The trails and parks of Montana are one of the state’s greatest treasures. And the work that goes into maintaining them requires a Herculean effort from multiple agencies. 

The most obvious agency at the helm of trail maintenance is the Forest Service, but some lesser-known groups take it upon themselves to help with the many trails in Northwest Montana.

The Montana Conservation Corps, a group comprised almost solely of volunteers, takes young adults and teenagers into the woods to maintain the forest and trails.

Cliff Kipp, the Corps’ regional supervisor, says his group isn’t well-recognized in the state, and that’s a shame for the young people out in the woods.

“If you go out and ask five different people what the MCC is, you’ll get five different answers,” he said. “We are a private nonprofit, and we do receive federal dollars from an AmeriCorps grant on a three-year schedule.”

AmeriCorps provides about 40 percent of the Corps’ funding, and 48 young adults, ages 18 to 30, are AmeriCorps volunteers. Another 36 are youth interested in getting into forestry.

Kipp said there is a push to 

diversify the ranks of forestry careers.

“It’s cool for me to see young people coalesce and take away some skills from their time in the woods,” he said. “Some are taking away leadership skills or conflict management abilities — generally ones known as ‘soft skills.’ But I think these skills will be far more transferable than how to run a chain saw.”

In the future, he would like the Corps to recruit residents of Montana’s Indian reservations to get more native teenagers involved. 

The seven-person crews, comprised of two “leaders” with training and five other members, head out to places in Northwest Montana. Some of these locations include working with Glacier National Park Conservancy, with the Youth Conservation Corps in the Kootenai National Forest, and even on Wild Horse Island on Flathead Lake.

Founded in 1991, the Montana Conservation Corps is modeled after the Civilian Conservation Corps put in place by President Franklin Roosevelt in the New Deal. The mission statement claims the Corps exists “to inspire young people through hands-on conservation service...”

Kipp, who has been with the Corps since 2002, said the word conservation paints a picture in the minds of many, but his group’s objectives are completely bipartisan.

“We’re not in the business of trying to ‘greenwash’ anything,” he said. “We have a field curriculum that is discussion-based. We try to pick apart an issue from all sides and see who might be profiting or gaining from it. It’s getting young people to think about things and how they look at current events.”

In addition to trail construction and maintenance, other projects such as fencing, weed abatement, fuel reduction and tree planting also are handled by the AmeriCorps and teenager volunteers.

The Corps has other locations in Missoula, Helena, Billings and Bozeman, where they do similar work. Idaho does not have a similar program, so Montana youths can work in that state or in Yellowstone National Park as well. Volunteers (Kipp calls them public servants) can sign on for five- or 10-month stints.

This presents a problem for some people who would otherwise be interested, Kipp said. 

“College students will need to take a semester off,” he said. “But they can usually put loans in deferment until the end of the time. We are looking into a summer-only position.”

Kipp thinks the work these young people is something that will stick with them, and he’d like it to be more common for Montana’s kids to get in the woods.

“I think they’ll recall the work to their children,” he said. “They’ll drive by Wild Horse Island and tell them they worked there. Wouldn’t it be great if the MCC were a rite of passage for Montana teens?”

In the next few years, Kipp said the total budget for the Corps could top $6 million. Besides AmeriCorps, some fee-for-service funds from Glacier National Park and Flathead National Forest cover another portion of funding, and private donations and grants fill in the remainder.

“I feel very strongly we are one of many AmeriCorps programs putting your tax dollars to very significant use,” he said. “There’s a reason there are over 130 AmeriCorps programs.”

Students can get an education award that can help finance tuition by turning in a certain amount of hours. But Kipp said the most important part of his job is getting young people out and in touch with Montana.

“It’s surprising where we are, at the number of students who aren’t engaged with public land,” he said. “I feel honored that I have the opportunity to open their eyes.”

Reporter Ryan Murray may be reached at 758-4436 or by email at rmurray@dailyinterlake.com.