One of the nonprofit groups that is helping the Deschutes and Willamette National Forests out with trail work and signage repair is Friends of the Central Cascades Wilderness. Based in Bend, FCCW works with the USFS to protect and preserve the wilderness character of four wilderness areas in the Deschutes and Willamette National Forests. In addition to keeping trails passable, the organization provides education about wilderness ethics and conservation to locals and visitors alike.
Though these groups often receive little recognition, Richard Nix, president of the Friends group, was awarded the U.S. Forest Service’s 2024 Wilderness Partnership Champion Award, as part of the National Wilderness Awards Program, in December of 2024. These awards reflect the spirit of wilderness preservation that Bob Marshall, co-founder of the Wilderness Society, exhibited during his lifetime.
The lack of notoriety in local news about this national award was reflected in Richard’s recent response to my organizational inquiry, “Don’t make it about me. Make it about the organization.”
In addition to the trail work FCCW has completed, in 2023, Nix secured funds in partnership with the Deschutes Trails Coalition to construct a wilderness trailhead host, “Cabin on a Trailer.”
The nomination application letter, submitted by one of the FCCW volunteers, noted that, “The cabin has been a substantial benefit to the Deschutes wilderness program, wilderness volunteers, and the public. The host cabin provides shelter and a base for about 50 volunteer wilderness trailhead hosts to educate visitors on wilderness ethics, regulations, permitting, minimal impact recreation, and provide general forest information to the public. The volunteers using this cabin made over 7,700 visitor contacts between June and October 2023. This is on top of FCCW’s regular program of work to restore, install and maintain dozens of signs, kiosks, logging-out trails, and naturalizing impacted sites in our wilderness areas. FCCW fills in gaps and completes projects that Forest Service wilderness staff have limited capacity to perform, yet greatly improve the public’s wilderness experience and enjoyment.”
“I’ve worked with Richard and his crew for about 5 years now, helping to replace and repair trail and wilderness signs, clean up and/or decommission camp sites, and remove logs from trails,” said FCCW volunteer Jennifer Sutter. “I really enjoy being out in the wilderness and after enjoying trails for most of my life, it feels good to help maintain them for all of us.” Sutter also appreciates the comradery of working with like-minded people. “I think the fact that maintaining good trials keeps people from negatively impacting vegetation and wildlife off of the trails is an important objective.”
FCCW has 183 registered volunteers. “The 80/20 rule says 20 percent of the volunteers do 80 percent of the work,” said Nix. In 2024, FCCW volunteers contributed nearly 1,550 hours worth of work, not including administrative time, totaling over $54,000 worth of in-kind labor.
According to Nix, the Forest Service’s wilderness program often runs out of funds for supplies in August. “FCCW has received several third-party grants to buy lumber and paint to refurbish kiosks and signs,” added Nix. “The Forest Service is more reliant on volunteer rangers to patrol wilderness trails and identify problems that only volunteer groups have the manpower to fix.”
The 80/20 rule says 20 percent of the volunteers do 80 percent of the work.
Richard nix
Volunteer Kurt Droms works mostly with installing and repairing wilderness trail signs. “I feel that these signs enable people to more safely enjoy wilderness adventures, and hope that more people will appreciate the beauty and value of wilderness and will support its protection,” said Droms. Similar to Sutter, Droms also enjoys the comradery of working together with other volunteers in the wilderness.
There is also a tangible benefit for those who volunteer with FCCW. One can earn a Volunteer Northwest Forest Pass and a Wilderness Volunteer Permit, which allows use of limited entry trailheads at will and overnight wilderness stays without date restrictions.
With staffing cuts and budgets in question, FCCS has collaborated with Sawyers with Attitude to Spare and Central Oregon Nordic Club to form a brushing crew to clear overgrown trails in burn scars in the Sisters Ranger District, and COTA has taken on a leadership role in offering crosscut and chainsaw training.
With extended cuts to Forest Service budgets by the current administration expected to come in the following years, reliance on volunteers will only grow. Be a part of the solution and consider spending some time out in the wilderness with like-minded volunteers and help protect these incredible wildlands, and channel some of that Bob Marshall spirit.
Friends of the Central Cascades Wilderness
centralcascades.org
Based in Bend, FCCW works with the USFS to protect and preserve the wilderness character of four wilderness areas in the Deschutes and Willamette National Forests. In addition to keeping trails passable, the organization provides education about wilderness ethics and conservation to locals and visitors, alike.
This article appears in the Source August 21, 2025.
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