CDTA Disbanded???????

[Peter Sustr]

I am reposting this from the Cdt-l….. Anybody out there have more Info??

I found this post over on WhiteBlaze.
I have no idea if this is true yet.

"Notice to the Supporters of the Continental Divide Trail Alliance

The Continental Divide Trail Alliance (CDTA) was formed in 1995 to assist
federal land management agencies in the completion, management, and
protection of the Continental Divide National Scenic Trail (³Trail²). Since
that time, CDTA volunteers have dedicated nearly $5 million worth of labor
while individuals, foundations, and businesses committed more than $14
million. As of 2011, 2,050 miles of the Continental Divide Trail have been
completed.

Increasing pressures from development in the West, rising land costs, and
decreases in Federal funding threaten the completion of the Trial. Despite
the strong level of financial support from so many of you, overall
contributions and other revenues in recent years have significantly declined
with the economy. These revenues are the life blood of a non-profit
organizations like the CDTA.

Consequently, the CDTA Board of Directors has made the very difficult and
painful decision to cease operations of the CDTA. The financial condition
of the organization has been unstable and deteriorating for a number of
years. We have not been able to raise the necessary financial resources to
sustain the continued operations of the organization.

We are taking the actions necessary to complete our outstanding contracts
for work on behalf of the Trail. We are retaining the services of our
committed and outstanding staff to meet our current obligations, to the
extent financially possible, as we complete closing down CDTA over the next
few weeks.

This is a sad day. But the Trail is still here, and it continues to inspire
us all. We are confident this inspiration will lead people to start a new
and stronger organization to continue the work on the Trail.

The Board and dedicated staff of the CDTA would like to thank each and every
one of you for your tremendous commitment and support of the Continental
Divide National Scenic Trail and the CDTA. We are truly humbled by the
selfless actions of so many and hopefully this will inspire another group of
people to continue the mission of CDTA."

[Stephan Doyle]

This is sad news. Is the CDT sustainable without them?

[Mary D]

Nothing on either the CDTA website or on the site for the Continental Divide Trail Society (Jim Wolf). No results from googling except this thread here.

The White Blaze post is by Rain Man who says he heard this from "another hiking club." Another poster, burger, says he saw the announcement on the CDTA website but then it disappeared. The CDT-L has no other info except for one poster who says "It is true. I have it from a good source." None of the people who claim they "know" identify their sources!

Another CDT-L poster says, "This has all the trappings of a hacked account." I agree.

Sounds suspicious to me! I think we should wait for an announcement from identifiable people qualified to speak for the CDTA, such as their officers, before spreading this misinformation/rumor/whatever any further!

[Scott S]

I got an email from the office manager with the same message about them closing. If you go to the website, there are no more links for donations or the store. I think it's legitimate.

[Ben Wortman]

That is truly sad. It is too bad that organizations with an actual good cause can't keep in operation. I suspect that it is much harder for the CDT to generate revenue based on its remoteness and lack of yearly traffic compared to the PCT and AT.

[Paul Magnanti]

Thank you all for all your notes and concern. Please see the official notice from CDTA’s Board of Directors. It’s a sad day for all….

Notice to the Supporters of the Continental Divide Trail Alliance

The Continental Divide Trail Alliance (CDTA) was formed in 1995 to assist federal land management agencies in the completion, management and protection of the Continental Divide National Scenic Trail (“Trail”). Since that time, CDTA volunteers have dedicated nearly $7 million worth of labor while individuals, foundations, and businesses committed millions to the effort. As of 2011, of the 2,268 miles of the Trail completed CDTA volunteers are responsible for 525 of those miles, and to date only 832 miles remain to be constructed.

Increasing pressures from development in the West, rising land costs, and challenges with the longstanding down cycle in the economy threaten the completion of the Trail. Despite the strong level of financial support from so many of you, overall contributions and other revenues in recent years have significantly declined. These revenues are the life blood of nonprofit organizations like the CDTA.

Consequently, the CDTA Board of Directors has made the very difficult and painful decision to cease operations of the CDTA. The financial condition of the organization has been unstable and deteriorating for a number of years. We have not been able to raise the necessary financial resources to sustain the continued operations of the organization.

We are taking the actions necessary to complete our outstanding contracts for work on behalf of the Trail. We are retaining the services of our committed and outstanding staff to meet our current obligations, to the extent financially possible, as we complete closing down CDTA over the next few weeks.

This is a sad day. But the Trail is still here, and it continues to inspire us all. We are confident this inspiration will lead people to start a new and stronger organization to continue the work on the Trail.

The Board and dedicated staff of the CDTA would like to thank each and every one of you for your tremendous commitment and support of the Continental Divide National Scenic Trail and the CDTA. We are truly humbled by the selfless actions of so many and hopefully this will inspire another group of people to continue the mission of CDTA.

Stay Tuned . . .

[Mary D]

I'm not too sure why nobody here or on Whiteblaze or on the cdt-L wants to quote sources! As a result, it looked very much as though people were passing on unsubstantiated rumors. Finally there are a couple of officlal statements, and it's really happening. Here are, for a change, a couple of sources!

On the cdt-L website, there's a post from Teresa Martinez, Director of Trail Operations:
http://mailman.backcountry.net/pipermail/cdt-l/2012-January/005285.html

There is also now a notice on the CDTA website, the one Paul quotes in the post just above:
http://www.cdtrail.org/page.php

I'm truly sorry to hear this!

It helps to identify your sources if you want to be believed.

[Paul Magnanti]

"Please see the official notice from CDTA’s Board of Directors. It’s a sad day for all…."

:)

Next time I'll use the Chicago or MLA method. I promise. Cross my heart and hope to die. A thousand pardons. You and Sr. Helen (my 8th grade teacher at St. Vincent De Paul) would surely agree. :D

[Sam Haraldson]

I was very saddened to hear these rumors yesterday and then to have them substantiated this afternoon.

[Richard Lyon]

The Montana rep for CDTA, a friend of mine, was as surprised as most of you.

But this is for real. For reasons I can't go into because of confidentiality undertakings, I know that CDTA's financial status is hopeless in today's economic conditions. This result will cause the least pain to the least people.

I urge every CDTA volunteer (I am one) to find another avenue to continue maintenance and improvement of the Continental Divide Trail.

Richard

[Michael L]

Sad to hear this

[a b]

This hella sux.
I met a few of those trail crew folks on my CDT hike including a GPS mapping party up in Glacier.
I just feel horrible for them cause they ARE so engaged and enthusiastic about the trail.
What can we do?
On one level I was confused by the whole Continental Divide Trail Society headed by the father of the CDT; Jim Wolf.
During my planning phase for my 2010 CDT hike I gathered (though i don't exactly know from where) that the CDTS and CDTA were somewhat at odds.
It was not only the "official" route versus the "Wolf" route.
There was some perceptible division and it was very confusing to a person new to the CDT.
From what i gather the CDTS (Jim Wolf) was and is the primary lobbying force to create and maintain the "soul" of a Continental Divide Trail of various alternate routings.
the CDTA had the money and physical presense to support trail crews, land aquisition or lease, or right of way for a single trail path; the official route.
It is weird that i still feel conflicted when i think of these two groups.
This does not diminish the loss i feel at the demise of the CDTA.
Better to have two groups fighting to forge a trail than one.
While I viewed the CDTS as fighting for the spirit of the CDT, I see the CDTA as carving the path itself.
This is all even more confused because i actually liked the chaos of having a trail that was incomplete to some degree.
This is a rather long way of saying i am very sorry to see the CDTA disband.
Wish i could do something.
The Trail Unites Us.

.

[Paul Magnanti]

The CDTA did a lot of the heavy lifting in terms of coordinating trail crews, govt agencies, other non-profits and so on.

Organizing hikers is a bit (a lot!) like herding cats.

Think the CDT will miss the presence of the CDTA quite a bit.

I suspect the CDT will become even more of corridor. Less PCT like and more PNT like…

[Nick Gatel]

One thing not to lose sight of is that organizations like this work to purchase private land turning it into wilderness designation, are watch dogs to keep lands wilderness, and work with private land owners to gain access to wilderness lands.

However trail building turns little used areas into freeways, over population, trash, erosion, vandalism, did I say trash, and many other problems, IMO. Then we need permitting systems, more regulatory oversight, law enforcement, etc. A person could probably do the PCT without a map, compass, or GPS. The trail is well marked most of the time, and there are so many people doing it, you just follow the footsteps of those in front of you. To me that diminishes the wilderness experience.

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