Work Parties & Requirements

For any work parties no experience is necessary, just a desire to work with some great people and....

have some fun playing in the dirt helping contribute to something that benefits all of us.

Volunteer Carter & Amy are getting ready to head home after Grade Creek Road work-party

Please Be Prepared

We can provide some tools, hard hats, safety vest, however, if you have hardhats please bring them. The one thing we have plenty of is work to do, but if you want to help us out you need to be prepared. This means being properly dressed. The right clothes are necessary for your safety and we emphasize safety.

What Are Some Good Tools To Bring?

When you arrive for a work party please be wearing:

• • A sturdy pair of boots. Standard hiking boots are fine. Tennis shoes are not!

  • A long pair of pants. No shorts!

  • Work gloves. (We may have some available but if you have a pair please bring them)

  • We can not allow anyone who is not properly dressed to work. Proper clothing is necessary for your safety.

Please Be On-Time

It is crucial that you be here and ready to go by that time so we can all head out and get the job done! It isn't always easy to give directions on what forest road we will be working on and much easier to follow the lead car! Your crew leader will start off with talking about what tools will be used on this job and to work safely. Then we will take a look at what groups will be working on today for this work-party. We encourage carpooling as parking can be limited at trailheads and roadside work sites and it is a great way to make a new friend.

Working

Before we head out to begin our work we will form into groups of five or six people each headed by a crew-leader. There are many different things you can do depending on your level of experience or energy.

Forest road work-parties consist of removing rocks, logs and other debris off of roads, out of ditches, catch basins and making sure culverts are not blocked. Also volunteers will remove encroaching vegetation from road shoulders. Remember correct lifting involves using your head first and always ask for help on larger items that is why volunteers work side by side. When garbage is seen we stop and pick it up. "Friends" take great pride in leaving places cleaner than how they found them! Hardhats and safety vest are worn at all times during working. Safety vest are bright orange or yellow so that you stand out and are easily seen. This helps us know where you are as well as more visible to on coming traffic. When working on roads we do a thing we call "Leapfrogging", example: If 3 vehicles head out for a road work-party and the first car pulls over to remove some debris, you keep going to the next problem, however if you pass a group working and see they are dealing with a larger problem, we stop and help until that problem has been resolved. Each vehicle has a FFPU Road Trip Report where information is recorded mile by mile of what has been done on that road. A digital camera is also with each vehicle for before and after pictures of work done which will coincide with the report. Don't worry if you had no experience with FFPU work-parties we love introducing new people to the joy of some of the things people can do to keep our public access open!

Resting And Relaxing

Remember that you are generously volunteering your time! Remember to slow down and take a break after all you will be in the beautiful backcountry so enjoy it! The best time to take a break is when you want to! Bring plenty of food, working hard can make a pretty hardy appetite! Also be sure to have plenty of drinking water! You will need to keep yourself hydrated, especially on a warm day. We also make a point of all getting together for a long lunch. It's the best way to get to know the people you're working with! You'll be working with some terrific people that are just as passionate about keeping public access to our backcountry be sure to take time to enjoy the moment and the "Friends" around you!

Don't take life to serious!

"Friends" have been known to have a snowball fight a time or two when they reach the snowline.