by Sara Haxby, ATC Volunteer Program Manager
A Cooperative Management Case Study
In September 2023, the total solar eclipse in April 2024 was merely an event on the horizon. The celestial phenomenon would bring with it tens of thousands of footsteps in a matter of hours along a fragile alpine ecosystem.
Thanks to an inspiring example of cooperative management in action, an informal task force ensured that visitors focused on looking up (with protective eyewear) paid attention to looking down and protecting the resource.
Six months before the eclipse, the Appalachian Trail Conservancy’s (ATC) Maine Regional Manager Leah Beck was meeting with leaders from the Maine Appalachian Trail Club (MATC) when someone brought up that the path of totality included the summit of Saddleback Mountain. The Appalachian Trail traverses Saddleback Mountain, near Saddleback Resort, which in the winter operates a chairlift to just below the summit.
Because eclipses in the northern hemisphere are known to be a boon to tourism and have crushing impact on traffic and natural areas, local partners were eager to start planning for the event near rural towns of inland Maine.
A Cooperative Management Task Force
Every step of the A.T. is managed by three partners: the A.T.-maintaining club, the ATC, and the land manager. On the summit of Saddleback, the Appalachian National Scenic Trail park office, or APPA, is the land manager. Early conversations between ATC, MATC, and APPA, along with a scouting hike helped determine likely priorities for any large number of visitors to Saddleback Mountain during spring when delicate alpine plants and soil would be vulnerable depending on the amount of remaining snow. The triad of partners also prioritized relationship building with Saddleback Resort, with hopes of bringing the resort into discussions with an informal task force devoted to the protection of natural resources during the eclipse.
Staff at the resort were already interested in being good stewards to the land they promoted, and ATC has received assistance in the past from the resort related to other resource management efforts.
At an initial meeting with the Resort, all parties affirmed their common goals and intent to collaborate. By this time, the path of totality was clearly an ephemeral tourist attraction – every hotel room was booked and news outlets were covering widespread interest in experiencing the eclipse. The resort began to sell tickets for a “Lights out Party” at their facility.
A.T. partners with ATC and MATC presented the resort ideas of how A.T. volunteers could offer to support crowd control and limit damage to natural resources on the ridge. For this to work, they asked for help from the resort: volunteers would be ensured parking, provided lift tickets, ski rentals, and access to employee quarters in order to store personal items Additionally, the resort provided a stewardship officer to be involved in the work ahead.
As the event approached, the task force planned to deploy tactile tools, such as roping-off especially sensitive areas, and soft-skills in communicating with people. To support communications, ATC’s professional designers transformed an alpine zone protection tip sheet into a flyer for use at the event. Overall, the planning team wanted to be sure visitors understood why they shouldn’t wander without looking where they were stepping.
Eclipse-Viewing
The best-case scenario for eclipse viewing happened to be the worst-case scenario for resource protection: warm, clear skies, and melting snow over the fragile summit habitat. On April 8, the skies cleared, and the conditions were perfect for eclipse viewing.
The partners worked cooperatively, with plenty of improvisation as hundreds of people arrived. They posted signs to help direct people walking from the chairlift to the summit. Staff operating the chairlift shared directions with people boarding. Unplanned, a marketing official from the Resort joined in at the summit for crowd control.
Approximately 300-400 people convened along the Appalachian Trail on Saddleback Mountain for the total solar eclipse. At first, people began to spread out, leaving the footpath to stand on melting snow or exposed groundcover.
Resort staff, Leah, and MATC volunteers quickly spread the message:
“We’re trying to protect this alpine area, please stay on durable surfaces today: rock and deep snow. Thank you for staying on Trail.”
They watched people rock hop, tell their kids to get off the plants, and jump for deep snow instead of melting areas.
Afterwards, in culmination of months of preparation, the task force watched as hundreds of people remained on the footpath and single-file, descended the summit of Saddleback.
What could have threatened the fragile ecosystem during the eclipse turned out to be an opportunity to educate the public, and the partners invested in the success of the day, however that looked to them, came away invested in cooperation.
Reflecting on Cooperative Management
Looking back, Leah said that this experience affirmed the power of cooperation and set conditions for positive outcomes among partners into the future. The case study from one day is expected to help leverage funding for Summit Stewards, positions that elevate awareness of and respect for sensitive alpine ecosystem among visitors. The connections made through the task force include an alpine plants researcher with the University of Maine who studies how recreational trails affect plants across the Northeast.
Kurt Speers, Chief Ranger of the Appalachian National Scenic Trail, and a member of the task force reflected that the “2024 eclipse was a great opportunity to showcase the strengths of the cooperative management system and the importance of having strong working relationships with trail neighbors. We had multiple parties, each having different interests and motivations on how to best manage the visitor use while protecting a valuable resource. These groups came together through cooperation and compromise, resulting in a spectacular experience for the public and the protection of fragile alpine ecosystems.”
Tom Gorrill, president of MATC and a member of the task force, agreed. “The response by the public to the MATC and ATC volunteers on Saddleback during the eclipse, was gratifying and illustrates the importance of cooperatively managing public outreach programs in protecting the fragile environmental resources along the trail.”
Tori Jofery, MATC volunteer and a member of the task force, is optimistic. “As a former Saddleback Ridgerunner and summit steward of this mountain summit, I was delighted to see the incredible positive response of the MATC and ATC’s messaging and education to the public during the eclipse. Given the number of visitors, this was by far one of the most successful ventures to spread alpine stewardship. I am hopeful as a MATC volunteer to continue to preserve and protect this fragile alpine zone for future generations.”
What advice does Leah have for other stewards of the A.T. navigating the cooperative management system?
“Talk early and informally with partners, keeping in mind that we all have the same goal, even though our methods are different. We pursued a common goal and were open to other perspectives while we sought consensus. It gets you out of your comfort zone, but it improves the process. All of our preparation was worth the effort.”