BY KAREN BOSSICK

Idaho Trails Association will launch its Annual Membership Drive on Giving Tuesday, Nov. 28.

Organizers hope to rally outdoor enthusiasts, nature lovers and others to join hands to preserve and enhance Idaho’s trail network.

"This Giving Tuesday, we're inviting everyone who values the great outdoors and wants to make a tangible impact on Idaho's trails to become a part of our trailblazing community," says Kelly Hewes, Communications Director for ITA. "Membership is not just a donation; it's a declaration of love for our trails, ensuring they remain accessible and enjoyable for generations to come."

Idaho Trails Association is a non-profit organization that organizes youth and adults to cut downfall and fix water bars on hiking and biking trails. It was started to assist the Forest Service when it became apparent the Forest Service was letting many trails go untended due to lack of resources.

Since it began in 2010, ITA has completed more than 300 trail projects with the help of hundreds of volunteers. It completed 68 projects in 2022 alone, clearing 280 miles of trail, removing 4,446 logs, cleaning 510 water bars, brushing back stinging nettle and other plants from 71 trails and fixing 24,785 feet of tread.

Tax deductible memberships start at $30 per year and help the ITA fund trail projects across Idaho. To join, visit www.idahotrailsassociation.org/membership.

Meanwhile, Idaho Trails Association and a plethora of other nonprofits hope that people might also make donations to their causes on Giving Tuesday, which is known as a day dedicated to charitable giving.

Mountain Humane, for instance, can double the impact of dollars donated up https://mountainhumane.org/giving-tuesday-2023/?blm_aid=2329619 up until midnight on November 28, thanks to a $25,000 matching challenge provided by the William Carey Hay Foundation.