Washington Trails Association

“The Board reviews the complete Form 990 prior to it being filed.”

“Board members sign a conflict of interest statement annually.”

“Executive committee evaluates market data and meets to set Executive Director compensation annually.”

“WTA's financial statements are posted on its website.”

“Washington Trails Association works to ensure trails stand the test of time and provide everyone with connections to nature. WTA mobilizes its community of members, volunteers, and online constituents to explore, steward and champion Washington state's trails and public lands through communications, engagement, trail maintenance, advocacy, partnerships, and leadership development.”

“Communications. WTA is the go-to source for hiking and trail information in Washington, giving people the information they need to explore Washington's natural wonders. Last year, we helped 5.5 million people find where to go and guided them on how to adventure safely and smartly during these uncertain times. We believe that people will protect the places they love to hike, from local parks to remote landscapes. Whether it is information on trail conditions or hiker etiquette to policy issues facing our public lands, WTA.org and our printed resources provide hikers with everything they need to be safe, smart, and engaged explorers and champions of our trails. WTA fosters a welcoming and inclusive community of hikers via our website, social channels, and in-person events. WTA brings together hiking experts and local knowledge to create a depth of understanding about trails and related issues in Washington to help hikers shape the future of our public lands. More than 8,000 hikers provided 22,000 trip reports in 2020. Those reports not only provided current trail conditions to the public but helped land management agencies understand where people are going and what types of experiences they are looking for on a hike.”

“Advocacy. WTA believes that hiking is good for people's hearts, minds and bodies. Getting children out to explore nature has a powerful impact on their life. We are committed to reducing barriers so youth from all backgrounds can experience the power of being outside. WTA's Families Go Hiking e-newsletter helps inspire 60,000 subscribers with tips and trips to create safe and enjoyable outdoor adventures for the whole family. In addition, WTA provides training and resources to help teachers and youth leaders offer outdoor experiences in their community. Last year, the pandemic meant we had to pause on our in-person events. However, this provided us the opportunity to reimage leadership and training. We explored innovative ways to inspire and engage folks looking to get outside and give back. Between informational webinars and a new series of Outdoor Leadership Training curriculum videos, we brought resources to communities across Washington. These assets will allow us to continue to reach more youth leaders across the state moving forward. We also piloted some innovative long-term gear borrowing enabling us to support additional outdoor experiences. The program hit a big milestone in 2020our 500th supported outing since the program began in 2014.”

“Trail Maintenance. Our volunteer trail maintenance program is among the largest in the nation. Despite the challenges and temporary shutdowns that 2020 brought, we were able to bring out nearly 2,000 volunteers and contribute 76,000 hours of labor to our public lands. WTA worked on more than 270 trails statewide last year, including in national parks, national forests, and various state and county lands. These efforts not only help address the serious maintenance backlogs facing state and federal agencies, they also provide WTA with on-the-ground expertise and sweat equity to help shape decision-making on recreation and public lands issues. Working in collaboration with other community organizations, WTA's trail maintenance approach demonstrates what investments are necessary to create a trail system that can stand the test of time and provide a variety of quality hiking experiences.”

“Change in Value of Beneficial Interests in assets 255,010.”