2018 Guidelines SAFETY. Organization: Every CT Maintainer Organization should designate a member as primary contact for

Transcription

1 Organization: Every CT Maintainer Organization should designate a member as primary contact for communications with the Cumberland Trail State Scenic Trail during the annual term of maintenance. The Cumberland Trail contact for reporting is: Bradley Smiddy bradley.smiddy@tn.gov SAFETY Every CT Maintainer is responsible for monitoring a n d contributing to group safety during an outing. The group leader must begin each outing with a safety check and message. First Aid Certifications should be discussed so that group members know trained group members. It is recommended that someone in the group carry a basic first aid kit along every trail outing. Gloves should be worn during all work activity. Fluorescent Orange: During Big Game Hunts, all hikers within TWRA management areas must wear on the upper portion of their body and head a minimum of 500 square inches or daylight fluorescent orange (blaze orange), visible front and back while hunting big game except on archery-only and turkey hunts. (A hat and vest fulfills requirements.) Blaze orange camo is legal if it contains 500 square inches of fluorescent orange. In those areas where the archery-only deer season dates overlap with another big game gun season (i.e. bear), archers are required to wear 500 square inches of daylight fluorescent orange. This is a legal requirement. You are subject to a citation by TW RA or State Park Rangers for failure to comply. CUMBERLAND TRAIL STATE SCENIC TRAIL 220 Park Road, Caryville, TN Cumberland.Trail@TN.gov tnstateparks.com/pa rks/about/cumberland-tra i I Scan to Visit the Maintainer-Adopter Website

2 SAFETY EMERGENCY: In the event of an emergency, FIRST call 911 Secondary calls: l. Your Section Ranger contact 2. CT Safety/Security Officer Josh Kuykendall: (423) Park Manager Bob Fulcher (865) Keep these numbers in your cell phone during outings! Injuries should be reported to the CT Safety/Security officer at TOOLS Maintainers may use their own tools for their volunteer work. CT tools may be made available at tool cache locations. Maintainer Organizations can consider their own fundraisers or grant applications to develop their own tool inventory. Tools may be broken during normal use. Tools lost or broken through negligence may affect the status of the Maintainer agreement. REPORTING Each outing should be scheduled on the CT Trail Maintainer-Adopter Website(cumberlandtrail.guide) by completing the "Maintainer Pre-Trip Form". You can find the form at cumberlandtrail.guide/maintaineradopter (Pre-Trip Section - Has Printable Version) or cumberlandtrail.guide/maintainer-adopter-program/maintainer-pre-trip-form. Submit printed forms to cumberlandtrail@tn.gov After your outing: All maintenance should be reported via the printed Maintainer Checklist. You can find the form at cumberlandtrail.guide/maintaineradopter ("Submit Your Work" Section - Has Printable Version) or cumberlandtrail.guide/ maintainer-adopter-program/maintainer-work-submission-form. Submit printed forms to cumberlandtrail@tn.gov LITTER REMOVAL Litter should be taken off the trail routinely. Dumps sh0ttld be reported and can be removed as a special project. Report potential meth trash -don't touch it. Disposal locations will vary but should be discussed andplanned. 2

3 BRUSHING AND CLEARING The trail corridor should be cleared of brush and dead limbs to a 4 - fo ot width and an 8-fo ot height. Limbs should be cut flush with the trunk. Cut small trees flush with the ground - do not leave pointed stumps. Trip roots should be removed from trail. Leave annual growth and perennials on backslope if growth can stabilize the slope. Woody plants will be removed or continually trimmed flush. PRUNING Cut just outside the branch collar-flush cutting retards healing. If a branch is over ½ inch diameter, use your saw to make the cut. Leave lateral branches that are growing away from the trail. If a branch grows away from the trail, there will be less work the next year. BLAZING AND SIGNAGE Vandalism to signs and kiosks should be reported to your Section Ranger and to cumberland.trail@tn.gov. Maintainers can replace and repair trail signage during a following outing if replacements can be ordered. When blazing, consider the following: It is best to blaze after brushing, so that you can accurately judge the visibility of a blaze. It is best to blaze when the vegetation has fully leafed out, so line-of-sight marking is certain. Metal and plastic blazes should be tacked only with aluminum nails, which can be safely sheared by a chain saw. At least one inch of the nail should be left exposed to accommodate tree growth. Metal and plastic blazes should be replaced or re-nailed when tree bark has grown flush with the nail head. Old nails should be removed, if possible. Painting blazes is best performed when conditions are warm and dry. Do not paint blazes following a rain event or when rain is expected within 24 hours. 3

4 BLAZING AND SIGNAGE When deciding on blaze spacing intervals, consider the following: o In general, there should be no more than one blaze within sight at a time o At water crossings without a structure, blaze as close to the water as possible o At turns in a trail, or areas with large drainages that can be mistaken as the trail corridor, additional blazing may be appropriate. When choosing a tree to blaze on, consider the following factors: o Live trees are always preferred to dead trees o Avoid trees with shedding bark like pine. o Use trees with contrasting colored bark so paint is visible o Ensure tree has wide enough diameter to meet blaze size standards When placing a blaze on a tree, consider the following: o Average height of a blaze on a tree should be approximately 6 foot o When possible, avoid blazing on opposite side of a single tree (if tree falls over, blazes will then be lost) o Sharp or obscure turns in the trail should be marked with two offset blazes. If the trail is turning right, the top blaze should be offset to the right. Additional tips when you are on the trail blazing: o Strongly recommended that 2 or more people blaze together (helps with sighting the blaze location, and makes the trip go faster) o Recommended to blaze entirely in one direction, then turn back and blaze in opposite direction o Do not automatically repaint old blazes -- this is because the old blazes could be the wrong color or size, or too many in number and some old ones should be left to fade away. Tips for painting blazes: o Scrape the trees bark lightly first (do not debark the tree, but your painting surface should be smooth) o Carry a template as a guide. o lt is not recommended lo use a stencil as they often lead to paint runs or drips o Paint a 1-inch wide by 6--inch tall rectangular blaze; no other shaped blazes are permitted. o After painting a blaze, use a rag to touch up any drips or runs so that only a rectangle remains 4

5 BLOWDOWNS Trees can be cleared with a chainsaw or bowsaw. Chainsaw use is only allowed if a maintainer has been certified by a Cumberland Trail Ranger. USFS Level l certification may be accepted. Only downed trees will be cut by CT Maintainers. Collect and send GPS information rgarding downed trees/trail blockages to the CT office when you submit your Maintenance Report. Bowsaws and folding saws may be used without certification. Bowsaws can be effective for trees up to 12 inches in diameter. Folding saws can be effective for stems up to 6 inches in diameter. Limbs should be cut flush with tree trunk to avoid stubs. CORRIDOR CONTROL Unofficial reroutes of a trail are called "rogue trails," "bootleg trails," "social trails" and other terms. Bootleg trails often develop when hikers cut switchbacks. In wet areas, hikers may hike to the side of t h e trail widening it. They also develop when the trail is poorly brushed and blazed or when blowdowns are not removed. When hikers are unsure of the direction, they may take different routes. Obstructions, such a s a tree growing in the trail, or rocks in the treadway can cause two or more parallel trails to develop. These situations are not only unsightly, but increase the impact of' hiking on the environment. ln dealing with these problems, first try to determine "why they are happening. Blazes may be faint or misplaced. A blowdown or brush projecting into the trail can force people to take a different direction. After connecting these problems, block off the reroute with brush. Large gnarled logs and dead softwoods with spiny branches are particularly effective. Hikers will usually take the path of least resistance. Allow new growth lo come into the reroute and minimize brushing the entrance to it so the shortcut is less visible. Where a trail diverges in two paths, then converges again, for example around a tree in the trail, brush in the less usable o f the two routes. UNAUTHORIZED CAMPSITES These may be found on or near the trail. You should brush in the site with large branches, log limbs, and dead trees hauled in from the woods. These, though, are often subsequently cleared away or used for firewood. Break up and disperse fire-rings and ashes. Litter should be removed. 5

6 WET AREAS OF THE TRAIL If a trail has captured water from a drain, the trail may require outsloping to standards or construction of a grade dip to take water off the trail. Stepping stones may be necessary for crossing drains that intersect the trail. Rocks should be at least 12" x 12", preferably with a flat top. The stones should be set so that they will not move when a hiker jumps or walks on the step. Stepping stones must allow water to drain between the steps. ROCKWORK Repair of stone steps and stairs can be an important contribution, but good work requires experience. Maintainers should not attempt to rebuild a stone staircase without experience or guidance. Large loose rocks in the trail can be moved from the corridor. Replacing "gargoyle" rocks to direct hikers through a set of stone steps also should not be done without experience or guidance. Report rock work that must be replaced for safety reasons. Request Rock Work Training if desired. DRAINAGE FEATURES Grade reversals, grade dips, drains, and water bars should be cleared of leaves, twigs and other sediment Maintain up to 15% slope in the drain so that water moves effectively and can carry water and leaves out of the drainage structure and off the trail. This means the top of the drain will be about 6 inches higher than the bottom of the drain. Grade reversals, grade dips, drains, and water bars should be cleared of leaves, twigs and other sediment. Maintain up to 15% slope in the drain so water moves effectively and can carry water and leaves out of the drainage structure and off the trail. This means the top of the drain will be about 6 inches higher than the bottom of the drain. REROUTES Construction of trail reroutes should be completed only if properly trained. Request if desired.

7 DATA COLLECTION The Cumberland Trail needs basic data on your maintenance section. While not a part of usual maintenance if you so desire we would appreciate the following. Data focusing on enumerating the section's in-f rastructure. This could include the number of stone steps, the number of bridges and their dimensions and condition, kiosks and trail signage, including blazes, linear feet of fencing, and description of trail damage and safety issues. GPS location data for structures and problem sites, photographs, and comments related to features or conditions on the trailor State property are welcome. Dangerous leaning trees, rock slides, or vandalism is especiall y important lo report. GPS data will be incorporated in the CT GIS database. Waypoints should be collected as averaged points if more precise location is needed. Average points for 30 seconds. Data should be collected with NAO 83 datum in Decimal Degrees. Contact: Ranger Jim Brannon at ; jim.brannon@tn.gov to learn more about GIS Reporting. Reports and photographs related lo wildlife, wildflowers, and cultural features can contribute to our knowledge of CT resources, will be appreciated. They may be used as posts on the CT social media sites. These should be directed to: Bradley Smiddy: bradley.smiddy@tn.gov RECOGNITION End-of-year recognition items may be given out based on hours of service with a sponsorship of River Sports Outfitters in Knoxville, Tennessee and Rock/Creek Outfitters in Chattanooga, Tennessee. These items may be give to individuals or organizations and may be passed to organization members by any means preferred by the organization. The organization or individual should provide pictures or logos for recognition on the Friends of the Cumberland Trail website. Recognition tiers are still being developed but all efforts by Maintainers (and Adopters) will be recognized. We will have more details on tiers soon and always follow the Maintainer-Adopter program at for current news. 7

8 Maintainer Organizations may create their own CT Maintainer Organization artwork for tee-shirts, letterhead, or any purposes related to your valuable service to the Cumberland Trail. You may grant such items to your own volunteers according to your own guidelines, discretion, or need. CONTACT INFORMATION Each maintained and adopted trail section will have a primary ranger contact. Cumberland Trail State Park and State Scenic Trail: 220 Park Road Caryville, TN (423) Bob Fulcher, Park Manager (Caryville) Emergency Cell: (865) Jordan Sikkema, Assistant Park Manager (Chattanooga) Cell: (423) Bradley Smiddy, Admin/Maintainer-Adopter Coordinator (Caryville) Emergency Cell: (423) Linda Daugherty, Office Manager (Caryville) Emergency Cell: (-l-23) Jim Brannon, Park Ranger (Caryville) Emergency Cell: ( 423) Mark Stanfill, Trail Coordinator (Caryville) Emergency Cell: (615) Jacob Ingram, Park Ranger (Wartburg) HOS office: (423) Emergency Cell: (423) Anthony Jones, Park Ranger (Head of Sequatchie) HOS Office: (423) Emergency Cell: (931) Ryan Maddux, Park Ranger (Spring City-Dayton) Emergency Cell: ( 423) John Braddock, Maintenance Foreman (Head of Sequatchie) HOS Office: (423) Emergency Cell: ( 423) Josh Kuykendall, Park Ranger (Chattanooga-Prentice Cooper) Emergency Cell: ( 423) Dalton Miller, Park Ranger (Prentice Cooper) Emergency Cell: (423) CUMBERLAND TRAIL STATE SCENIC TRAIL 220 Park Road, Caryville, TN Cumberland.Trail@TN.gov I tnstateparks.com/parks/about/cumberland-trail Scan to Visit the Maintainer-Adopter Website