Ozark Trail captures recognition
The Ozark Trail Association, a Missouri based volunteer group, was selected US Forest Service’s 2013 Trails Group Volunteer of the Year.
The OTA was selected because of strong partnership with the US Forest Service and significant contributions to Mark Twain National Forest, which totals 1.5 million acres in southeastern Missouri.
Mark Twain National Forest’s Supervisor Bill Nightingale gave his congratulations, and said, “We appreciate their ongoing support and enthusiasm for Missouri’s great outdoors. Volunteers like Ozark Trail Association help other understand the beauty of being outdoors.”
Nightingale presented the award to Steve Coates, OTA President and Matt Atnip, Executive Director, at Council Bluff Recreation Area where OTA held its Spring Mega Event (that day 140 volunteers gathered to build nearly a half-mile of new trail).
The non-profit Ozark Trail Association was found by the late John Roth is 2002 with the mission to develop, maintain, preserve, promote, and protect the rugged natural beauty of the Ozark Trail. The OTA has contributed over 100,000 combined hours of work laying out and flagging new trail, building over fifty miles of trail, and performing maintenance through OTA’s “Adopt-A-Trail” program.
