Our Story
The Appalachian Trail is a simple footpath. It is both the destination and the journey. For some, it is an afternoon hiatus among trees or atop southern balds, a recreational retreat. For others it is an ambitious endeavor that demands physical and mental fortitude — a life-changing experience.

The Trail’s importance is personal, in each of our stories.

Its significance is broader. Remarkable for its length of 2,190-miles that pass through 14 states, the A.T.’s magnitude is that it traverses the crest of one of the most significant land features in the eastern United States. That land feature — a system of contiguous mountains famously known as the Appalachians — encompasses several distinct biomes that support wildlife and vegetation, vital to the overall health and sustainability of the eastern United States. It is equally important in preserving the history of Native and other American cultures and the birth and progression of our country.

More than half of America’s population currently resides within a day’s drive from some part of the Trail and hundreds of communities within nearby proximity of the A.T. thrive on a strong outdoor recreation-driven economy. In 2017, more than three million people enjoyed the A.T. as day hikers, weekend backpackers, and those seeking to conquer its formidable length as section-hikers or thru-hikers. The A.T.’s visitor numbers continue to increase.

We — the Appalachian Trail Conservancy (ATC) and all who support our mission — are the guardians of the iconic and world-renowned Appalachian Trail. The ATC has much to celebrate as we look back at 2017. In this report you will learn about our efforts to Educate, Protect, and Empower. Some of our accomplishments include ►

A.T. Virginia / by Chris D’Ambrosio
/ Appalachian trail conservancy /
We are continuing to bring new voices to the Trail and to our leadership ranks.
A.t. neW yoRk / by Anne bAkeR
We are continuing to bring new voices to the Trail and to our leadership ranks.
A.t. neW yoRk / by Anne bAkeR
Adding Land to the A.T. Greenway
The ATC’s Landscape Partnership was launched three years ago, in collaboration with the National Park Service, to coordinate protection of A.T. scenic, natural, and cultural resources. The landscape campaign has attracted over $3.5 million of private and National Park Service funds. These funds, in part, have allowed us to initiate a grant program to fund additional land acquisition, leveraging other protection dollars. Other grants support capacity building for partner organizations. The funds also allow us to engage communities through economic studies that connect the local recreation economy to landscape protection strategies. Since 2015, the partnership has completed eighteen projects, adding over 25,000 acres. Approximately 10,200 acres were added in 2017. The number of projects completed and acreage protected is expected to grow annually.
Addressing Threats
Multiple threats from invasive species and forest pests, habitat loss, and climate change challenge the integrity of protected A.T. lands. An introduced exotic pest exists for nearly every native tree species found in the Appalachians.

Some, such as the emerald ash borer and the American chestnut blight, have caused near complete extinction of their hosts. Invasive species are a landscape scale issue — a challenge far too large to tackle alone. The ATC has inventoried over three fourths of the Trail to identify areas of greatest invasive concern. Our resource management work has been focused on implementing projects to curtail the spread of the emerald ash borer, an invasive forest pest that is decimating populations of ash trees. Addressing habitat loss, we have focused on expanding habitat for the golden-winged warbler and pollinators such as monarch butterflies and bees.

Developing Sound Policy
Last year, our policy team had significant influence on the development of a new natural gas pipeline siting policy through the bicameral, bi-partisan Pipeline Fairness and Transparency Act. We implemented a “Take Action” strategy to engage and activate Trail supporters on high priority advocacy issues, like pipeline siting and other threats to A.T. resources. We launched a House A.T. Caucus and are raising the ATC’s and the Trail’s profile with Congress through regular meetings, and our annual Hike the Hill meetings. We opened an office in Washington D.C. to allow for greater access to policymakers and policy partners.
Engaging Young People
We are continuing to bring new voices to the Trail and to our leadership ranks. In 2017, we piloted a second year of the Conservation Leadership Corps. We are now working with other strategic partners to grow this program to provide hands-on training for youth at several sites along the Trail. We also hosted youth summits to build regional youth stewardship coalitions.
/ Appalachian trail conservancy /
Connecting to Something Greater
Ambassadors and representatives from Outdoor Afro, Latino Outdoors, Student Conservation Association, Groundwork D.C., and the Anacostia Riverkeeper at the end of a 2017 Summit Seeker event in Anacostia, Maryland
The ATC works with youth-focused organizations to encourage young people to work on local trails by providing skill development opportunities, hosting stewardship events, and fostering connections with volunteer and professional trail organizations. Reaching new audiences, we led an inaugural Summit Seekers project, a collaboration between the ATC, Outdoor Afro, Latino Outdoors, Groundwork USA (Groundwork Richmond and D.C.), and the Student Conservation Association. We continue to grow our relationships and explore expanding into new areas with new partners.

Furthermore, we continue to nurture our Next Generation Advisory Council, now in its third year. This council contributes new ideas and time to ATC, joining us at board meetings, Hike the Hill in D.C., and at many regional meetings. Their presence and fresh ideas feel like shifting winds.

Protecting the Hiker Experience
At the ATC’s core is a goal to ensure that all hikers and visitors understand how to enjoy the Trail safely and ethically. We have been very successful in ensuring that annual thru-hikers understand the impacts of their numbers and their behaviors. The volunteer thru-hiker registration system, A.T. Camp, has become a valuable tool in raising awareness and helping to adjust hikers’ start time and place decisions. We have also had great success with our Monson Visitor Center to make sure hikers starting the 100 Mile Wilderness and enter Baxter State Park understand their obligations.

As might be expected with the A.T.’s increased visitor numbers, iconic spots on the Trail are often experiencing high-volume, sometimes staggering visitor use. The ATC and its Trail Clubs are working tirelessly to ensure that both the hikers’ experience and Trail resources are well looked after. Work at McAfee Knob represents the best of our collaborative model — where the ATC, local Clubs, National Park and Forest Service work together to ensure everyone can continue to enjoy this beautiful, highly photographed location.

Honoring Trail Stories
The A.T. beckons hikers and recreation seekers of all types. Hikes are taken to celebrate milestones, allow for life transitions, or to seek necessary solitude to process trauma or loss. For many, the Trail awakens citizen activism and a recognition that land and nature is not only for us to enjoy but also for us to protect and preserve. It is a place where both young and old discover their abilities and stamina and families learn to enjoy each other’s company without electronic aids. It is even a place in which love is found.
Now, more than ever, it is important that we encourage people to experience the Trail and that we record, share, and celebrate those stories.
RoAn hIghlAnDS, noRth CARolInA – tenneSSee / CouRteSy hoRIzonlIne pICtuReS
These experiences are the foundation of our “myATstory” campaign, which can be accessed through the ATC’s website. These stories of adventure, discovery, and accomplishment not only help us remember what is important, they allow others to understand the power of the Trail. Often, they are the incentive for listeners to go out and begin their own story.

The Appalachian Trail Conservancy understands the power of these stories. Individually and collectively they make up all that is the Trail. Now, perhaps more than ever, it is important that we encourage people to experience the Trail and that we record, share, and celebrate those stories.

FlAgStAFF lAke, MAIne / by peteR DonAtI
Moving Forward
Our successes are due to the efforts of a great staff, a dedicated volunteer corps, and to the generosity of our membership and donors. In 2017, we raised over $6.3 million including a large dedicated grant from The Volegneu Foundation to support the Landscape Partnership initiative. These funds go far in helping us achieve our goals. But there is so much more we must do, and we will continue to expand our current base and bring in new partners.

With your support, the Appalachian Trail Conservancy will continue to protect and preserve this simple footpath. We are all guardians of this important and treasured landscape. Together we will ensure its presence now and for the future.

Suzanne Dixon / President & CEO
Sandra Marra / Chair

/ Appalachian trail conservancy /
Our mission is to preserve and manage the A.T.– ensuring that its vast natural beauty and priceless cultural heritage can be shared and enjoyed today, tomorrow, and for centuries to come.
Your Support At Work
Educate
45,000 annual visitors stopped into our visitor centers
28 Ridgerunners engaged 50,000 visitors on outdoor ethics
500 educators were trained to teach Leave No Trace principles
4 Million web visitors learned about the A.T. and the ATC through appalachiantrail.org
45,000 annual visitors stopped into our visitor centers
28 Ridgerunners engaged 50,000 visitors on outdoor ethics
500 educators were trained to teach Leave No Trace principles
4 Million web visitors learned about the A.T. and the ATC through appalachiantrail.org
Mount ClAy, neW hAMpShIRe / by kIkI FeRguSon
/ Appalachian trail conservancy /
Your Support At Work
Protect
2,190 miles of Trail maintained
6,000 Volunteers donated 240,000 hours
4,127 hikers registered on A.T. CAMP to avoid crowding
15 land acquisition projects completed to protect 10,200 acres
2,190 miles of Trail maintained
6,000 Volunteers donated 240,000 hours
4,127 hikers registered on A.T. CAMP to avoid crowding
15 land acquisition projects completed to protect 10,200 acres
A.t. VIRgInIA / by RyAn kIene
/ Appalachian trail conservancy /
Your Support At Work
Empower
31 Trail Maintaining Clubs engaged in on-the-ground Trail work
45 A.T. Community partners mobilized
15,000 youth connected to outdoors
450,000 people supported the ATC in various ways
31 Trail Maintaining Clubs engaged in on-the-ground Trail work
45 A.T. Community partners mobilized
15,000 youth connected to outdoors
450,000 people supported the ATC in various ways
AtC RoCkytop tRAIl CReW, noRth CARolInA / CouRteSy hoRIzonlIne pICtuReS
/ Appalachian trail conservancy /
2017 / ATC HIGHLIGHT / PROTECT
Landscape Partnership
Protecting Lands and Natural Habitat
The Appalachian Trail outlines one of the most prominent geographic features in the eastern United States, the distinctive Appalachians. The 2,190-milelong Trail connects wild, scenic, and culturally significant landscapes that define special and remarkable places – places that attract millions of people and support healthy recreation-driven communities.

To protect such a broad landscape, the A.T. Landscape Partnership — the ATC’s landscape initiative — works to unite a broad array of people in rallying partners and communities in common goals to conserve the value associated with the A.T. The A.T. Landscape Partnership works to conserve lands that are threatened and significant natural habitat, cultural, and historic sites. In 2017 alone, partner organizations completed 15 land acquisition projects, conserving approximately 10,200 acres along or adjacent to the A.T. One of those projects included the largest unprotected property along Pennsylvania’s Kittatinny Ridge: a 4,662-acre parcel that, when acquired, will become part of Cherry Valley National Wildlife Refuge.

A ReDTAILeD HAWK FLIeS OVeR KITTATINNy RIDGe / By WILLIAM J. MOSeS
Owned by Pennsylvania American Water Company, the property is crucial to the preservation of the A.T. due to its scenic and aural attributes. The land is also home to important species like black bears, Indiana bats, northern flying squirrels, eastern rattlesnakes, redtail hawks and bald eagles, making its protection necessary to a healthy and thriving wildlife habitat. Recreational access is also addressed — the parcel’s acquisition will connect the landscape to Pennsylvania state gamelands, state parks in New Jersey, and the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area, in addition to the A.T.

 In 2017, Phase I of the property was completed, which included the purchase of 1,731 acres by The Conservation Fund and the subsequent transfer of that acreage to Cherry Valley National Wildlife Refuge. The remaining 2,931 acres — Phase II of the project — will close in 2018. The successful conservation of all 4,662 acres will preserve more than five miles of the A.T., ensuring the integrity of the Trail and its landscape remain for future generations.

The land is also home to important species, making its protection necessary to a healthy and thriving wildlife habitat.
15
Land acquisition projects completed
10,200
Acres Protected
2017 / ATC HIGHLIGHT / Educate
Visitor Use
A.T. CAMP — A step in the right direction
Thanks to the success of A.T. CAMP — the thru-hiker and camping registration system for the Trail — thru-hikers have started to play a major role in helping even out the flow of hikers to better seek the “fellowship with the wilderness” for which the A.T. is famous. The ATC’s, A.T. CAMP (atcamp.org), an online voluntary registration system for all A.T. campers and thru-hikers, opened in 2017.
Thru-hikers start their journey at Amicalola Falls State Park in Georgia – an encouraged alternative to starting at Springer Mountain
Online registration allows hikers to register their starting date and location to reduce crowding on the Trail. In 2017, 4,127 people registered their intention to thru-hike, which represented over 80 percent of all 2017 thru-hikers. Many chose an alternative style of thru-hike that benefitted both the Trail and the hikers themselves.

Currently there are three registration types: Groups, Section Hikers, and Thru-Hikers. A.T.CAMP allows A.T. hikers to be part of the crowding solution — it provides a tool that allows them to see the number of other campers registered for a site to avoid crowded campsites and the damage that results. Voluntary registration enables hikers to enhance their A.T. experience and enables us to better manage the A.T. — without additional regulations. It also encourages hikers to learn and follow Leave No Trace ethics to better protect the Trail they love.

4,127
People registered
80%
of all thru-hikers registered
A 2017 thru-hiker displays his Leave No Trace hang tag / received through registering with A.T. CAMP
“The ATC’s thru-hiker registration is a great idea! The charts helped convince me that a flip-flop thru-hike was the right choice for me and helped me select a start date that wouldn’t be too crowded but when I wouldn’t be starting out alone either. It seems like hikers are realizing the benefits of the voluntary registration system and are increasingly using it.”
– Deb “Mona Lisa” Coleman, a 2017 flip-flop thru-hiker
2017 / ATC HIGHLIGHT / Protect
McAfee Knob grant
Providing Safe Access to the People’s trail
In 2017, the A.T. management partnership was awarded a $2.8 million grant to construct a pedestrian bridge over State Route 311 at the parking area for McAfee Knob. The Roanoke Appalachian Trail Club’s vice president Diana Christopulos, was a critical part of that effort. “This bridge will not only solve one of the most pressing hiker safety issues on the Trail, but will also further establish the Appalachian National Scenic Trail as a keystone unit of the National Parks System in the minds of all visitors,” she says. Bridgework is expected to begin in 2021.

The Virginia Department of Transportation also stepped up their partnership on Appalachian Trail-related issues, working to ensure safe and well-marked road crossings across the commonwealth of Virginia. Dennis Sanders of the Bristol district was recognized with the ATC’s Virginia Regional Office Agency Partner of the Year Award for his work establishing parking areas in Bland County and better signage at road crossings, among other successes.

$2.8
Million Grant
Sunrise on McAfee Knob / by Kevin Delonas
2017 / ATC HIGHLIGHT / Empower
children’s forest network
Cultivating the next stewards of the A.T.
The ATC continues to engage, inspire, and transform the next generation of A.T. leaders through education, partnerships, civic engagement, and sharing inclusive stories. One example of an ATC partnership with great collective impact is the Georgia Mountains Children’s Forest Network, which creates opportunities for diverse young Georgians to experience the natural world in their backyard. By enhancing and expanding successful programs offered through strong U.S. Forest Service partnerships, this network cultivates an understanding and stewardship of public lands. The network’s goals are to create inclusion and collaboration, get youth outdoors, develop 21st Century conservationists — and focuses on addressing the cultural and financial obstacles that exist for underrepresented youth in making a connection to these places that belong to them. 

The effort connects communities, land managers, and non-profits to provide a wide-range of innovative programs for youth in northern Georgia. While the ATC supports teacher workshops, partners also support field days, urban campouts, outreach programs in schools, hiking, and camping experiences.

Moving forward, the network is building a Next Generation Forest Ambassador program for 14-to 16-year-olds, and looking forward to the increased impact they will have on inviting future stewards and advocates to the A.T., our national forests and our public lands.

From left: Michela Williams leads a group of fifth graders in a game; Children look for insects; Enjoying a campout in Blairesville, Georgia
“My drive to promote inclusion of underrepresented youth in the outdoors has allowed me to successfully secure grants, attend career fairs, write blogs and record podcasts, visit dozens of schools and classrooms to educate children about public lands, national forests, the A.T., on macroinvertebrates, watersheds, wildlife, Leave No Trace Principles, and share Smokey Bear’s wildfire prevention messages. My hope is to continue to teach environmental education and foster stewardship in those who may have less access and opportunity to the great outdoors.”
– ATC Next Generation Council member and Children’s Forest Coordinator / Michela Williams
15,000
Youth connected and engaged
10,000
Students reached through conservation education programs
680
Youth took guided Appalachian Trail hikes
447
Kids participated in overnight treks in national forests
2017 / ATC HIGHLIGHT / Protect
Trail Management
A Clear and Safe Path
In 2017, the ATC continued efforts to make the Trail safer in New England by addressing tree safety issues at areas of congregation such as campsites, shelters, parking areas, and vistas. These areas are places along the Trail where visitors may congregate for longer than 15 minutes. An unsafe (hazard) tree may be dead or have various defects that might contribute to the likelihood that it will fall and cause damage to hikers or property. While some hikers are safety-conscious, many do not consider nearby hazard trees when choosing a campsite, parking their car, or taking a break during a hike.

Staff and dedicated volunteers visited sites to perform assessments that are used to determine how to deal with problem trees. A variety of options — such as removal, pruning, or long-term monitoring — may be used to ensure that visitors to the A.T. are not unwittingly placing themselves in a dangerous situation.

ATC New England regional director Hawk Metheny took down a bigtooth Aspen tree that endangered the privy at Antlers Campsite in Maine
Southern Appalachian Wilderness Stewards partnered with the Georgia A.T. Club, U.S. Forest Service, and ATC staff to clear one of many southern sections of the Trail affected by Hurricane Irma
Trail management includes the on–the-ground work of keeping the footpath safe and clear — and the maintenance of its structures and its natural and cultural resources. The ATC coordinates this work by providing training, funding, and other assistance to 31 Trail clubs, and the recruitment and management of volunteer Trail Crews.
1,000
Downed trees in the deep south region removed in the wake of Hurricane Irma
37
Hazard trees removed in southern New England at various overnight sites
2017 / ATC HIGHLIGHT / Educate
Monson, maine visitor center
Educating hikers near the Trail’s northern terminus
Hikers on Maine Street in Monson
I believe the Monson A.T. Visitor Center made a real difference in the quality of hikers’ experiences in northern Maine. Through our guidance, long-distance A.T. hikers entered Baxter State Park with a clear understanding of how to achieve their hiking goals, while still respecting the wilderness values of the park. And we steered day hikers who wanted just a taste of the A.T. toward safe and enjoyable adventures.
– Wendy Weiger / Monson A.T. Visitor Center Manager
The Monson Visitor Center — located on the main street in Monson, Maine — allows hikers to learn about Trail conditions and regulations in Maine, including important information about Baxter State Park.

During the center’s second season of full time operation, we welcomed 4,412 visitors, which is an 82 percent increase over the 2016 season. This included 74 percent of northbound thru-hikers on the Trail.

Along with the hikers and visitors at the Visitor Center, our ridgerunner Kim Rosenbaum educated hikers on-trail about Leave No Trace principles and what to expect when entering Baxter State Park — 2017 was the first year of limited A.T. hiker permits in the park. We regularly communicated with park field staff regarding the permits, Trail incidents and events, questionable hiker behavior, and messaging. The visitor center staff, along with the Maine Appalachian Trail Club’s three ridgerunners, visited the park in June and we welcomed Katahdin Stream Campground staff and supervisors to Monson in July.

The ATC hosted several community events during the hiking season, including: presentations on local hikes, conservation, Trail history, and natural history, an artist’s open house, and a nature walk. We hope to expand this program in 2018 and beyond.

4,412
Visitors welcomed
82%
Increase over the 2016 season
45,000
Visitors Welcomed to ATC Visitor Centers Trail-wide
ATC staff open the Monson Center for its 2017 season
2017 / ATC HIGHLIGHT / Protect
Energy Equilibrium
Guiding energy policies along the A.T.
“We prefer to be in a position of working toward a solution”
– Lynn Davis / ATC Director of Federal Policy & Legislation
View from A.T. – Palmerton Cliffs, Pennsylvania / by Anne Baker
Energy infrastructure projects — both large and small — are becoming more common throughout the A.T. landscape. While the natural gas pipelines have lately been the center of attention, new and relatively cheaper power options — such as solar and wind — have created a completely new energy infrastructure landscape and with it, a different policy discussion. The anticipated transformation explains why the ATC has positioned itself to be more involved in shaping future policies related to energy production and delivery.

“Communities up and down the A.T. are grappling with the development of energy infrastructure,” says Lynn Davis, the ATC’s director of federal policy and legislation. Davis points out that the ATC is willing to work with energy companies, government, industry, and communities, to help guide decisions on future projects.

Given significant challenges and impacts from the Mountain Valley Pipeline on the A.T. landscape, in 2017, the ATC participated in crafting bipartisan federal legislation to address a number of concerns associated with the planning and regulatory process of natural gas pipeline projects. Known as the Pipeline Fairness and Transparency Act, the bipartisan bill was introduced by Republican U.S. Congressman Morgan Griffith who represents a portion of southwestern Virginia. Democratic Senators Tim Kaine and Mark Warner of Virginia have introduced similar legislation in the U.S. Senate. The bill addresses the protection of the A.T. and other national scenic trails as well as the public vetting and approval process by the Federal Regulatory Energy Commission. The bill would also focus on the cumulative visual impacts of any similar proposed project. It would also mandate that multiple projects meeting certain criteria would be considered as one project, increasing the likelihood of locating multiple projects in a single energy corridor.

The ATC’s vice president of Conservation and Trail Management, Laura Belleville, is encouraged by the language in the legislation. “It’s thoughtful and forward-looking and showcases the kind of policy work the ATC is working towards,” she says. “We’re going to see more energy projects that will have an impact on the Trail corridor. We need our members, volunteers, and supporters to engage with us as we advocate for meaningful policy development,” says Belleville, who believes that stronger policies and more effective decision-making processes can help limit the cumulative effects of future energy development on the A.T. landscape.

2017 / ATC HIGHLIGHT / Financials
2017 / ATC HIGHLIGHT / Financials
2017 / Our Supporters
the Volgenau Foundation
Visionary Investment in the A.T.
$3
Million Grant
The support from the foundation demonstrates a desire within the private sector to protect the natural places that make America so special.
CARVINS COVe, VIRGINIA / By CHRIS D’AMBROSIO
A $3 million grant from The Volgenau Foundation is allowing the ATC to significantly ramp up efforts to protect the exceptional values that make the Appalachian Trail and its landscape a world-renowned treasure. The support from the Virginia-based foundation demonstrates a desire within the private sector to protect the natural places that make America so special. With the ever-present challenge of dwindling public funding, donations from philanthropic foundations, corporations, and individual citizens are crucial.

The A.T. Landscape Partnership — led by the ATC and the National Park Service — safeguards the wild, scenic, and culturally significant values of the A.T. and its surrounding lands while also increasing the chance of economic prosperity in towns and communities along the Trail. The grant will help ensure the values that make the A.T. landscape so unique — and cherished by so many — remain for generations to come.

To leverage the financial support from the Virginia-based foundation, the ATC will award land protection and organizational capacity building grants to qualified conservation organizations working within the A.T. landscape. Over the next three years, the ATC expects to grant annually up to $500,000 to projects that will accelerate the pace of A.T. Landscape Conservation projects. An additional $150,000 will be awarded each year to projects that implement new or existing strategic conservation plans, sustain and steward the resources that define the A.T. landscape, or increase public awareness of those resources.

The ATC is accepting proposals for projects on behalf of the A.T. Landscape Partnership, which is made up of public and private conservation groups working within the A.T. landscape.

2017 / Our Supporters
Bruce “RTK” Matson
Using a challenging thru-hike to challenge others to contribute
$100,000
$100,000
Bruce on previous outdoor adventures – with his daughter (top left), son (bottom left) – and with his wife Cheryl during his current A.T. hike
Bruce Matson is honoring his life-long dream of hiking the Appalachian Trail. Bruce, at 60 years old, has carved out the time and opportunity to attempt a thru-hike of the entire 2,190 miles of the Trail from Georgia to Maine. In 2017, Bruce decided — as a way to “give back” to the A.T. — to use his planned 2018 thru-hike to help raise money for the ATC. Bruce wants millions of Trail visitors to enjoy the Trail, for generations to come. His campaign to assist the ATC is called the “RTK A.T. Challenge.”

Bruce’s Trail Name — “RTK” — comes from the theme of his thru-hike: “Returning to Katahdin.” Born and raised in Connecticut, Bruce learned to love the outdoors through hiking, backpacking, and canoeing in New England (including two summers of guiding canoe trips in the North Maine Woods and climbing Katahdin). He moved to Virginia for college and law school, met his wife Cheryl, and stayed to begin a career and a family. By his own words, Bruce has had a wonderful life thus far. In returning to Katahdin by way of the longest footpath in the world, Bruce will be reflecting upon his life as he retraces an earlier and shorter journey along the A.T., from north to south, from Connecticut to Virginia.

Bruce will be matching contributions dollar for dollar up to $100,000

For more information about this challenge or to support Bruce’s goal visit: appalachiantrail.org/RTKChallenge

2017 / Our Supporters

Corporate Foundation and Non-Profit Partners

ICON
$1,000,000+

The Volgenau Foundation

LEADER
$100,000 – $499,999

National Park Foundation

TRAILBLAZER
$50,000 – $99,999

Phillip Morris USA, an Altria company

MAINTAINER
$25,000 – $49,999

Chesapeake Bay Trust
Devils Backbone Brewing Company
ENO
Google Mountain View
REI
The Whitehead Foundation, Inc

RIDGERUNNER
$10,000 – $24,999

AmazonSmile
Crenshaw Associates
DEPCOM Power
Harney & Sons Fine Teas
F. M. Kirby Foundation
L.L. Bean
M Powered Strategies, Inc.
National Forest Foundation
Osprey Packs
Elmina B. Sewall Foundation
Taco Mac
Vasque Footwear

HIKER
$1,000 – $9,999

ALDHA
AMC Delaware Valley Chapter
American Backcountry
Arborwear
Arnold & Porter
AT Passport
Atlas Guides
Bavarian Inn
BIS Global
Brookfield White Pine Hydro LLC
Brown Advisory Charitable Foundation

Cequent Consumer Products/ROLA
Dandelion Jewelry
Darn Tough Vermont
Eastern Outdoor Sales
Enterprise Rent-A-Car
Etowah Outfitters
Follow Bigfoot
Garden Homes Management Corporation
Garrett College
Georgia Appalachian Trail Club
Honeywell International

Hydro Flask
Jones Day
La Sportiva
LMAC Foundation, Inc
Makers4Good
Mast General Store
Mohawk Group
Monument Policy Group, LLC
Moonshine USA
Newman’s Own Foundation
Northwest Federal Credit Union

Point6
Salazon Chocolate Co.
Sawyer Products
SPOT
The Danny Cramer Foundation
The White Pine Fund
Top of The World
UMB CardPartners
Univision
York County Community Foundation

Mount Lafayette, New Hampshire

2017 / Donors

ANNUAL FUND LEADERSHIP CIRCLE

White Mountains, New Hampshire

CHAMPION
$500,000 or more
Estate of Mary K. Gall

LEADER
$100,000 – $499,000
Bruce Matson
Estate of Robert J. Shlifer

PARTNER
$50,000 – $99,999
Estate of Peter L. Kennard
Fred & Alice Stanback
Estate of Carl Thompson
Greg# & Jan Winchester

ADVOCATE
$25,000 – $49,999
William W. Farkas
Sam Ferguson
Peter & Cynthia Kellogg
Neall Family Charitable Foundation
Rubén# & Valerie Rosales
Tracy Rothstein
Robert Salerno
Ann Satterthwaite

PROTECTOR
$10,000 – $24,999
Anonymous (2)
Estate of Joan Sibley
Daniel P. Collins
Courtney A. Daragan
Norman# & Adrienne Findley
Daniel & Laura Gold
Helen J. Hauser
Mary Higley# & Kyran Kennedy
Estate of Robert L. Hueston
Robert# & Catherine Hutchinson
Robert G. Maxfield
Sandra L. Ostman
Peter & Sally Parsonson
Nathaniel Stoddard#
Betsy# & Bob Thompson
Ron Tipton & Rita Molyneaux
Dudley & Barbara White

STEWARD
$5,000 – $9,999
Anonymous (2)
Estate of David W. Appel
Kristin Bargmann
Colin# & Liz Beasley
Beth Bryan Critton#
Rich & Catherine Daileader
Audrey H. Duane
Rachel Ramona Eubank
Edward J. Gehringer
Glenn S. Harman
Robert Hutchins
Brian B. King*
Craig MacPherson
Janet M. Malcolm
Sandra Marra# & Chris Brunton
C. Arthur Morrow
Moxley Family Foundation

MSB Cockayne Fund
Shalom Nickel
Dana Olson
Michael O’Shea
Robert “Rhea” Patrick
George Perkinson
David H. Raymond
Jennifer K. Reilly
Calvin Sossoman
Marie E. Uehling
Evan Van Hook

View All Supporters

SUPPORTER
$1,000 – $4,999
Anonymous (3)
Jennifer Adler
Michael Jared Alvare
June C. Amer
Nancy D. Anthony
Bernard Arghiere
Bill & Liz Armstrong
Chase Arnett
Mark Aronson
Deborah Atwood & Robert Hyman
Jesse & Debbie Austin
Donald & Anne Ayer
Marian T. Baker
Ron & Jill Balistreri
John & Jean Ball
Eugene M. Bane
Kathy Becker
Greg & Anne Beckham
Laura* & Buzz Belleville
Holly Bevan
Hon. Donald & Megan Beyer
Joan Bingham
Judie Birchfield
Mary Blanton
Ralph & Jennifer Blumenthal
Marilynn Borkowski
Paul Brame
LT. Col. Ann H. Bransford
Bill Breen
Susan Brookreson
Matthew Brott
Michael S. Brown
Anne Brown
Bill & Marlene Bryan
David Buddington
Tim Burke
Nancy Burnett
Walter M. Burnett
Ron & Cathy Butler
Wes Callender & Pat
John Carey
Irad & Rebecca Carmi
David Carter
Thomas Cary
Ann Cashion
Frank Catena
San Choi
Diana Christopulos^ & Mark McClain
Kevin Click
Harry Cohen
Craig Coleman
Brian Cook
Robert P. Coon
Jane Cooper
Kathi & Steve Cramer
Beth Bryan Critton#
Bradley Currey
John W. Cutler
George & Elizabeth Danis
Brooke Davies
Davies Family Foundation
Scott & Kay Dawson
Joe DeLoach
Sophie Desbiens
Hilton B. Dickerson
Lauren Zitofsky Dowling
Constance DuHamel^ & Carolyn Handler
Suzanne Dunn
Ronald Duwell
David Eddy

Erik A. Eichinger
Diana R. Ellsworth
Inge Borre English
Charles Ermert
Eugene M. Espy
Marcia Fairweather
Charles S. Feaux
Jean Feldman
James Fields
Robert & Constance Fletcher
Arthur# & Denise Foley
Karen Foster
Suzanne Foster
Sky Foulkes
Erin Frackleton
Joel Frantzman
Rob & Kathryn Freer
Edward & Carole Friedman
Pamela Frossard
Charli Fulton
Lisa^ & Mark Gerchick
William Gibson
Don Glasgow
Nancy Glenz
Robert J. Glynn
Gerard G. Gold
Steve Golden
Mary Ann Gorman
Elizabeth Graham
Pamela & James Grange
Brian C. Gruber
John & Betty Grumm
Jeffrey D. Gump
Greer Gunby
John Gunther-Mohr
Edward# & Janelle Guyot
Jim Haggett
Doug Hankes
William A. Hart
Holly & Steve Hartel
Robert L. Harvey
Nicholas A. Herceg
Lance Herning
Lois E. Herr
Eli V. Hestermann
David C. Heston
Michael Hiemstra
Jason Hill
Ray W. Hiltbrand
Christina Hobbs
Arthur & Eloise Hodges
June Horsman
George Hovey
Dan Howe#
Andrew Huggins
Fred M. Hughson
David A. Hunt
Miles Hurley
Lydia James
Geoffrey & Christine James
Lewis James
Edward Johns
Eric Johnson
Henry Jonas
Allen Jones
Richard K. Judy
Edward Kaska
Sam Kearney
Scott Kendall
Jared & Reagan King
Estate of Charles Klabunde
Debra Kneisly
Scott Knudsen
Jason Kutz
Robert & Kelly Kyle

Lee & Brenda Larson
Tiffany Lawrence
Eric Lazerson
Dan & Deanna Lentz
Michael Leonard^
Kenneth & Patricia LeRoy
Roland A. Levandowski
Eugene Linfors
Judy & Bart Lipofsky
Robert E. Livezey
George & Judy Lockhart
Richard H. Longo
Ronald Lott
Sarah Lynch
Stephen Lynton
Robert G. Lyon
Anne Marie Macari
Kurt MacLeod
Peni A. MacMeekin
Peter Mangan
Paul Mansfield
Rich Margolin
Paula Martin
Marcus Martin
James Martineau
Stephanie Martz^
Albert Marx
L. Hardy Mason
Lance Matiste
Edward M. Mattison
James McCabe
Bryant McDaniel
David N. McFall
Paul McGraw
Judith McGuire & Arthur Tsien
Mary McKinley
Ginny Too McKinsey
Scott McQuilkin
Korey Mercier
Jill Millis
Cliff Milner
J. Randall Minchew
Don F. Mitchell
Preston & Christy Mitchell
Anne M. Mitchell
Paul H. Morrow
Richard M. Morten
Scott Moyer
Mark Mullins
Roc Myers
David Nagy
Barry L. Neel
Cherie Nikosey*
Tanya K. Nitterhouse
Jim & Katherine O’Hatnick
Terry & Kim Olah
Eric & Susan Olson
Clint Oster
Carl & Susan Overmiller
Andrew Parker
Charles Parrish
Sue C. Peck
Mark Perreault
William P. Person
Sarah Peskin
Sydney Peterson
Colleen T. Peterson#
Zelie Pforzheimer
Chad Pfrommer
Jennifer Pharr Davis#
Elizabeth Plentovich
John & Susan Poole
Jeffrey S. Poulin
Kathryn & Peter Powers
David Purdy

Tip & Ann Ray
Gregory Reck & Lelia Vann
Scott Redfern
Thomas Reifsnyder
Richard & Anna Reller
Shawn Remacle
F. Peter & Mary Rentz
Charles Reuben
John Rhodes & Elizabeth Allman
Barbara Ribner
Robert E. Rich^
Lemont K. Richardson
Craig Roberts
John Rodger
Thomas Rosato
Elizabeth L. Rossman
Betty Schroeder
Judith L. Seay
Beth Sersig
Abigail Seymour
Allyn & Karen Seymour
Kimball Simpson & Kathleen Donaghue
Candace Sinclair
John & Bonni Sirianni
Daniel Sloan
Landon Smith
Edward Sohl
Shirley M. Sontheimer
Brian Soucy
Michael Spirtas
Robert & Betsy Springman
Cyrus & Joanne Spurlino
Kevin St. Clair
Steven Staats
E. Jeffrey Stann
Willy Staples
Richard & Connie Steudel
Rodney & Sarah Stewart
Ernie Stovall II
Rosalind Suit
Nancy & Bruce Summers
Kurt Summersgill
Steven P. Telford
Lisa A. Teot
G. Carleton Thackston
Steuart H. Thomsen
James Truesdale
Edward R. Uehling
Michael Vaden
Hon. C. Stewart Verdery^
Denise K. Vowell
Edward Vrba
Jeff Walden
William A. Weary
Margaret & Elizabeth Weller
Walter G. Wells
Marilee Wheeler
Joseph White
Richard C. Whiteford
Lyn Widmyer
Ted Williams
Rush Williamson, Jr.
Russell Wise
Pamela Witcher
Melissa Wohlgemuth
William Womack
Jonathan & Emily Wood
Mike Worley
Frank W. Wright
Christina L. Wtulich
Sara^ & Paul Yanes
Rebekah Young
Rich Zadora
Benjamin Zax
Jason Zink

# Denotes ATC Board member
^ Denotes ATC Advisory Circle member
* Denotes ATC Staff member

Close

2017 / leadership

A.T. near Carlisle, Pennsylvania

ATC Executive Leadership

Suzanne Dixon / President & CEO
Stacey J. Marshall / Vice President of Finance & Administration
Mark Saari / Acting Vice President of Membership & Development
Laura Belleville / Vice President of Conservation & Trail Programs
Brian B. King / Publisher
Javier Folgar / Director of Marketing & Communications
Lynn Davis / Director of Federal Policy & Legislation
Cherie A. Nikosey / Director of Human Resources

ATC Regional Directors

Andrew Downs / Central and Southwest Virginia Regional Director
Karen Lutz / Mid-Atlantic Regional Director
Hawk Metheny / New England Regional Director
Morgan Sommerville / Southern Regional Director

ATC Board of Directors

Sandra Marra / Chair
Greg Winchester / Vice Chair
Elizabeth (Betsy) Pierce Thompson / Secretary
Mary Higley / Treasurer
Colin Beasley
Beth Critton
Shalin Desai
Norman P. Findley
Arthur Foley
Edward R. Guyot
Daniel A. Howe
Robert Hutchinson
Colleen Peterson
Jennifer Pharr Davis
Rubén Rosales
Nathaniel Stoddard

President’s Advisory Circle

Hon. C. Stewart Verdery, Jr. / Chair
Shooter Starr / Vice Chair
Diana Christopulos
Constance I. DuHamel
Lisa Koteen Gerchick
Jessica Herrera-Flanigan
R. Michael Leonard
Stephanie Martz
Robert Rich
Thomas Torrisi
Sara Hazelwood Yanes

31 Trail Maintaining Clubs

Natural Bridge Appalachian Trail Club
Maine Appalachian Trail Club
Appalachian Mountain Club
Randolph Mountain Club
Dartmouth Outing Club
Green Mountain Club
AMC – Berkshire Chapter
AMC – Connecticut Chapter
New York-New Jersey
Trail Conference
Wilmington Trail Club
Batona Hiking Club
Keystone Trails Association
Allentown Hiking Club
Cumberland Valley
Appalachian Trail Club
York Hiking Club

Mountain Club of Maryland
Potomac Appalachian Trail Club
Old Dominion Appalachian Trail Club
Tidewater Appalachian Trail Club
AMC – Delaware Valley Chapter
Outdoor Club at Virginia Tech
Roanoke Appalachian Trail Club
Piedmont Appalachian Trail Hikers
Mount Rogers Appalachian Trail Club
Tennessee Eastman Hiking and Canoeing Club
Carolina Mountain Club
Smoky Mountains Hiking Club
Nantahala Hiking Club
Blue Mountain Eagle Climbing Club
Georgia Appalachian Trail Club
Susquehanna Appalachian Trail Club

Next Generation Advisory Council

Alivia Acosta
Brady Adcock
Oforiwaa Pee Agyei-Boakye
Jim Beckmann
Olympia Bowker
Stephen Eren
Kelly Garvy
Dakota Jackson
Brittany Leavitt
Marcela Maldonado
Natrieifia Miller
Kristin Murphy
Tony Richardson
Irene Syphers
Amanda Wheelock
Michela Williams

ATC Stewardship Council

Beth Critton / Chair
Cosmo Catalano / Trail and Camping Committee Chair
Heather Clish / Landscape and Resource Protection Committee Chair
Tom Ottinger / Youth and Diversity Committee Chair
Rebekah Young / Partner Communications and Resource Committee Chair
William (“Bill”) D. Bryant
Ashton Cole
Fred Tutman
Rush Williamson
Tom Mullin
Roger Osorio
Trudy Phillips
Ryan W. Smith
Dr. Jeremy F. Wimpey
Nicole Wooten