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Clubs & Partners
The Appalachian Trail has a unique Cooperative Management System, with many partners working together to ensure the footpath and its surrounding lands are protected.
We uphold the highest standards for the protection and management of the Appalachian Trail (A.T.) to ensure that it can be shared and enjoyed well into the future.
We have a unique cooperative-management partnership with the National Park Service and the U.S. Forest Service at national, regional, and district levels, a variety of agencies in 14 states, a few other federal agencies, and even some counties and other local communities.
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It is with these partners, in combination with our vast volunteer network that we are able to maintain and protect this iconic Trail.
Learn more about the Cooperative Management System
Affiliated A.T. Maintaining Clubs
30 Trail maintaining clubs are responsible for most of the day-to-day work of keeping the A.T. open. In addition to Trail maintenance, club volunteers build and repair shelters and other structures, monitor and protect the Trail corridor, monitor and manage rare plants and invasive species, develop management plans for their sections, and much more.
30 Affiliated A.T. Maintaining Clubs
Mid-Atlantic
- New York-New Jersey Trail Conference
- Batona Hiking Club
- AMC- Delaware Valley Chapter
- Keystone Trails Association
- Blue Mountain Eagle Climbing Club
- Allentown Hiking Club
- Susquehanna Appalachian Trail Club
- York Hiking Club
- Cumberland Valley Appalachian Trail Club
- Mountain Club of Maryland
- Potomac Appalachian Trail Club
Trail Clubs and A.T. Communities
A.T. Regional Partnership Committees
There are four regional partnership committees (RPCs) corresponding to the ATC’s four geographical regions. Generally, the RPC includes one primary and one alternate representative from each of the Appalachian Trail-maintaining clubs in the region.
The RPC’s serve as communication links between the Trail-maintaining clubs, the ATC, and agency partners and as advisors to the ATC regional directors and the stewardship council on Trail management issues and policies. RPCs do not create ATC policy, but provide forums for discussion and review and make recommendations on proposed policies.
The chairs of each RPC become members of the Stewardship Council, and the chair of each RPC is selected by its members. At least one member from each RPC is appointed by the ATC board of directors to serve on the stewardship council.
Each regional partnership committee is self-governing within parameters set by the board. The current makeup of the committees and the club affiliation of RPC members are listed below.
A.T. Regional Partnership Committees
New England Committee
- RPC Chair: Keegan Tierney, Green Mountain Club
- RPC Representative to Stewardship Council, Partner Coordinating Committee: Cosmo Catalano, AMC-Western Massachusetts
- Tony Barrett, Maine Appalachian Trail Club (Primary)
- Tom Gorrill, Maine Appalachian Trail Club (Alternate)
- Tim Mather, Randolph Mountain Club (Primary)
- Ben Lieberson, Randolph Mountain Club (Alternate)
- Joe Roman, Appalachian Mountain Club (Primary)
- Alex DeLucia, Appalachian Mountain Club (Alternate)
- Willow Nilsen, Dartmouth Outing Club (Primary)
- Elizabeth Keeley, Dartmouth Outing Club (Alternate)
- Keegan Tierney, Green Mountain Club (Primary)
- Joshua Weeks, AMC-Western Massachusetts Chapter (Primary)
- Russell Skelton, AMC-Western Massachusetts Chapter (Alternate)
- Dave Boone, AMC-Connecticut Chapter (Primary)
- Rich Cady, AMC-Connecticut Chapter (Alternate)
Mid-Atlantic Committee
- RPC Chair: Rush Williamson, Potomac Appalachian Trail Club (Alternate)
- RPC Vice Chair: Jim Foster; Keystone Trails Association (Primary)
- RPC Secretary: Bill Saunders, Mountain Club of Maryland
- RPC Representative to Stewardship Council, Partner Coordinating Committee: Jim Foster, Keystone Trails Association
- Ron Rosen, New York-New Jersey Trail Conference (Primary)
- Walt Daniels, New York-New Jersey Trail Conference (Alternate)
- Donna Chapman, New York-New Jersey Trail Conference (NY East of Hudson, Alternate)
- Moe Lemire, New York-New Jersey Trail Conference (NY West of Hudson, Alternate)
- Steve Weissman, New York-New Jersey Trail Conference (NJ, Alternate)
- Mike Hughes, Batona Hiking Club (Primary)
- Martin Otto, Batona Hiking Club (Alternate)
- Dan Schwartz, AMC-Delaware Valley Chapter (Primary)
- Bill Steinmetz, AMC-Delaware Valley Chapter (Alternate)
- Barry Webb, Blue Mountain Eagle Climbing Club (Primary)
- Bernadette Leibensperger, Blue Mountain Eagle Climbing Club (Alternate)
- Doug Crowell, Allentown Hiking Club (Primary)
- Barb Wiemann, Allentown Hiking Club (Alternate)
- Cindy Radich, Susquehanna Appalachian Trail Club (Primary)
- Robert Keen, Susquehanna Appalachian Trail Club (Alternate)
- Alan Noble, York Hiking Club (Primary)
- John Spitznagel, Mountain Club of Maryland (Primary)
- Ann Roberts, Mountain Club of Maryland (Alternate)
- Mike Bowman, Cumberland Valley Appalachian Trail Club (Primary)
- Jesse Klick, Cumberland Valley Appalachian Trail Club (Alternate)
- Daniel Hippe, Potomac Appalachian Trail Club (Primary)
Central and Southwest Virginia Committee
- RPC Chair and Representative to the Stewardship Council: Theresa Duffey, Old Dominion A.T. Club (Primary)
- John Hedrick, Potomac Appalachian Trail Club (Primary)
- Jeff Monroe, Potomac Appalachian Trail Club (Alternate)
- Patrick Doyle, Old Dominion A.T. Club (Alternate)
- Ned Kuhns, Tidewater A.T. Club (Primary)
- Jim Sexton, Tidewater A.T. Club (Alternate)
- Carl Boggess, Natural Bridge A.T. Club (Primary)
- Trudy Phillips, Natural Bridge A.T. Club (Alternate)
- Jim Webb, Roanoke A.T. Club (Primary)
- Christina McIntyre, Outdoor Club at Virginia Tech (Primary)
- Emily Sellards, Outdoor Club at Virginia Tech (Alternate)
- David Atkinson, Piedmont A.T. Hikers (Primary)
- Ron Hudnell, Piedmont A.T. Hikers (Alternate)
- Gerald Davis, Mount Rogers A.T. Club (Primary)
- Bill Hurlebaus, Mount Rogers A.T. Club (Alternate)
Southern Region (TN, NC, GA) Committee
- RPC Chair, RPC Representative to Stewardship Council, Partner Communications Committee: Bill Mandler, Nantahala Hiking Club
- Joe Boone, Georgia Appalachian Trail Club (Primary)
- Tom Lamb, Georgia Appalachian Trail Club (Alternate)
- Bill Mandler, Nantahala Hiking Club (Primary)
- David Addleton, Nantahala Hiking Club (Alternate)
- Franklin Lafond, Smoky Mountains Hiking Club (Primary)
- Taylor Weatherbee, Smoky Mountains Hiking Club (Alternate)
- Paul Curtin, Carolina Mountain Club (Primary)
- Drew Ball, Carolina Mountain Club (Alternate)
- Steve Perri, Tennessee Eastman Hiking and Canoeing Club (Primary)
- Vic Hasler, Tennessee Eastman Hiking and Canoeing Club (Alternate)
A.T. Land Managing Agencies
New England Region
- USFS Eastern Region
- Baxter State Park
- Maine Department of Conservation
- Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife
- New Hampshire Department of Resources and Economic Development
- White Mountain National Forest
- Vermont Agency of Natural Resources
- Green Mountain National Forest
- Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation
- Massachusetts Turnpike Authority
- Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection
Mid-Atlantic Region
- New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation
- New York Department of Environmental Conservation
- Palisades Interstate Park Commission
- New York State Bridge Authority
- New York State Department of Transportation
- New York State Police
- Wallkill River National Wildlife Refuge
- New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection
- Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area
- Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources
- Pennsylvania Bureau of State Parks
- Pennsylvania Bureau of Forestry
- Pennsylvania Game Commission
- Pennsylvania Department of Public Welfare—South Mountain Restoration Center
- Pennsylvania State Police
- Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency
- Pennsylvania Department of Transportation
- Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission
- Maryland Department of Natural Resources
- C&O Canal National Historical Park
- Harpers Ferry National Historical Park
- Smithsonian Institution
- Shenandoah National Park
Southern Region (TN, NC, GA)
- Cherokee National Forest
- Tennessee Valley Authority
- Pisgah National Forest
- Nantahala National Forest
- Great Smoky Mountains National Park
- Tennessee Department of Environmental Health and Natural Resources
- Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forest
- Georgia Department of Natural Resources
Discover More
The A.T. Landscape Partnership
A Dynamic Approach to Landscape Conservation
The Appalachian Trail Landscape Partnership is a dedicated coalition of local, state and federal partners led by the Appalachian Trail Conservancy and the National Park Service.
Roan Highlands Haven
Appalachian Balds are for the Birds
The iconic bald mountains along the Appalachian Trail in North Carolina and Tennessee are significant to the future of migratory and resident birds.
Where to Hike
Our Favorites for a Winter Adventure
These hikes are not only enjoyable, but also safe for a colder day