A.T. Volunteer Recognition Request

The Volunteer Recognition Program

The Comprehensive Plan for the Appalachian National Scenic Trail includes a definition of the Appalachian Trail that states: “The body of the Trail is provided by the land it traverses, and its soul is in the living stewardship of the volunteers and workers of the Appalachian Trail Community.” The Appalachian Trail Conservancy (ATC) and the federal agencies are very proud of the volunteer commitment to protect and manage the Trail. This recognition program is offered by the ATC and the NPS-Appalachian National Scenic Trail park office (APPA) as a means of thanking A.T. volunteers for their contributions.

It is worth noting that some very dedicated volunteers reject the thought of formal recognition for their efforts. This program is not intended to force anyone to participate. The A.T. volunteer recognition program is a Trail-wide program that compliments volunteer recognition programs of A.T. Clubs or other organizations who coordinate A.T. volunteers.

How to Nominate Volunteers for Awards

One officer of the club should be responsible for submitting nominations.
Hourly and Presidential Service Awards, as well as America the Beautiful Passes are fulfilled on this cycle: February 1, April 1, July 1, and October 1. Submitted nominations will be processed for the next cycle date.
Silver and Gold Awards are ordered only once per year, with a February 1 deadline.
Items will be mailed to the requesting club officer to be presented at a club event(s) when possible. The exception is the America the Beautiful (Volunteer Recreation) Pass that is mailed directly to the qualified volunteer.
Information stating how the club has chosen to award the items (e.g. an awards banquet on December 8), can accompany a nomination.

I have read and agree to the above process:

Yes

Types of awards included in this nomination (check all that apply)

America the Beautiful (volunteer recreation) Pass
Hours of Service
Presidential Lifetime Service AwardYears of Service

Club and Officer Information

Please select your club:

Name of club officer submitting form and mailing address for items:

First Name

Last Name

Shipping address is club officer's home?

YesNo

To whom should the shipment be addressed? First and last name, please:

Address Line 1

Address Line 2

City

State

Postal Code

Phone

Date of award ceremony, if known:

Hours of Service Awards

The Hours of Service recognition program is based on the cumulative hourly contributions of volunteers to the Appalachian Trail, and is administered by ATC, primarily through local Trail clubs. Trail clubs may decide whether or not to participate in this program as a resource for recognizing volunteers, and if it augments other volunteer recognition programs within the club.

Award items are available to clubs on fulfillment schedule of February 1, April 1, July 1, and October 1. Vests are size-specific and may need to be ordered due to limited stock.

With the exception of stickers, each club is responsible for providing hours of service information using this form when requesting award items. Recipients of stickers will not be tracked and are available to clubs in quantities of 25 to issue to club volunteers and anyone else the club would like to recognize for a day or more of service.

For purchasing lost caps or vests, volunteers should contact volunteer@appalachiantrail.org

Recognition Items

Stickers (3 hours or more)

Select Item and Include Volunteer's (Recipient's) Information

Item

First Name

Last Name

Email Address

Hours at time of nomination

This is cumulative over the life of the volunteer, it will only go up!

Click "add another response" in order to enter information for additional volunteers.

America the Beautiful Pass Requests

APPA provides a Volunteer Recreation pass for volunteers who accumulated 250 hours of service. The “America the Beautiful” Interagency Volunteer Pass, provides fee-free access to federal lands for 12 months after issuance. It cannot be awarded more frequently than once every 12 months. Any excess of 250 hours of service within a year does not “bank” for a future pass. When a pass is issued, the volunteer’s time clock resets to zero, until another 250 hours of volunteer service has been recorded, and the 12 month timeframe has elapsed. Hours for the first issuance of the pass may be accrued since January 1, 2007; there is no specific time frame in which the hours must be accrued.

Volunteers already in possession of a “Senior Pass” or comparable pass gain no additional benefit from the America the Beautiful Pass. Passes are non-transferable; other information on pass benefits are included with card issuance. The America the Beautiful Passes are issued quarterly and are mailed directly to the qualified volunteer.

Pass Recipient Information

Recipient's First Name

Recipient's Last Name

Recipient's Email Address

Start Date and End Date for 250 hour accrual:

For example: 10/1/2021 - 10/1/2022

Address Line 1

Address Line 2

City

State

Postal Code

Click "add another response" in order to enter information for additional volunteers.

Presidential Lifetime Service Award

The Appalachian Trail Conservancy is certified to award Presidential Lifetime Service Awards to volunteers who have contributed at least 4,000 hours of service to the Appalachian Trail. The award includes a certificate and letter from the President of the United States and a presidential “Call to Service” pin.

This award is temporarily not available. From the government website: "Award certificates include the current president's signature and ... an accompanying letter from the current President of the United States. At this time, we do not have a date for when the new Lifetime Achievement Award certificates or letter will be available."

Enter Recipient Information

Recipient's First Name

Recipient's Last Name

Recipient's Email Address

Hours of Service

I verified that this volunteer is a United States citizen or lawful permanent resident:

Yes
Reviewing one’s social security card, passport or green card will suffice if you are not sure how to check this requirement.

I verified that this volunteer recipient is not a registered sex offender. It is crucial that all Lifetime Achievement Award recipients exhibit characteristics that honor the Office of the President of the United States; therefore, one should not be listed on the National Sex Offender Registry.

Yes

Please provide 3-5 sentences describing how the volunteer earned this award.

Not sure where to start? Describe contributions related to mentoring, leadership roles, and years of service. Have they made an impact at the club? Describe that.

Click "add another response" in order to enter information for additional volunteers.

Years of Service Awards

The APPA office recognizes volunteers who have completed 25 and 50 years of service to the A.T. with Silver and Gold awards. Awards will be sent directly to clubs. Recipients of these awards may be announced at the Appalachian Trail Conservancy's Annual Meeting in the fall.

These awards are processed the first week of February. Production and shipping can take 4-6 months. The optional space below provides space to share any accomplishments, hours/years of A.T. service, or initial date of volunteerism.

Below, provide the name(s) of volunteer(s) who have actively worked on the A.T. for 25 years or more (Silver Service award) or 50 years or more (Golden Service award), and the year to be engraved with their name.

Temporarily unavailable: these awards are fulfilled by the National Park Service. Until further notice, funding for these awards is not available.

Select Item and Include Volunteer's (Recipient's) Information. Please provide the name as it should be engraved on the plaque.

Item

Full Name

Recipient's Email Address

Year that milestone was reached:

Please share the initial date of volunteerism, hours of service, or other accomplishments about this volunteer:

Click "add another response" in order to enter information for additional volunteers.

Type

Contact Information