Author: Mathew Brock

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Trail Tending: How to Low Key (or High Key) Get Involved

by Lisa Condon and Rick Pope

Making trail maintenance part of your regular hiking routine isn’t just beneficial for the trails—it’s a meaningful way to connect with our outdoor community, contribute to conservation, and experience your favorite routes in a new light.

How Trail Maintenance Can Fit Into Your Weekend Hikes

Picture this: your weekend hike transforms into a mission where removing a few downed branches, collecting several pieces of trash, clearing a blocked drain, or writing a trip report helps thousands of other outdoor lovers enjoy the wild. Your feedback can influence where organizations focus their efforts next. Micro trail maintenance provides instant results at a time when doing something hopeful feels better than waiting for others to act. We’re not asking you to invest your entire weekend, just make a few small choices that add to the trajectory of positive change. It can be surprising how many people walk right over small branches with lifting a finger. Or toe!

Real Hiker Impact: More About Trip Reports

Your observations matter! Every trip report posted—whether on the Washington Trails Association (WTA) site or the Oregon Hikers’ Trail Rx page—funnels crucial info to land managers and maintenance teams. Not only can you help prioritize repairs, your input makes hiking safer for everyone and ensures trail funds are spent where most needed.

  • Post WTA Trip Reports — Washington Trails Association
  • Share trail reports on Trail Rx – Oregon Hikers
  • *One important consideration is if you fixed a trail that you left a trip report for, please remember to go back and update the report so that resources are not wasted on fixed trails.

Next Level: Advanced Ways to Get Involved

If you’re ready to take your stewardship to the next level, here’s how to ramp up your involvement and make a lasting impact:

  • Saw Certification: Learn to operate chainsaws and crosscut saws safely. Saw certification events happen every spring through the Pacific Crest Trail Association (PCTA) and Trailkeepers of Oregon (TKO), requiring classroom and fieldwork plus current First Aid/CPR certifications.
  • Sign Up for Maintenance Days: Join spring and summer volunteer work parties with groups like WTA, PCTA, TKO and your very own Mazamas. See bottom of article for two tentative Mazama Trail Tending dates for 2026. These wonderful groups offer hands-on experience and are open to all skill levels—and yes, certified sawyers are in high demand.
  • Become a Crew Leader: After a few seasons, you can train to supervise maintenance teams and help organize work trips.

Organizations to Connect With

Get motivated!

Trail maintenance doesn’t just protect the footpaths we love—it energizes every hike with purpose and adventure. So grab a lopper, join a work party, or write that trip report, and see how stewardship transforms the way you explore!

Dates to Remember:

  • April 18: Upper Dog Mountain Trail Maintenance — Mazamas and WTA.
  • Late June: Mazama Trail on Mt. Hood Trail Maintenance — Mazamas.

Oh and One More Thing!

The Mazamas have a lease offset for volunteer hours logged tending trails on Forest Service Land. Look for a more detailed explanation of this in the coming months! Meanwhile, create a Point account so you’re ready to begin logging service hours.
Happy Holidays!

Reach out to Rick Pope or Lisa Condon with questions and suggestions.

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Executive Director Transition

Dear Mazama members and friends,

After two years of service, Rebekah Phillips has announced her decision to step down as Executive Director, effective July 31, 2025.
We are deeply grateful for the impact she’s made. Under her leadership, the organization has grown stronger—strengthening relationships with volunteers and stakeholders, improving operations, expanding our professional staff, and helping shape our strategic direction. Her work has positioned us well for the road ahead.
While change can be challenging, this transition offers an opportunity to reflect on our evolving needs and identify a new leader to guide the Mazamas into its next chapter. On behalf of the entire board, I thank Rebekah for her many contributions and wish her continued success.
The board has formed a transition team to manage interim planning, and we will keep the membership informed as more details become available.

With gratitude,
Debbie Dwelle, Board President

Dear friends,

Recently I made the difficult decision to step down as your Executive Director, with my final day set for July 31, 2025.
Over the past few years, we’ve made real strides together, and I’m deeply grateful to the members, supporters, and staff who have made this work possible. As the Mazamas continues to evolve, I hope this transition will serve as an invitation—an opportunity for you, the community, to help shape what comes next.
As for me, I’m taking a rare pause to reflect and recharge. But I’m not going far—I began this journey a member, and I’ll continue to remain one.
Thank you all for your support, passion, and belief in this community. It’s been an honor to serve and walk alongside each of you.

With gratitude,
Rebekah Phillips

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Speak Out About Public Land Sales!

by Sharon Selvaggio for the Mazama Conservation Committee

Mazamas, we need your help. As Americans we collectively own nearly a third of the country. These lands, mostly located in the West, are the landscapes where as Mazamas we explore, test ourselves, stand in awe of nature’s power and beauty, and form lasting friendships. 

Federal public lands are now slated to be privatized and developed under a provision in the so-called Big Beautiful Bill, anticipated for votes in Congress prior to July 4. 

While pressure from opponents caused the architect of the public lands provision (Senator Mike Lee of Utah) to shrink the proposal on June 25, dropping Forest Service lands, the fight is not over. In fact Lee stated “we’re just getting started.” Like a multi-headed hydra, this measure just keeps coming back to life.

In its current incarnation, an estimated 1.2 million acres would be subject to “disposal” to the highest bidder within five years under this bill. We don’t know exactly where because Lee won’t publish a map, but they could be places cherished by YOU. One example close to home includes the north and east borders of Smith Rock.

The bill, if passed, would initiate the largest public land sale in our history. Perhaps it’s not coincidental that the Big Beautiful Bill has also been characterized as the largest transfer of wealth from the working class to the wealthy of any bill in our history — and the land sales will help pay for the tax cuts that the bill is really all about.

Lee claims the sale would help solve America’s housing crisis by providing public land sales within 5 miles of undefined “population centers.” Curiously though, there are no requirements that such housing be affordable, or that the public have a chance to weigh in, for instance to decide if the loss of close-in hiking trails is worth the new housing. Anyone could nominate a parcel, but the highest bidder will win the land. In all likelihood, mansions and golf courses, rather than affordable homes, will be the result. 

And although some areas, like National Parks and now Forest Service lands, are off limits, the administration is signaling its desire to eliminate National Monuments, so some of our most precious lands could be soon up for sale. Moreover, the proposal does not even acknowledge Tribal treaty rights for much of the off-reservation land. And if we allow this to proceed once, it could happen again. Public land, one of the cornerstones of our American heritage, could get chipped away again and again and again. 

Land sales are not the only devastating part of the Big Beautiful Bill. Lee’s language also reverses key reforms to mining that were made in recent years. Essentially this will mandate quarterly oil and gas lease sales, opening 200 million acres of BLM land to mining leases at $1.50/ claim — whether they are needed or not. This provision has not received much attention but also represents a dire threat to the recreation, cultural resources, scenic beauty, and the other mostly non-monetary values of our public lands.

We stand a chance of sending this ill-conceived proposal to the grave where it belongs. We only have a short time to stop it. This is not a partisan issue, this is an American issue. Please call your Senators and Representatives TODAY at the Capitol switchboard at (202)-224-3121. Tell your electeds how much you love our public lands. Ask them to stand against public land sales in the bill.  

And if you are on social media, post your favorite place with the hashtag #PublicLands, tag @mazamas1894, tell your story, and ask all your friends to stand up against public land sales. We got this!

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Action Alert: The the U.S. Senate to reject Trump’s Big Bad Budget Bill!

Congress recently removed the provision to sell 500,000 acres of public lands in Utah and Nevada from the House budget bill. This represents a win for public lands advocates who mobilized against the proposal, demonstrating broad bipartisan opposition to privatizing these areas.

However, the current bill remains deeply problematic for environmental protection.

Beyond its widely reported cuts to healthcare programs and tax provisions that would add nearly $4 trillion to the national debt, the legislation contains several measures that would significantly weaken forest management and environmental oversight.

Key environmental concerns include:

  • Expedited Logging Authorization: Allows companies to bypass standard environmental review processes under the National Environmental Policy Act by paying fees, potentially eliminating public input and legal oversight for timber operations.
  • Mandatory Logging Increases: Requires the Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management to boost logging activities by 25 percent, without adequate consideration of climate change effects, water quality protection, or wildfire prevention strategies.
  • Roadless Area Vulnerabilities: Creates exceptions that could permit logging in currently protected roadless areas, potentially affecting regions like the Columbia River Gorge, Hardesty Mountain, the Metolius River watershed, and the Wallowa Mountains.
  • Extended Logging Commitments: Mandates 20-year timber contracts across national forests, locking in long-term extraction commitments that may not account for changing environmental conditions or ecosystem needs.

These forest management changes represent a significant shift in federal land policy. Senate consideration of these provisions will be crucial in determining their ultimate fate.

Take action now

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Blue Mountain Trail Presentation Follow-up

Attendees of the Greater Hells Canyon Council’s Base Camp presentation on the Blue Mountain Trail on April 25 saw an informative presentation. The presenter has provided additional information about the Blue Mountains Trail.

In response to a question about how western Oregon residents can support conservation in eastern Oregon, the GHCC staff recommends contacting Oregon Senators and local Representatives to express interest in conservation issues in northeastern Oregon and request more involvement on eastside issues. The organization plans to provide more direct guidance in the weeks ahead.

The importance of northeastern Oregon conservation extends beyond regional boundaries. The GHCC mission area encompasses approximately 10,000 square miles with about 100,000 inhabitants in a rural, economically disadvantaged region. Despite this, it remains a popular destination, with over 100,000 visitors from the Portland region annually.

Support from western Oregon residents enables GHCC’s conservation work, which impacts the entire state through watershed protection, endangered species habitat preservation, and trail maintenance. The organization protects major watersheds including the Grande Ronde and John Day rivers, which serve as critical cold water refugia for wild salmon and steelhead. Their efforts ensure endangered species like wolves have suitable habitat, and through the Blue Mountains Trail initiative, they maintain hundreds of miles of hiking trails across the region’s three National Forests.

Take action

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SJR 28-1 Needs Your Support

The People’s Right to a Healthy Environment bill has stalled in the Oregon Senate

Despite significant public support, Senate Joint Resolution 28-1 remains in the Senate Rules Committee. Without a committee vote soon, this important environmental legislation may not advance. Your action now can make a difference.

This resolution (SJR 28-1) proposes adding a new section to Oregon’s Constitution that would:

  1. Establish a fundamental right to a clean, safe, and healthy environment for all people, including future generations.
  2. Require the state to protect this right fairly for everyone, with special priority given to children and future generations.
  3. Allow any person to take legal action when this right is threatened, without having to try other remedies first. If they win their case, they can recover their legal costs.
  4. Recognize environmental protection (clean water, clean air, healthy ecosystems, and climate stability) as top priorities for the state.
  5. Add to existing environmental protections rather than replacing them.

If passed by the legislature, this amendment would be placed on the ballot for Oregon voters to approve or reject in the next general election.

Two phone calls can help:

  1. Call Senator Kayse Jama (Rules Committee Chair): 503-986-1724 Tell Senator Jama you support moving SJR 28-1 out of committee.
  2. Call Senate President Rob Wagner: 503-986-1600 Request that Senator Wagner bring SJR 28-1 to the Senate floor after committee approval.

Key points to mention:

  • Referring this measure to voters has no fiscal impact
  • This constitutional amendment will save Oregon time and money long-term
  • SJR 28-1 provides legal protection against special interest challenges
  • The amendment enables state authority to hold polluters accountable
  • This protection extends to future generations

For more information about this bill and additional ways to support it, visit the Oregon Coalition for the Environmental Rights Amendment website.

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Our Power, Our Planet: Earth Day 2025

by John Rettig, Conservation Committee Co-chair

Earth Day  is an annual event held on April 22 to demonstrate support for environmental protection. It was first held on April 22, 1970, and now includes a wide range of events coordinated globally through earthday.org.

Its conception was in 1969 at a UNESCO conference, after activist John McConnell proposed setting aside a day to honor the Earth and the concept of peace, to first be observed on March 21, 1970, the first day of spring in the northern hemisphere. This was later sanctioned in a proclamation written by McConnell and signed at the United Nations, and a month later, Senator Gaylord Nelson proposed the idea to hold a nationwide environmental teach-in on April 22, 1970. It grew well beyond this original idea for a teach-in to include the entire United States, and got the name coined, “Earth Day”. Key non-environmentally focused partners played major roles in this growth; notably the United Auto Workers union, which was unusual for the day.

Early Earth Day commemorations were focused on the United States, but in 1990, Denis Hayes, the original national coordinator in 1970, took it international and organized events in 141 nations.

The theme for Earth Day 2025 is Our Power, Our Planet, inviting everyone around the globe to unite behind renewable energy, and to triple the global generation of clean electricity by 2030.

Earth Day has been more than a commemorative event that looks back at the start of it all back in 1970; it was also intended from the beginning to be a participatory event. The participant count recently surpassed one billion worldwide in 183 countries, and there are many fine groups and organizations that are putting together local volunteer events near you, mostly on the April 19-20 weekend. These focus on repairing the damage done to our planet, and if you can find one and help them out, it would be great! Here is one that I partnered with for years to organize a local event to clean up around Portland’s Forest Park; they also list many similar events all around Oregon: solveoregon.org

Elsewhere, you can consult this map of events worldwide: https://www.earthday.org/campaign/cleanup/#map

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URGENT ACTION NEEDED: Protect Our Public Lands from Sale in the FY2025 Budget

Congressional leaders are proposing to sell federal public lands as part of the upcoming budget reconciliation package.

Our nation’s public lands face an unprecedented threat. A provision in the proposed FY2025 budget reconciliation bill would permanently transfer public lands into private ownership. This could:

  • Eliminate public access for outdoor recreation
  • Destroy critical wildlife habitat
  • Weaken environmental protections
  • Threaten historic, cultural, and Indigenous sites

Public lands belong to all Americans. They’re where we camp, hunt, fish, and hike. They protect watersheds that provide clean drinking water and serve as crucial carbon sinks in our fight against climate change. Once privatized, these treasures are lost forever.

Why Your Voice Matters Now:

The budget reconciliation process requires only a simple majority vote with no filibuster option. Every representative’s vote will be crucial in this decision.

Take Action Today: Contact your congressional representatives and tell them to reject any budget reconciliation bill that includes provisions to sell our public lands. These natural treasures belong to all Americans, not just the wealthy few who can afford to buy them.

Take Action Now!

Draft message template:

Subject: Reject Public Land Sales in the FY2025 Budget Reconciliation Bill

Dear [Representative/Senator] [Last Name],

I am writing as your constituent to express my deep concern regarding provisions in the proposed FY2025 budget reconciliation package that would authorize the sale of federal public lands. Our public lands are irreplaceable national treasures that belong to all Americans. They provide:

  • Critical access to outdoor recreation for people of all backgrounds
  • Essential habitat for threatened and endangered wildlife – Protection for watersheds that supply clean drinking water
  • Preservation of significant cultural and Indigenous heritage sites
  • Natural carbon sinks that help mitigate climate change

The budget reconciliation process, which requires only a simple majority vote without the possibility of a filibuster, should not be used to make such consequential decisions about our shared natural heritage. I strongly urge you to vote against any budget reconciliation bill that includes provisions to sell our public lands. These lands belong to all Americans, not just the wealthy few who might be able to purchase them.

Thank you for your consideration of this urgent matter.

Sincerely,

[Your Name]
[Your Address]
[Your City, State ZIP]
[Your Phone Number]
[Your Email]

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Public Lands Are Under Attack — Here’s How You Can Help

For 131 years, the Mazamas has stood as steadfast defenders of our public lands, advocating for access, preservation, and protection of the wild places that define the Pacific Northwest. Since our founding on Mt. Hood in 1894, the organization has worked alongside dedicated land managers, biologists, and trail crews to ensure that these lands remain open, healthy, and protected for everyone.

Today, that legacy is at risk. Public lands across the country — and right here in Oregon — are facing an unprecedented crisis that threatens the trails we hike, the mountains we climb, and the forests and watersheds we depend upon.

An Unprecedented Threat to Public Lands and the People Who Protect Them

In recent weeks, sweeping staffing cuts have deeply impacted the agencies responsible for managing and protecting our public lands. According to the Outdoor Alliance, as well as reporting from the Statesman Journal, E&E News, and the Forest Service, National Park Service, and Bureau of Land Management have seen between 10 and 30 percent of their workforce laid off, with some reports indicating that up to half of all recreation staff have been eliminated.

These cuts are already being felt, as noted by National Parks Traveler resulting in unmaintained trails, closed campgrounds, and reduced emergency response capacity. Communities that depend on the outdoor recreation economy—an industry that generates billions annually according to the Outdoor Industry Association—also face economic impacts as public lands become harder to access and enjoy.

Industrial Logging and Environmental Rollbacks Compound the Crisis

Making matters worse, a recent executive order promotes a major expansion of industrial logging on public lands, including old-growth forests, as outlined by Oregon Wild. This directive calls for weakening long-standing protections under laws such as the National Environmental Policy Act and the Endangered Species Act. Reporting by The Washington Post, Earthjustice, and the Statesman Journal confirms that these plans will fast-track logging projects while limiting public input and environmental review.

Rather than promoting thoughtful, science-based wildfire mitigation, this order prioritizes large-scale logging under claims of wildfire prevention and national security. Analysis from the Center for Biological Diversity and Earthjustice highlights how this move endangers ecosystems and wildlife while putting short-term industry profit ahead of conservation.

Why This Matters to the Mazama Community

As Mazamas, we know that public lands don’t maintain themselves. We’ve worked with rangers, scientists, and trail crews for generations to protect the places we love. Trails need maintenance. Forests need responsible management. And wildlife needs protected habitats to thrive. Without the trained professionals who safeguard these lands—and without the environmental protections now under attack—the future of our public lands and the outdoor experiences they offer are in serious jeopardy.

How You Can Take Action Today

  • Contact your members of Congress. Let them know you oppose public lands staffing cuts and the rollback of environmental protections. Ask them to reverse the staffing cuts, restore funding for public land agencies, halt large-scale logging in mature and old-growth forests, and prioritize science-based land management. Use Democracy.io to send a message quickly and directly.
  • Join the Mazama Conservation Committee. We need members to help us monitor and respond to these threats. Email us at conservation@mazamas.org to get involved.
  • Volunteer for trail maintenance and stewardship. The Mazamas regularly partner with organizations like Trailkeepers of Oregon and Washington Trails Association, which offer hands-on ways to care for our outdoor spaces. Look for trail tending opportunities on the Mazama calendar and via TKO and WTA directly.
  • Attend the Rally to Protect Public Lands hosted by People for Public Lands, happening Saturday, March 15 at noon in front of the Edith Green Federal Building in downtown Portland. Public lands belong to all of us, and showing up in person sends a strong message.
  • Finally, talk to others about what’s happening. Share this information, encourage friends, family, and fellow Mazamas to speak up, and remind them that these lands belong to all of us.

The Future of Public Lands Is in Our Hands

Whether you hike, climb, or simply find peace in nature, your voice matters. By speaking up, getting involved, and standing together, we can protect these places for generations to come. The wild places we love—mountains, forests, and trails—are still here because people stood up to protect them. Now it’s our turn.

If you’re ready to take action, email us at conservation@mazamas.org. Together, we can continue to protect and advocate for the mountains and forests that inspire and sustain us all.

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What does a healthy culture look like?

by Debbie Dwelle, Mazama President

As I contemplated the theme for this Bulletin, Health and Fitness, I felt drawn to something I hold dear, which is creating and sustaining a healthy culture within the Mazamas. As I wrote about last month, the Board and Rebekah have been diligently working through the strategic planning process. Throughout this work, I keep mentally returning to the saying “culture eats strategy for breakfast,” by Peter Drucker. The idea is that if we don’t have a healthy culture, we significantly decrease our chances of being successful in our strategic objectives.

With that in mind, the board has been discussing what a healthy board culture looks like and working to embody these elements as we move through our work together. First and foremost, our board culture is driven by our mission and values. From there, we are focused on the following areas:

  • Collaborative: respect, trust, hospitable
  • Diverse: backgrounds, opinions, ways of thinking
  • Accountable: to the organization, to each other
  • Inquisitive: engaged, curious, questioning
  • Disciplined: focused, prepared, consistent
  • Ambassador: reputation, good will, public relations
  • Data driven: assessing ourselves and the organization
  • Decisive: having focused agendas, measurable results, and being outcome-oriented

As I broaden that to consider a healthy volunteer culture, I believe it is one where volunteers feel valued, supported, and motivated to contribute their time and skills in meaningful ways. It promotes a positive environment that nurtures both the individual volunteer and the organization they support. Here are some key characteristics of a healthy volunteer culture:

  • Clear Purpose and Goals: Volunteers understand the mission of the organization and how their work contributes to its overall goals. They feel that their efforts make a real impact.
  • Inclusivity: A healthy volunteer culture is inclusive, welcoming individuals from diverse backgrounds and ensuring that everyone feels they have a place to contribute.
  • Respect and Recognition: Volunteers are treated with respect and appreciation. Acknowledging their contributions through thank-yous, celebrations, or small gestures of appreciation helps foster a sense of belonging.
  • Effective Communication: Open and honest communication ensures that volunteers are well-informed and have the opportunity to ask questions or provide feedback. They also know who to turn to for support.
  • Training and Development: Volunteers are given the training and resources they need to succeed. Continuous learning opportunities allow them to grow in their roles and take on new challenges.
  • Supportive Leadership: Leaders provide guidance, mentorship, and encouragement. They are approachable, empathetic, and actively engage with volunteers, creating an environment where everyone feels supported.
  • Flexibility: Volunteers are able to engage with flexible schedules and roles that suit their availability and interests. This makes the volunteer experience more sustainable and enjoyable.
  • Collaboration: Volunteers work together as a team, fostering a sense of camaraderie and shared purpose. Team-building activities or group/committee projects can strengthen relationships.
  • Feedback and Growth: Volunteers receive constructive feedback on their performance, as well as opportunities to share their own suggestions for improvement. This promotes a continuous cycle of growth and positive change.
  • Wellness and Balance: A healthy volunteer culture recognizes the importance of balance, ensuring volunteers do not experience burnout by setting clear boundaries and encouraging them to take care of themselves.

Overall, it’s about creating a positive, supportive environment where volunteers feel motivated, appreciated, and empowered to contribute in ways that align with both their personal values and the organization’s mission.

One of our strategic priority areas is focused on member and volunteer engagement. Working together to foster a healthy culture will absolutely support our success in this domain. Given you all are critical to creating and sustaining a healthy culture in the Mazamas, I invite you to contemplate what a healthy culture looks like to you. Here are a few questions for consideration:

  • What do you value in the community and culture of the Mazamas?
  • If you are a leader, what are you modeling for others? If you are not a leader, what do you see being modeled by leaders?
  • What areas are we doing well with regard to creating a positive community and culture?
  • What areas could our sense of community and culture could be improved?
  • What role can you see yourself playing in supporting a healthy culture?

As the board continues to move through the strategic planning process, we believe having a healthy culture is interwoven with all of our values: Inclusion, Safety, Education, Service, and Sustainability. We are incorporating all of these elements as we continue diligently working on defining and refining our goals, tactics, metrics, and key performance indicators for the next 3 years. I loved Rebekah’s vision of vitality—an active, connected, and strong Mazamas creating our future together. Let’s all work together to create and sustain a culture that realizes this vision!