North Country Trail Association (NCTA)
OUTREACH
Program — Over 2,800 Participants registered for NCTA’s Hike 100 Challenge, a self guided hiking challenge that encourages individuals to hike 100 miles on the North Country Trail in a calendar year. As of January 1st, over 2,200 completed the challenge.
COVID-19 — NCTA established a task force consisting of staff, volunteers, and Agency partners to strategize best practices and form guidelines for NCTA volunteers during the pandemic.
PROTECTION
Land —
NCTA partnered with Pheasants Forever and Carlton County, MN to acquire a 242 acre property on the Minnesota-Wisconsin border, permanently protecting 1 mile of NCNST.
NCTA volunteers, staff and partners secured 17 new easements on behalf of the NCNST.
NPS continued developments at the NPS acquired property in Augusta, MI; including a native prairie restoration project.
Trail Extension — NPS provided support for planning efforts and partnerships in the new segments of NCNST in Minnesota and Vermont; where the trail was extended through the John D. Dingell, Jr. Conservation, Management, and Recreation Act.
CAPACITY
Staff — NCTA added five new staff members in 2020, including an Annual Events Coordinator, Data Entry Specialist, Member and Donor Relations Coordinator, and two new Regional Trail Coordinators to cover Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, and Vermont.
Plan — NCTA implemented year one of the new Strategic Plan which was developed in 2019.
Organization — NCTA formed a Board Committee on Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (JEDI), signed the Outdoor CEO Diversity Pledge and adopted an organizational diversity statement.
Expansion — NCTA fostered the development of a new NCTA Chapter in Western North Dakota.
Volunteers — NPS staff developed a new project review process, to ensure volunteer-led projects are meeting Federal compliance requirements.