Poudre Wilderness Volunteers
A Colorado nonprofit that trains citizen volunteers to help the U.S. Forest Service patrol, steward, and educate the public in wilderness and backcountry areas.
Last updated August 26, 2026
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Overview
Poudre Wilderness Volunteers (PWV) is a nonprofit volunteer organization based in Fort Collins, Colorado. It works in partnership with the Canyon Lakes Ranger District of the U.S. Forest Service to help manage and protect roughly 650,000 acres of wilderness and backcountry lands associated with the Roosevelt National Forest and Pawnee National Grassland. The organization is not a commercial outdoor brand or a division of the Forest Service; it is a citizen-volunteer corps that supplements public-land management and visitor education. PWV emerged from a decline in federal field staffing during the early 1990s. Charles "Chuck" Bell, a retired Forest Service officer, began volunteering as a ranger in 1993 in the Redfeather Lakes Ranger District, an area later consolidated into the Canyon Lakes Ranger District. Between 1993 and 1995, seasonal Forest Service staffing in the area fell from about 30 employees to two. Bell and Art Bunn responded by organizing a volunteer structure capable of extending patrol and stewardship coverage. PWV was formally founded in 1996 to assist the Forest Service in this work. The organization trains volunteers as wilderness rangers. Members are required to complete an off-site, three-day training program every five years and, once serving in the field, are expected to complete at least six patrols during each field season. The principal field season runs from January through September and accommodates hiking, backpacking, and horseback patrols. Volunteers interact with visitors, observe and report conditions, support trail and resource management, and help the Forest Service understand patterns of public use. PWV's activities extend beyond patrols. Volunteers host visitors at trailheads, collect forest-use information, clear invasive weeds, provide trail-condition information, and participate in maintenance and restoration work. The organization also maintains online information for dozens of trails, including maps, elevation profiles, points of interest, and condition reports. These services make PWV both a field-support organization and a public-facing source of outdoor information for the northern Colorado region. Environmental education is another important part of PWV's work. Its Kids in Nature program introduces children to natural processes, wildlife, plants, outdoor skills, trail safety, and Leave No Trace principles. Ranger-guided hikes are conducted with established groups and organizations, generally with children accompanied by adult leaders or family members. PWV also conducts sessions in Fort Collins, allowing environmental learning to take place outside the forest itself. The 2020 Cameron Peak Fire created a major restoration challenge in the Roosevelt National Forest, damaging or destroying numerous trails across an area of more than 209,000 acres. In 2021, PWV launched a focused initiative to restore trails affected by the fire. Public volunteers and PWV members contributed workdays that removed fallen trees, cleared brush, and improved drainage. Reported 2021 results included the removal of approximately 3,000 fallen trees, clearing of about 60 miles of trail, and completion of roughly 11 miles of drainage work; similar restoration activity continued in 2022. PWV has received Environmental Stewardship Awards from Larimer County, including recognition in 2009, 2020 for the Kids in Nature program, and 2022. Its positioning is civic, conservation-oriented, and partnership-based: PWV mobilizes trained citizens to improve public-land stewardship, visitor safety, ecological awareness, and access to reliable trail information. Its work is geographically concentrated in northern Colorado rather than organized as a national or commercial network.
History
Poudre Wilderness Volunteers was created in response to reduced federal staffing in northern Colorado's public lands. Charles "Chuck" Bell, a retired U.S. Forest Service officer, began serving as a volunteer ranger in 1993 in the Redfeather Lakes Ranger District. That district was later consolidated into the Canyon Lakes Ranger District. During the period from 1993 to 1995, the number of seasonal Forest Service employees covering the area fell from approximately 30 to two. Bell worked with Art Bunn to develop a citizen-volunteer corps that could provide additional presence and stewardship capacity. The organization was founded in 1996 as Poudre Wilderness Volunteers, with the purpose of assisting the Canyon Lakes Ranger District in managing and protecting wilderness and backcountry areas. Its operating model is based on trained volunteers rather than paid commercial services. Members serve as wilderness rangers, patrol by foot, backpack, or horseback, communicate with visitors, observe resource and safety conditions, and report information to the Forest Service. The organization also contributes to practical land-management tasks, including invasive-plant removal, trail work, visitor hosting, and collection of forest-use data. PWV requires volunteers to attend an off-site three-day training session every five years. Field participation is organized around a season that generally extends from January through September, with volunteers expected to complete at least six patrols per season. This structure gives the organization a recurring, trained field presence while preserving its volunteer and community-based character. Over time, PWV expanded its role beyond direct patrols. It developed public trail resources covering 58 trails, with maps, elevation information, points of interest, and condition reports. It also created Kids in Nature, an environmental education program designed to connect children with natural environments through guided hikes and classroom-style sessions in Fort Collins. The program teaches basic outdoor skills, trail safety, Leave No Trace practices, and introductory knowledge of plants, animals, and natural processes. The 2020 Cameron Peak Fire significantly affected the Roosevelt National Forest, burning more than 209,000 acres and damaging or destroying trails. In 2021, PWV responded with a dedicated restoration initiative. More than 200 members of the public and 50 PWV members participated in organized workdays, contributing more than 1,800 hours, while PWV members completed an additional 26 workdays in the affected area. Reported accomplishments included removing approximately 3,000 fallen trees, clearing brush and limbs from about 60 miles of trail, and completing drainage work on approximately 11 miles of trail tread. Comparable restoration work continued in 2022. Larimer County recognized PWV with Environmental Stewardship Awards in 2009, 2020, and 2022. The 2020 recognition specifically highlighted Kids in Nature. These awards reflect the organization's continuing role in public-land stewardship, environmental education, and community participation. PWV remains a geographically focused nonprofit partner of the Forest Service, serving wilderness and backcountry users in the Roosevelt National Forest and Pawnee National Grassland areas associated with the Canyon Lakes Ranger District.
- 2022
Continued fire-area trail restoration
[1]Restoration activity continued in areas affected by the Cameron Peak Fire, with results described as similar to the previous year's work.
- 2021
Post-fire restoration work expands
[1]PWV organized restoration workdays that removed fallen trees, cleared trail corridors, and improved drainage in fire-affected areas.
- 2020
Cameron Peak Fire damages Roosevelt National Forest
[1]The fire affected more than 209,000 acres and created extensive trail-repair and restoration needs.
- 2009
First cited Larimer County Environmental Stewardship Award
[1]Larimer County recognized PWV for environmental stewardship.
- 1996
Poudre Wilderness Volunteers founded
[1]PWV was established to assist the Canyon Lakes Ranger District with wilderness management, protection, and public education.
- 1995
Reduced federal staffing prompts volunteer-organizing effort
[1]Forest Service coverage in the area had declined from approximately 30 seasonal employees to two, encouraging Bell and Art Bunn to organize a volunteer corps.
- 1993
Chuck Bell begins volunteer ranger service
[1]Retired Forest Service officer Charles "Chuck" Bell began volunteering as a ranger in the Redfeather Lakes Ranger District.
Products and positioning
A local, nonprofit citizen-stewardship partner to the U.S. Forest Service, combining trained volunteer patrols, conservation work, outdoor education, and practical trail information.
Public-land stewardship · 1996
Wilderness ranger patrols
Trained volunteers patrol wilderness and backcountry areas by hiking, backpacking, or horseback. Their duties include visitor contact, observation and reporting, trail and resource stewardship, and support for Forest Service management across the Canyon Lakes Ranger District's jurisdiction.
Environmental education
Kids in Nature
An education program that introduces children to nature through ranger-guided hikes and in-town sessions. Participants learn about natural processes, plants, wildlife, outdoor skills, trail safety, and Leave No Trace practices while being encouraged to respect and care for public lands.
Outdoor information
Trail information and condition reports
PWV provides information for 58 trails organized by region and interest. The resources include maps, elevation profiles, points of interest, and reports describing current or recent trail conditions for visitors planning trips in the area.
Conservation and restoration · 2021
Trail restoration and maintenance
Volunteer work includes clearing fallen trees and brush, repairing drainage, and restoring trails affected by wildfire and other natural impacts. The post-Cameron Peak Fire initiative mobilized both PWV members and members of the public for organized restoration workdays.
Marketing campaigns
- 2021Cameron Peak Fire trail restoration initiative
Roosevelt National Forest, Colorado
PWV coordinated public and member workdays to restore trails damaged by the 2020 Cameron Peak Fire.
Outcome. Reported 2021 results included more than 1,800 hours from public participants and PWV members, removal of about 3,000 fallen trees, clearing of approximately 60 miles of trail, and drainage work on about 11 miles.
- Kids in Nature
Fort Collins · Northern Colorado public lands
PWV's Kids in Nature program uses guided hikes and local educational sessions to connect children with natural environments. The program focuses on wildlife, plants, natural processes, outdoor skills, trail safety, stewardship, and Leave No Trace principles.
Outcome. The program received Larimer County's 2020 Environmental Stewardship Award.
Brand decisions
2021
Prioritize post-fire trail restorationStrategyBackground
The Cameron Peak Fire damaged or destroyed trails across a large portion of the Roosevelt National Forest.
Action taken
PWV created a dedicated restoration initiative and organized workdays involving its members and the wider public.
Aftermath
The initiative produced substantial trail-clearing and drainage results in 2021 and continued into 2022.
Recent events
- 2022
Poudre Wilderness Volunteers receives a further Larimer County stewardship award[1]
Other
PWV received another Larimer County Environmental Stewardship Award after continued conservation and restoration work.
- 2021
PWV launches post-Cameron Peak Fire trail restoration initiative[1]
Other
Following the 2020 Cameron Peak Fire, PWV organized volunteer workdays to reopen and repair damaged trails in the Roosevelt National Forest.
- 2020
Kids in Nature program receives Larimer County environmental recognition[1]
Campaign
Larimer County honored PWV's Kids in Nature environmental education program with an Environmental Stewardship Award.
- 2009
Poudre Wilderness Volunteers receives Larimer County Environmental Stewardship Award[1]
Other
Larimer County recognized PWV for its contribution to environmental stewardship and public-land conservation.
Sources2 sources
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