Help us hit the ground running this summer!

For those paying attention to the news the last few months, it will come as no surprise that our colleagues in the USDA Forest Service, the agency responsible for managing the 1.6 million-acre Bob Marshall Wilderness Complex, have been reeling from frozen budgets and an unsettling ride on the workforce reduction roller coaster. The staff and board of the Bob Marshall Wilderness Foundation proudly stand shoulder-to-shoulder with our USFS colleagues, and will endeavor to remain poised to pivot as changing circumstances affect stewardship priorities.

In mid-April of this year, we excitedly (however cautiously) kicked off our full slate of 2025 Volunteer Adventures, despite having confirmed only 85% of the necessary funding. Unprecedented times call for new precedents so, BMWF is launching a first-ever Spring fundraising campaign to help us close the gap in Program funding for the upcoming field season.

This summer we have more than 50 projects, including 35 Volunteer Adventures, planned across the Bob Marshall Wilderness Complex. We are excited to report that since opening our registration portal, enrollment numbers are steadily growing, and volunteers appear enthusiastic about lending a much-needed hand (and back!) in the name of Wilderness stewardship. 

The work performed by our staff, interns, and volunteers has always been important, but the forthcoming season seems especially so, given the reduction of our US Forest Service partners’ workforce. We don’t presume to be able to cover the stewardship gap, but our teams’ efforts will most certainly achieve meaningful accomplishments in the field. 

While a considerable portion of the grant funding we’ve sought has been awarded and some federal funds have been released, we still need to raise $65,000 by May 31st to help us hit the ground running and fulfill our full slate of programming for the season. If you’re doing the math, this amounts to the last 15% of the budget for our field season.

We occasionally get the question, “But you’re using volunteers. Shouldn’t it be free?” Our Volunteer Adventures are extremely cost-effective for the stewardship value they accomplish, but there are unavoidable costs associated with facilitating backcountry wilderness trips for the public. We want to take this opportunity to be transparent with you, our supporters. Read on to learn more about how your donations support volunteer stewardship of the Bob Marshall Wilderness Complex.

Most importantly, we value our Crew Leaders as professionals in their field. We offer competitive pay and benefits to help attract and retain skilled individuals for these seasonal positions (indeed, we’re thrilled to be welcoming back 4 of our 6 leaders this year); this includes a mileage reimbursement for the Crew Leaders’ use of personal vehicles (we only have two company rigs). We don’t skimp on essential training, offering legitimate certifications and valuable leadership principles over the course of three weeks, to ensure that they’re as prepared as possible for what arises in the field. Our top priority is to provide safe, meaningful and productive wilderness experiences for our volunteers, and we need talented, responsible Crew Leaders to make this happen.

In that same vein, we try to show our appreciation towards our volunteers by making our projects as low barrier as possible. We purchase and prepare all of the food for our volunteer projects, and provide all of the group camp gear and tools. We find packers to carry the heavy loads of food and supplies, whom we reimburse for animal feed and the mileage they put on their rigs in an effort to help lessen the burden of volunteering their time and invaluable expertise. We know the remote and vast nature of the Bob Marshall Wilderness Complex can be intimidating, and we want our trips to be an approachable way to gain firsthand wilderness experience for people of all experience levels.

In addition to our Volunteer Adventures, we pay living stipends and per diem to our Wilderness Stewardship Interns, and reimburse expenses for our Packer Apprentices. We’re also hiring new (to us) positions this year called Trail Technicians (GS-4 equivalent), to supplement the USFS trail professionals in the Complex this summer.

And then there are the usual day-to-day costs like insurance; boarding for our two mules, Ruphus and Sophie; subscriptions for our In-Reach devices (satellite communicators to keep our people safe in the field); and last but not certainly not least, our year-round staff who answer your questions, manage endless details, coordinate/deliver trainings, and provide on-going support and response services to Crew Leaders, Interns, Forest Service managers, packers and volunteers throughout the season.

All in all, the cost for our full seasonal staff and 50+ trail and habitat projects will cost roughly $500,000. We have about 85% of this funded already, but we’re facing a 15% deficit with delayed grants and still frozen agreements.

If you have the means and are passionate about this place, wilderness stewardship, or just connecting with fellow humans around a campfire – please make a donation to support our 2025 Field Season today. Thank you for loving the Bob!