Earlier this year, BCHA’s Executive Director Jim McGarvey signed a 5-year MOU with the BLM. The agreement encourages BLM field offices throughout the Western U.S. to partner with local BCH chapters for service and trail maintenance projects. It also encourages the BLM to work with BCHA and The Wilderness Society in efforts to promote and expand a system of sustainable hiking and horseback riding trails on BLM-managed lands.
To read the full agreement, here is a copy of the PDF.
For those that don’t know what a MOU is, it is a formal agreement between two or more parties. Companies and organizations can use MOUs to establish official partnerships. MOUs are not legally binding but they carry a degree of seriousness and mutual respect, stronger than a gentlemen’s agreement. BCHA also has outstanding MOUs with the US Forest Service and the National Parks.
Chip Herzig
The link to the MOU does not work. BLM California asked that BCHC develop an MOU with just the work in California is called out. Thought that the National agreement would be a good starting point so really need the MOU please.
Thanks
Chip
bchadmin
Chip, thanks for pointing they error out, it has been corrected.
Randy Rasmussen
BCHA’s national MOU with the BLM expired in November 2020. We encourage BCH states to enter into similar agreements with their BLM state office, using as a template the national MOU (as a starting point). There is no timeline at present for when the national MOU between the BLM and BCHA is renewed.
Randy Rasmussen
BCHA encourages states and chapters to seek Challenge Cost-Share agreements with their local BLM district or state office in light of federal funding that will be available in Fiscal Years 2021 through 2025 to address “priority deferred maintenance,” including trails, as per the 2020 Great American Outdoors Act. BCHA can provide advice and examples of Cost-Share agreements for states/chapters who have been invited by local BLM officials to consider such an arrangement, which could include reimbursement of BCH volunteers for fixed costs such as vehicle/trailer miles, stock days, etc.