PATC Policy
The Potomac Appalachian Trail Club has adopted trail standards for the Tuscarora Trail that are used on PATC-owned property. In other areas, such as in the Shenandoah National Park or Jefferson & George Washington National Forest, the PATC follows the standards of trail maintenance negotiated with the partners and contained within the Memorandum of Understanding executed with that organization (see Appendix C). “Maintenance” is defined as the planning, construction, relocation, rehabilitation, and general upkeep of trails.
Tread Standards
To the extent possible, in PATC controlled areas and elsewhere, the following standards are desired:
- It is desirable that the Tuscarora Trail be developed and maintained in a natural environment on natural surface for foot traffic only in order to have minimum impact on the backcountry. It is recognized that compromise with the desired goal, in national and state forests, for example, will occur in order to maintain the trail in its current general location.
- The tread should be about 12–24 inches wide (although usage and side slope may require greater width) on stable and well-drained soils. It should be designed in an undulating manner with side-hill, out-slope, preferably full bench, Coweta dips, and natural bleeder construction that minimizes future maintenance. The grade should be no more than 8%, if possible.
- The trail should be cleared to a height of 8 feet and a width of 2–4 feet with due regard to local rules of partners and to vegetation that would obstruct the passage of a backpacker.
- In order to discourage Off Road Vehicles (ORVs) from using the trail, old roads should be avoided and some ground obstacles should be maintained, with clearance for foot travel of about eighteen inches in width. The Club should develop an understanding with the owners of all non-PATC owned land concerning the use of obstacles.
- Blue blazes, 6-inches by 2-inches, using the offset technique, should be painted in sufficient numbers so that a hiker can locate the trail without a map but excessive blazing should be avoided. Side trails from the Tuscarora Trail will be blazed white or other color as negotiated with the partner.
- General agreements should be developed and implemented with public land partners in order to advance understanding of the purpose of the backcountry trail.
The Supervisor of Trails
The Supervisor of Trails, an elected Club officer, is responsible for the organization and conduct of all maintenance of the Tuscarora Trail as well as Tuscarora side trails maintained by this Club. The trails network for which the PATC is responsible is organized into districts, each of which is coordinated by a district manager, and each district into trail segments, each of which has at least one trail overseer that accomplishes routine trail maintenance. The Supervisor of Trails and the district managers may have maintenance crews that accomplish major maintenance beyond the capabilities of the trail overseer. Currently, the 250-mile Tuscarora Trail is organized into three districts. Together, the Supervisor of Trails, the district managers for the Tuscarora Trail and other PATC-maintained trails, trail crew leaders, and their deputies form the trail leadership team that meets twice a year to plan and coordinate trail matters, and to prepare work plans and budgets.
The Overseer
The Overseer is the heart of the Club and its efforts. Overseers are responsible for general trail maintenance. This includes pruning, clearing blowdowns, and the maintenance of erosion control devices (waterbars and checkdams). Overseers are expected to work on their segments of trail at least four to six times each year, concentrating upon the spring and summer seasons when heavy use can be anticipated. Overseers make formal reports to the Supervisor of Trails concerning the work they accomplished, the section of trail they worked on, and the hours they spent both at work and in travel to and from the trail.
District Managers
District managers recruit and support individual trail and overseers. They assign overseers to segments of trail averaging 3.5 miles in length. District managers also recruit and manage volunteer weekend work crews. These crews concentrate on a particular section of trail when the work required is beyond the scope of the overseer. Examples of work accomplished by these crews are the rehabilitation or relocations of short sections of trail. District managers or crew leaders make written reports to the Supervisor of Trails concerning the work the crews accomplish, the trail segments worked on, and the total time spent at work and in travel to and from the trail sections. District Managers also recruit and support overseers for the shelters in their districts.
The Tool Committee
The Supervisor of Trails recruits and supports a Tools Committee. The Tools Committee acquires and maintains all of the tools (powered and non-powered) required by district managers and overseers to do their jobs. The Tools Committee stocks and replenishes tools cached at convenient locations along the Tuscarora Trail. Finally, the Tools Committee is responsible for acquiring, mixing, and repackaging the paint used to blaze the trails.
Cooperative Agreements
The Supervisor of Trails reviews and enforces the terms of all memoranda of understanding and cooperative agreements that the Club negotiates with the various partners in so far as their stipulations concerning trail maintenance standards and work reporting are concerned.
Special Work Crews
The Supervisor of Trails forms special work crews to work where needed, provides the general membership training in trail maintenance techniques and responsibilities, and coordinates with partners the use of formal volunteer trail crews (such as the Massarock Crew in the Jefferson & George Washington National Forest).
Formal Reports
Finally, the Supervisor of Trails makes a formal report each year to agency partners. This report identifies the number of hours spent working on the Tuscarora Trail and the side trails maintained by the Club, the trail sections worked on, and the type of work accomplished.
