Our featured presenter for the September Chapter meeting was Steve Elkinton  He is the Program Leader for the National Trails System Program of the National Park Service. Steve provided a very informative brief background and history of the National Trails System, enacted by Congress in October 1968. 

Steve strongly emphasized the crucial importance of volunteers in enabling the National Trails System to thrive, and pointed out how influential reported Volunteer Hours are in the allocation of Federal funding, which faces major challenges in the years ahead. He stressed the need for marketing the trails to make them known and promote their use and support among the public.
Steve Elkinton was accompanied to Chief Noonday country by NCTA Executive Director, Bruce Matthews, and NCTA Director of Trail Development, Andrea Ketchmark.

They brought along for display the National Park Service 2011 Midwest Region Outstanding Friends Group Award which had been presented to the North Country Trail Association during this year's National Conference at Dayton.

Pictures from September 2011:  Monthly Chapter meeting, Chief Noonday Chapter, North Country Trail Association.
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