Sam Houston Trails Council Thanks Volunteer Members; Plans to Repair Damaged Trails

NEW WAVERLY, TX -- The Sam Houston Trails Coalition (SHTC), located in New Waverly, Texas, is a group dedicated to maintaining and expanding the trail systems in the Sam Houston National Forest in Montgomery and Walker counties. The SHTC recently thanked its members, many with dozens or hundreds of volunteer hours in 2024, and still others with over 2,000 lifetime hours of service. The trails coalition helps maintain over 120 miles of Lone Star hiking trails, including 85 miles of multi-use trails, about 30 miles of cycling trails, and approximately 20 miles of equestrian trails. All the trails are very popular, thus requiring massive amounts of maintenance, which after heavy storms can be blocked causing their immediate closure. This is where the volunteers come in, and SHTC members are great lovers of the outdoors, who are willing to put in the hours and hours of time of volunteer service for workday events for the trails upkeep, while following the rules set upon them by the National Forest Service.

2024 was a rough year for Sam Houston National Forest trails. Multiple heavy rain events, including Hurricane Beryl, played havoc with the forest and the trails, causing downed trees, massive washouts of culvert, bridges, and the trails themselves, leaving huge caverns some measuring up to 20 feet in places. SHTC President Linda Secrist, noted that volunteers logged more than 7,000 hours of service during the year, participating in more than 303 service requests. During the months of July - September 2024, there was a 150% increase in the number of volunteer hours in response to repairing the storm damaged trails, of which over 80% were reopened in record time.

The SHNF had put 2026 as a possible reopening date for the trails, but thanks to the quick action of Seacrist and her team, the equestrian trail is now fully opened, along with the partial opening of two cycling trails and a hiking trail, and more trails could have been opened, but due to bureaucracy, the project requests are either being slowed or denied, by the forestry service. The east and west multi-use trails (MUT), that include motorized, or off-highway vehicles (OHV), are especially desired by Veterans dealing with PTSD, due to the relaxing effects that nature provides a participant on a motorized vehicle on a trail miles away from real-life. The idea to get Veterans into the forest is to reduce thoughts of suicide, and increasing the importance of self-worth, as a man or woman, who has seen things that they should have never have experienced. Both Montgomery and Walker counties have enormous Veterans populations, with each entity showing tremendous community pride and support in reflecting on their sacrifices with Veterans Memorial Flag parks, museums, organizations, and several restaurants dedicated to Veterans. One hidden factor that Veteran services organizations are just now starting to address, is the children of the Veterans themselves, and the stressors they endure with their suffering parents. By getting PTSD Veterans on the MUTs with their children, who when accompanying their Mom or Dad, and just being in nature, brings them closer thus enhances a more loving and caring relationship between parent and child.

One MUT trail, the east, has been shuttered for over four years by the SHNF, while the west trail trail was only recently closed due to a single bridge going out. The forestry services slow action causes frustration with the SHTC, who clearly have the resources, will, manpower, and qualified equipment operators, to correct the issues in regards to the MUTs, and with the value of each hour of service by SHTC members noted at $31.80/hr, a lot of money is being left on the table when it comes grant time. The average trails coalition volunteer logs six hours a workday, and it's surprising how much work a crew can complete in just a short period.

The Top Volunteers for 2024 were Dave Wade, Jeff Heller, and Joe Anders; with Wade logging nearly 600 hours. Even the honorable mention volunteers cleared 350 hours, which involves a lot of commitment from the men and women when working in the forest. For lifetime hours, four volunteers had over 2,000 hours including: Dave Tod (2,114 hrs), Dave Wade (2,060 hrs), Cindy Mettes (2,102 hrs), and Linda Secrist (2,186 hrs). There was a moment of silence for Jerry Reidy, a member of the SHTC who recently passed away.

MCN was unable to reach the forest service for comment by the story deadline.

Website for information and volunteering: https://www.samhoustontrails.com/home

Ruben can be reached at: ruben@montgomerycountynews.net

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