The FBT Forest Corps crew has hit the ground running. “The early season is going great!” says Forest Corps leader Monica Elliott. “It seems that project partners from each district are excited to have extra hands on important projects they need help with, and we’re happy to be able to help out in any way we can. The crew is an awesome group of hardworking women; it’s been incredible to be able to support each other, to share laughs, and go through hard work days together. It’s inspiring to learn and grow from my crew.”
So far in June, Forest Corps has:
1. Partnered with Teton Interagency Fire to do further training on safe and effective chainsaw use and gotten certified to work on the BTNF. The training wasn’t just theoretical, though, but also practical: over its 3 days, trainers and trainees cleared approximately 2.5 miles on the Bare Pass fenceline, which is in the Wyoming Range in the BTNF’s Big Piney District.
2. Assisted the BTNF Pinedale District Developed Recreation Team to prep and open campgrounds for BTNF users. The crew mostly worked on campsites in the Fremont, Half Moon, and Boulder campgrounds, and also scraped and re-painted more than 50 picnic tables. 
3. Cleared 45 down trees, cut back brush, and cleared out 28 drains on the Scab Creek, Burnt Lake, and Blueberry Lake Trails up to the wilderness boundary. Additionally, on the Blueberry Lake Trail, the crew deconstructed a beaver dam, which reappears annually and blocks some of the trail. 
4. On a 4-day hitch on heavily used trails in the Pinedale District’s Bridger Wilderness, the crew cleared 35 trees using crosscut and hand saws (mechanized equipment is not allowed to be used in designated wilderness areas) and cleared more than 50 drains.
“It’s been an incredible experience being able to meet and work with crews from other districts,” Elliott says. “The opportunity to experience more of the BTNF is a unique experience too; it’s such a vast, beautiful place, including the people that work on the land.”
What’s next for the Forest Corps?
“We’re excited to start our 8 day hitches/projects,” Elliott says. The first week of the month, Forest Corps will work with the women of the BTNF’s Jackson District trail crew to clear out portions of the Continental Divide Trail that were impacted by last year’s Pack Trail Fire. Next, FBT FC will work on portions of the Wyoming Trail out of Big Piney. Elliott says, “Our crew is in full effect and we can’t wait to take on the summer!”
