Celebrating 10 Years of Wilderness Stewards
In 2015, the Hemingway-Boulder, Cecil D. Andrus White Clouds, and Jim McClure-Jerry Peak Wilderness Areas were signed into law; 275,665 acres of premier wildlife habitat, primitive recreation opportunities, and open spaces were permanently protected in a unanimous vote by Congress. The Idaho Conservation League, alongside our many partners and supporters, had worked for decades to secure this win. 2015 was a year for celebration. In 2016, we got back to work. These areas were protected on paper, but what about on the ground?
Enter the Wilderness Stewards Program
In a collaborative effort between the U.S. Forest Service and Idaho Conservation League, 20 scrappy volunteers came together and offered their time to the Wilderness. The idea was simple: expand the reach of the Forest Service by training volunteers to act as the hands, eyes, and ears of rangers otherwise spread thin. These volunteers would talk to fellow trail users about Wilderness regulations, then-new to the trails of the Cecil D. Andrus White Clouds, the Hemingway-Boulders, and Jim McClure-Jerry Peak. They’d also help out in the already-busy Sawtooth Wilderness.
In that first year, volunteers reported 111 “patrols” in Wilderness. They naturalized almost 60 illegal fire rings, disposed of 12 instances of human waste, packed out 30 pounds of litter, and interacted with over 1,400 other trail users. Upon return, they recorded what they’d seen for the U.S. Forest Service to review. Volunteers got into the mountains as they always had in the summers, having fun and recreating, but now with added purpose.
Ten years on, the program is stronger all the time
Since 2015, the program has grown to include the Craters of the Moon Wilderness, as well as recommended Wilderness areas in the southern end of the Salmon-Challis National Forest. With more terrain to cover, we’ve also gained more volunteers. In 2025, total volunteers surged to 95 participants. Individuals from all over the state drove up to the Sawtooth National Headquarters for our June training date; we had to pull in spare office chairs from every corner of the building to accommodate everyone. And the total tallies of miles covered, litter collected, and hours spent continue to be an impressive indicator of just how much work the Wilderness Steward Program accomplishes.
As we enter our 2026 season—one whole decade in action—we can report some particularly spectacular statistics of aggregate impact. In the last ten years, Wilderness Stewards have:
Contributed 13,596 hours of their personal time. To put that in terms of the standard 9-to-5 work week, that’s the equivalent of 6.5 years of work.
Patrolled enough miles of trail to cross the United States three times over.
Encountered over 19,400 other trail users.
Cleared 171 human waste issues.
Dismantled or naturalized 710 fire rings.
Packed out 198 pounds of litter and garbage.
The best way to celebrate a decade of work? Roll up your sleeves and join us!
The Idaho Conservation League begins accepting applications for new volunteers every April. Sign up for updates here to receive more information about applying in 2026. If you’re going to be hitting the trails this summer, this year could be your year to “recreate with purpose!”