Steward Documents & Resources

Arizona Trail Segment Stewards are the “front line” volunteers who ensure a positive experience for trail users. Duties include:

  • Hiking or riding the trail as often as necessary to assess conditions
  • Routine maintenance (brush removal, tread repair, erosion control, etc.)
  • Communication of trail conditions to the ATA and land managers
  • Responding to queries from trail users

Prospective Segment Stewards should have participated in several work events and are familiar with the segment they wish to adopt. They will maintain their sections in a variety of ways – as an ongoing family activity, outings for a group of active friends and associates, or publicly advertised work events.

The Arizona Trail Association provides supervision, training and tools to help stewards. Segment Stewards work closely with land management agency staff and the Regional Stewards who are listed below.

To learn more about the duties of a Segment Steward or Regional Steward, download the Steward Job Description document. 

On this page you can:

Regional Stewards

Regional Stewards coordinate the work of Segment Stewards over a larger stretch of the trail.  They provide a broader, landscape-scale perspective and knowledge of their region and help to coordinate local stewards and maintenance activities. They are critical in helping ATA staff identify project areas. Regional Stewards assist in recruiting, evaluating, training and supporting Segment Stewards.   

 

Submit Hours

Need to log volunteer hours? The video below provides a step-by-step guide on how to do just that!

Please log your hours from your AZT Portal. 

Pro tip: Bookmark your AZT Portal link to quickly log future hours. If you lose it you can always request a new one. After requesting a link, any previous links will no longer work.

Visit our volunteer page for more information.

 

Submit an Event to the Volunteer Events Page

Ready to head out on the trail and get some work done? Listing your event on the Volunteer Events Page is a great way to recruit volunteers to help you out! When you complete the Volunteer Event Submission Form, we will also post your event on ATA’s public calendar so that our partners, sponsors, and donors can see how active and amazing our volunteer stewards are!

Please use the Volunteer Event Submission Form to send us your event’s information. We’ll get it posted ASAP!

Want to see a current listing of upcoming volunteer events? Visit the Volunteer Events Page.

Share Trail Condition Photos

Photo sharing is a great way to communicate trail condition findings with the ATA. With location settings enabled, your phone/camera will include the GPS coordinates of each photo’s location. With that information, ATA can utilize shared photos to determine where work is needed and how best to allocate resources. 

Here are detailed instructions for enabling location settings on your device and sharing photos with the ATA. 

Here is the album where you can share trail condition photos: ‘AZT Stewards-Trail Conditions Album’. Please share only trail condition photos in this album. If you have other photos you would like to share with the ATA (i.e. photos from volunteer events that do not include pertinent trail conditions) please send to volunteer@aztrail.org.

Maps, Sign & Gate Inventory

Steward Interactive Map & Segment map PDFs

An online interactive map with a complete inventory of signs, gates and road crossings with GPS coordinates and linked photos and maps for each segment. Turn layers on and off to view land management agencies, wilderness boundaries, wildfire information (historic and current), and much more. This is a great resource for stewards!

If you upgrade, replace or remove signs on your segment, please use the Sign and Gate Inventory form we can keep this map updated.

Sign and Gate Inventory Submission Form

View the Steward Interactive Map Online (new interactive map)

Need a zoomed in topo map of your passage segment? Click on the link below to download a map of your segment or a zip file for all maps in a region. Each map has the trail and icons for signs, gates, and road crossings that are labeled just like the Steward Map Online.

Download a map of your segment (or a zip file of a region)

You can print these maps or load it on to your phone with the Avenza Maps app.  After importing the PDF into the Avenza Maps app, you can use your phone’s location to pinpoint your position on the map.

Install the app for free clicking either app store button below:

 

Check out more details on how to import PDFs and use the Avenza Maps app.   Click on the links for information on how to use the Avenza Map app

ATA Avenza PDF Map app use overview

Detailed use of Avenza Maps app

Segment Steward Agreement

All Segment Stewards must complete a Segment Steward Agreement at the beginning of their tenure.

Download the Segment Steward Agreement

Online Steward Training

We have developed the following videos to provide training to Segment Stewards and volunteers who are unable to attend our in-person training opportunities.

Intro to Segment Stewardship – Part I

The first video is a review of the Stewardship Agreement and training opportunities for stewards and volunteers.

Intro to Segment Stewardship – Part II

Part II reviews how to enter volunteer hours and tips for using the ATA event calendar

We have also developed the Video Trail Skills Institute, a video series covering the basic elements of trail maintenance. You can watch that series on Youtube here.

For more information on steward training opportunities, visit the Trail Skills Institute page.

Liability Forms

The Group Liability Form is for use at single-day volunteer events only. Please have participants read the waiver language and sign. The form should be carried with the event organizer for the duration of the event. You can also use this form to collect and record hours. Completed waiver forms should be returned to the ATA office.

Download the Group Liability Form

The Individual Liability Form should be used whenever there is an overnight or multi-day event with volunteers – the form is available in both English and Spanish. This form includes a space for the volunteer to record emergency contact information and pertinent medical notifications. These forms should be carried with the event organizer for the duration of the event. Completed waiver forms should be returned to the ATA office.

Download the Individual Liability Form

Download the Individual Liability Form in Spanish

The Online Liability Form should be attached to opportunities in the online volunteer portal. Acceptance of this online form can take the place of signing the Group Liability Form.

Download the Online Liability Form

Steward Trail Assessment

Stewards survey and assess their segments at least annually to stay current on conditions, needs and features. While not all segments need a great deal of work, resources (volunteer groups, youth crews) occasionally come available on short notice, and it is quite helpful to know where they can be utilized most effectively. The trail assessment form guides the assessment and documents trail conditions and needs. It can be downloaded and completed in the field or on a computer, and then sent to the Regional Steward.

Download the Steward Trail Assessment Form

Trail Brushing Guide

This helpful one-page guide explains proper techniques for brushing the trail corridor, including trimming small limbs and vegetation, and cutting larger limbs from trees. Poor brushing is easily noticed and detracts from everyone’s experience, but is easily avoided with a few basic guidelines.

Download the Trail Brushing Guide

Guide to Cultural Resources

This two-page guide explains how to identify some of the most common artifacts you may find while working on the Arizona Trail; the importance of protecting these cultural resources; and how to document and report them. Consider it an introduction to Arizona archaeology.

Download the Guide to Cultural Resources

ANST Sign Guidelines

This 12 page guide was developed in cooperation with Land Management partners and the ATA’s own sign inventory to create a consistent and appropriate system of signing the Arizona National Scenic Trail. This is a great guide for where signs are or are not necessary, what signs may be removed and where new signs may be needed to assist with navigation.

Download the ANST Sign Guidelines Document

Trail Construction and Maintenance Notebook

The Forest Service trail construction and maintenance guide contains a wealth of trails information.

 Trail Construction and Maintenance Notebook (PDF)

 

Trail Construction and Maintenance Hand Book (Text Searchable)

 

 

Wilderness First Aid

Basic wilderness first aid skills are valuable for stewards so that they can support safe and comfortable trail experiences. These skills are especially useful for stewards leading volunteer trail work events.

This article by ACLS Training Center offers a guide to basic wilderness first aid. Check it out so that you can make the trail a safer place for volunteers and trail users!

Job Hazard Analysis Form

A Job Hazard Analysis Form from the Forest Service can be found here.

Download the Job Hazard Analysis Form

 

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