effectiveness 

Monitoring Report. USDA Forest Service Pacific Northwest Region 

and TEAMS Enterprise Unit. Portland Oregon.

c Switalski, Adam and Cara Nelson. Efficacy of Road Removal for 

restoring wildlife habitat: Black Bear in the Northern Rocky Mountains, 

USA. Biological Conservation 44 (2011) 2666-2673. Available:http://

www.wildlandscpr.org/files/Switalski%20and%20Nelson%20

2011.%20%20Efficacy%20of%20road%20removal%20for%20

restoring%20wildlife%20habitat.pdf

d Ellis-Sugai, Barbara. USDA Forest Service Memo. Impact of the January 

2012 flood event on Siuslaw National Forest Roads. September 5, 

2012.

e Cissel, R., T. Black, C. Luce, N. Nelson, and B. Staab. May 2010. Erosion 

sensitivity index for gullies, hillslope, and road segment length 

for storm damage risk reduction treatments. To be included in 

“Storm Damage Risk Reduction Guide for Low-Volume Roads” in 

development, San Dimas Technology and Development Center, 

USDA Forest Service.

f USDA Forest Service. Region 6 estimate from Performance 

Accountability System data compiled in December 2012. It should 

be noted that not all regions report these values consistently. Data is 

highly variable and may be subject to errors.

g USDA Forest Service. Washington Office. Performance Accountability 

System data compiled in January 2013.

h Nielsen-Pincus, Max and Cassandra Moseley. Economic and 

Employment Impacts of Forest and Watershed Restoration in Oregon. 

Ecosystem Workforce Program. Working Paper Number 24. Spring 

2010. Available: http://ewp.uoregon.edu/sites/ewp.uoregon.edu/files/

downloads/WP24.pdf

i USDA Forest Service Region 6 estimate from December 2012. 

Based on an annual estimated maintenance cost for passenger car 

roads of $900-$2200 per mile and for high clearance vehicle roads 

of $1-$950 per mile. Maintenance includes work such as blading, 

culvert cleaning, brushing, removal of danger trees, etc. Deferred 

maintenance savings was approximated using the FY 2012 Presidents 

Budget deferred maintenance cost estimates.

Photo credit: USFS

Reclaimed road on the Clearwater National Forest, ID.

Photo credit: Wildlands CPR
24 The First Five Years of the Legacy Roads and Trails Program

Partners

The Wilderness Society and Wildlands CPR wish to thank the vast array of groups* that have supported 

Legacy Roads and Trails and have partnered on projects over the last five years!

Northern Region (R1)

Montana, North Dakota, Northern 

Idaho, portions of South Dakota 

and Wyoming

Project Partners

Bonneville Power Administration

Columbia River Intertribal Fish Commission

Federal Highway Administration

Idaho Office of Species Conservation

Idaho Transportation Department

Lincoln County Resource Advisory Council 

Montana Fish, Wildlife, and Parks

National Fish and

Wildlife Foundation

Nez Perce Tribe

North Idaho RAC

Trout Unlimited

University of Great Falls

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Western Pacific Power Company

Wildlands CPR

Program Supporters

American Rivers**

American Whitewater**

Avista Corporation

Back Country Horsemen of Montana

Centennial Valley Association

Clark Fork Coalition

Defenders of Wildlife**

Great Burn Study Group

Greater Yellowstone Coalition

Ironworkers Local #14

Jefferson River Watershed Council

Lewis & Clark Chapter Montana Trout Unlimited

Missoula Area Central Labor Council AFL-CIO

Montana Association of Conservation Districts

Montana Audubon

Montanans for Quiet Recreation

Montana Laborers #1686

Montana Smart Growth Coalition

Montana Wilderness Association

Pacific Rivers Council

Rattlesnake Creek Watershed Group

Ruby Watershed Council/Ruby Valley Cons. District

Sierra Club**

Swan Ecosystem Center

Swan View Coalition

The Wilderness Society**

Watershed Consulting LLC

Western Environmental Law Center**

Western MT Building and Construction Trades Council

Wildlands CPR**

Yaak Valley Forest Council

Yellowstone Valley Audubon Society

Rocky Mountain Region (R2)

Colorado, South Dakota, Kansas, Nebraska, portions of Wyoming

Project Partners

Biodiversity Conservation Alliance

Colorado Department of Fish and Wildlife

Coors Brewing Company

Federal Highway Grants

Friends of Mount Evans Volunteers

Gunnison Energy Company

Laramie Rivers Conservation District

Norbeck Society (SD)

Roaring Fork Outdoor Volunteers

Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation

South Dakota Game and Fish

Trout Unlimited

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Western Colorado Conservation Corps

Wyoming Conservation Corps

Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality

Wyoming Department of Fish and Wildlife

Wildland Restoration Volunteers

Youth Corp

Program Supporters

American Whitewater**

Audubon Society - Fort Collins Chapter

Biodiversity Conservation Alliance

Central Colorado Wilderness Coalition

Colorado Mountain Club

Colorado Watershed Assembly

Conservation Colorado

Front Range CO BLM Resource Advisory Council

Great Old Broads for Wilderness

High Country Citizens’ Alliance

National Wildlife Federation

Quiet Use Coalition

Rocky Mountain Recreation Initiative 

San Juan Citizens’ Alliance

San Luis Valley Ecosystem Council

Sheep Mountain Alliance

Sierra Club**

The Wilderness Society**

Trout Unlimited**

Western Colorado Congress

Western Resource Advocates

Wilderness Workshop

Photo credit: USFS
Restoration in Action 25 

Southwest Region (R3)

Arizona and New Mexico

Project Partners

American Conservation Experience

Amigos Bravos

Angostura Homeowner’s Association

Arizona Department of Environment Quality

Arizona Department of Water Resources

Arizona State Parks

Arizona Trail Association

Backcountry Horsemen of America

Boy Scouts of America

City of Sedona (AZ)

Coconino Rural Environmental Corps (AZ)

Flagstaff Biking Organization (AZ)

Friends of Madera Canyon (AZ)

Friends of Sabino Canyon (AZ)

Friends of the Forest (AZ)

Grand Canyon Wildlands Council (AZ)

Green Valley Hiking Club (AZ)

Holloman Air Force Base (NM)

Mount Lemmon Water District (AZ)

Munds Park Trail Stewards (AZ)

New Mexico Environment Department

New Mexico Game and Fish

NM School for the Blind & Visually Impaired (NM)

Quivira Coalition (NM)

Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation

Southern Arizona Hiking Club

Southern Arizona Rescue Association

Student Conservation Association

The Wellness Coalition (NM)

Town of Eager (AZ)

Town of Red River (NM)

WildEarth Guardians

Williams Production Company, LLC

XTO Energy, Inc.

Youth Conservation Corps

Program Supporters

Acoustic Ecology Institute (NM)

Albuquerque Wildlife Federation (NM)

Amigos Bravos (NM)

Archaeology Southwest

Arizona Wilderness Coalition

Arizona Zoological Society

Bird’s Eye View

Center for Biological Diversity**

Grand Canyon Wildlands Council

Great Old Broads for Wilderness**

New Mexico Wilderness Alliance

NM Trout

New Mexico Wildlife Federation

Public Employees for Envr. Responsibility (AZ)

Sierra Club - Grand Canyon Chapter (AZ)

Sierra Club - Northern Group (NM)

Sierra Club - Southern Chapter (NM)

Sierra Club - Rio Grande Chapter (NM)

Sky Island Alliance (AZ)

Southwest Environmental Center

The Wilderness Society**

Upper Gila Watershed Alliance (NM)

Western Environmental Law Center**

White Mountain Conservation League (AZ)

WildEarth Guardians

Wildlife Habitat of New Mexico

Project Partners

National Fish and Wildlife Foundation

Nez Perce Tribe

Northwest Youth Corp

Southwest Idaho Resource Advisory Committee

State of Utah - Utah State Lands and Forestry

Trout Unlimited

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Youth Conservation Corp

Program Supporters

Backcountry Horsemen - Idaho

Backcountry Hunters and Anglers - Idaho Chapter

Bear River Watershed Council

Framing our Communities

Grand Canyon Trust

Greater Yellowstone Coalition

Hells Canyon Preservation Council

Idaho Rivers United

Lands Council

Mark Agee Excavation

National Backcountry Hunters and Anglers**

Nez Perce Tribe

Sierra Club - Idaho Chapter

The Wilderness Society**

Trout Unlimited**

Wildlands CPR**

Wild Utah Project

Winter Wildlands Alliance**

Intermountain Region (R4)

Utah, Nevada, Southern Idaho, 

portions of Wyoming

Pacific Southwest Region (R5)

California

Project Partners

Backcountry California Conservation Corps

Backcountry Horsemen of America

California Conservation Corps

California Conservation Crew

California State Department of Parks and Rec.

Friends of the Inyo 

Karuk Tribe

Student Conservation Association 

Trinity County Resource Conservation District

Trinity River Restoration Program

Tuolumne County Community Development Dept.

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

Unites States Marine Corps

Watershed Research and Training Center

Program Supporters

California Wilderness Coalition

California Wilderness Project

Californians for Western Wilderness

Center for Biological Diversity**

Center for Sierra Nevada Conservation

Central Sierra Environmental Resource Center

Defenders of Wildlife**

Desert Protective Council

Environmental Protection Information Center

Forest Forever

Forest Issues Group

Friends of Hope Valley

Friends of the Inyo

Friends of the River

High Sierra Hikers Association

Klamath Forest Alliance

Klamath-Siskiyou Wildlands Center 

Los Padres ForestWatch

Native Habitats

Northcoast Environmental Center

Public Employees for Envr. Responsibility**

Sierra Club**

Sierra Forest Legacy

Snowlands Network

The Wilderness Society**

Trout Unlimited**

Western Watersheds**

Wilderness Guides Council

Photo credit: USFS
26 The First Five Years of the Legacy Roads and Trails Program

Program Supporters - Washington 

Alpine Lakes Protection Society - WWRI

American Rivers – WWRI**

American Whitewater – WWRI**

Association of Northwest Steelheaders

Audubon Society - Pilchuck

Conservation Northwest - WWRI

Earthjustice**

Gifford Pinchot Task Force - WWRI

Great Old Broads for Wilderness - Cascade Chapter

Lands Council

Mason County Conservation District

North Cascades Conservation Council - WWRI

Northwest Environmental Advocates 

Olympic Coast Alliance

Olympic Forest Coalition - WWRI

Pacific Rivers Council - WWRI

Pilchuck Audubon Society - WWRI

Sierra Club – WA State Chapter - WWRI

The Mountaineers – WWRI**

The Wilderness Society – WWRI**

Trout Unlimited – WWRI**

Upper Colombia United Tribes – WWRI

Washington Department of Ecology - WWRI

Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife - WWRI

Washington Department of Natural Resources -WWRI

Washington Trails Association - WWRI

Washington Wilderness Coalition (WA Wild) 

Western Lands Project

Wild Fish Conservancy

Wildlands CPR**

Pacific Northwest Region (R6)

Oregon and Washington

Project Partners

Applegate Partnership & Watershed Council (OR)

America Forest Land Company, LLC

Association of Northwest Steelheaders

Bureau of Land Management

Bureau of Reclamation

City of Portland Water Bureau (OR)

Clackamas County (OR)

Confederated Tribes of the Warm Springs

Ecotrust

Federal Highways Administration

Freshwater Trust

Grant Soil and Water Conservation District (OR)

Methow Salmon Recovery Foundation (WA)

Mid-Columbia Fisheries Enhancement Group (WA)

Middle Fork Willamette Watershed Council (OR)

National Marine Fisheries Service

Native Fish Society

National Forest Foundation

Okanogan County Conservation District (WA)

Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife

Oregon Watershed Enhancement Bureau

Overlake Fly-fishing Club

Pacific Watershed Associates

Partnership of Umpqua Rivers (OR)

Rogue-Umpqua Resource Advisory Council (OR)

Salmon Recovery Funding Board

Sandy River Watershed Council (OR)

Skokomish Tribes

Skokomish Watershed Action Team (WA)

South Umpqua Rural Community Partnership (OR)

The Nature Conservancy

The Wilderness Society

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Washington Department of Ecology

Washington Watershed Restoration Initiative

Washington Salmon Recovery Funding Board

Whole Watershed Joint Venture

Yakama Indian Nation

Yakima Tributary Habitat Access Project

Program Supporters - Oregon

American Rivers**

Association of Northwest Steelheaders

Audubon Society of Portland

BARK - WWRI

Cascadia Wildlands Project

Center for Biological Diversity

Central Oregon Land Watch

Clackamas County Board of Commissioners

Clackamas River Basin Council

Clackamas River Water Providers

Coast Range Association

Columbia Gorge Institute

Friends of the Kalmiopsis

Geos Institute**

Hells Canyon Preservation Council

Klamath Forest Alliance

Klamath-Siskiyou Wildlands Center 

Lower Columbia Canoe Club

Middle Fork Willamette Watershed Council

Native Fish Society

Northwest Environmental Advocates

Northwest Environmental Defense Center

Northwest Sportfishing Industry Association

Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife

Oregon Environmental Council

Oregon Kayak and Canoe Club

Oregon Trout

Oregon Wild

Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen’s Associations

Pacific Rivers Council

Portland State University

Sandy River Basin Watershed Council

Siskiyou Project

The Freshwater Trust

The Wilderness Society**

Trout Unlimited - Oregon Council 

Tualatin Riverkeeper

Waterwatch

Wild Fish Conservancy

Wild Salmon Center

Wildlands CPR**

Photo credit: USFS Photo credit: USFS
Restoration in Action 27 

Southeast Region (R8)

Tennessee, Florida, Arkansas, 

Kentucky, North Carolina, South 

Carolina, and other southern states

Northeast Region (R9)

Vermont, New Hampshire, West 

Virginia, Minnesota, Wisconsin, 

Pennsylvania, Missouri, Ohio, 

and Indiana

Project Partners

FourCorps Order of the Arrow

Arkansas Game & Fish Commission

Arkansas Wildlife Federation

Bog Research Inc., LA

Boy Scouts of America, Conroe, TX

Center for Aquatic Technology, VA

City of Fort Smith, Arkansas

Coweeta Hydrologic Lab

Eastern Brook Trout Joint Venture 

National Wild Turkey Federation

Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation

Progress Energy

Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation

Southeast Aquatic Resource Partners 

Student Conservation Association, Houston, TX 

Trout Unlimited

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency 

Watershed Conservation Resource Center (AR) 

Program Supporters

American Sportfishing Association (VA)

Ouachita Watch League (TN)

Wild Virginia (VA)

Project Partners

Alger County Road Commission

AmeriCorps Crew

Camp Pasquaney, Student Conservation Association – New 

Hampshire Corps

Crawford County Highway Department

Ducks Unlimited

Itasca County Highway Department

Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe

Minnesota Conservation Corps

Minnesota Department of Natural Resources

Natural Resource Conservation Service

New Hampshire Fish and Game

Ohio Division of Natural Resources

Oscoda County Road Commission

Ozark Trail Association

Student Conservation Association New Hampshire 

Conservation Crew/Americorps

Town of Rochester

Trout Unlimited

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Vermont Department of Fish and Wildlife

Wexford County Road Commission

White River Partnership

Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources

Wisconsin Department of Transportation

Program Supporters

Appalachian Mountain Club (MA)

Natural Resources Council of Maine

Friends of Blackwater (WV)

Project Partners

Alaska Department of Fish and Game

Alaska Fly Fishers

Kenai River Management Area

Kenai River Sport Fishing Association

Streamwatch

Trout Unlimited

Alaska Region (R10)

Access Fund

American Canoe Association

American Hiking Society

American Whitewater

American Rivers

Backcountry Horsemen of America - National

Backcountry Hunters and Anglers - National

Center for Biological Diversity

Defenders of Wildlife

EarthJustice

Endangered Species Coalition

Great Old Broads for Wilderness

International Mountain Biking Association

Izaak Walton League of America

Natural Resources Defense Council

Outdoor Alliance

Outdoor Industry Association

Pew Environment Group

Sierra Club

The Mountaineers

The National Center for Conservation Science and Policy

The Wilderness Society

Trout Unlimited

Western Environmental Law Center

Wildlands CPR

Winter Wildlands Alliance

Backcountry Horsemen of America

Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility

National Supporters

Photo credit: USFS

Photo credit: Neil Shader

*The project partners lists are incomplete due to limited data 

availability. We apologize to any partners who were left off these lists. 

**Denotes groups that are also national program supporters.
Restoration in Action:

The First Five Years of the 

Legacy Roads and Trails Program

April 2013