Tuesday, Feb. 3, 1 PM - Thursday, Feb. 5, 5 PM Highlights Conference Sessions (see below) Session Details (see below) WTBA Mechanized Trailbuilding Demonstration (see below) Trailbuilders Trade Show (see below) Party and Networking (see below) Wednesday Evening Informal Banquet (see below) Cost $150 before and on Jan. 14 $175 after Jan. 14 Includes Tuesday night party and lunches on both Wednesday and Thursday.

Tuesday, February 3, 2004
7:45 - 2:00	Registration—second floor conference area outside the Ballroom		Registration (second floor conference area outside the Ballroom) 7:45 - 2:00
8:00 - 12:00	TrailWare Software Workshop (separate fee & registration required) Beneficial Designs [Ballroom E]	WTBA Business Meeting (8:00 - 12:00) WTBA members only [Ballroom D]
1:00 - 1:45	Welcome and Introductions Gerry Wilbour, WTBA President
1:45 - 2:00	Ride for Kids Program Dana Bell, NOHVCC
2:00 - 3:15	WTBA Founders Show Walt Sprague and Jerry Morrison
3:15 - 3:30	Break
3:30 - 5:00	Initiatives in Trail Funding and Budgets for 2004 • Roger Bell, American Trails • Christopher Douwes, Federal Highway Administration • John Favro, US Forest Service Region 1 Trails Coordinator • Stuart Macdonald, American Trails and the Coalition for Recreational Trails	Before and After: Reconstructing a High-Use Open Space Trail System • Dennis Smith of NWWS, Inc. • Richard E. Bickness & Curt Dunn, Palo Alto Open Space
6:00 - 10:00 pm	Informal Party [Ballroom B & C]
Wednesday, February 4
8:00 - 11:30	Registration—second floor conference area outside the Ballroom		Registration (second floor conference area outside the Ballroom) 8:00 - 11:30
8:00 - 4:00	Indoor Trade Show
8:30 - 9:30	Current Industry Standards and Treatment Types for Preservative-Treated Wood Dennis Hayward, Executive Director, Western Wood Preservers Institute
9:30 - 9:45	Break
9:45 - 11:00	Environmental Impacts of Preservative-Treated Wood in Wetland Boardwalks and Bridges Dr. Kenneth Brooks, Aquatic Environmental Sciences
11:00 - 11:15	Break		Indoor Trade Show and Outdoor Demo & Tryout Area 10:30 - 4:00
11:15 - 12:00	Appropriate Mechanized Equipment for Building Cost Effective, Sustainable Trails Gerry Wilbour, Northwest Trails, Inc.
12:00 - 1:00	Catered Lunch [Ballroom A]
1:00 - 5:00	WTBA Mechanized Trailbuilding Demonstration [offsite]
1:00 - 2:30	OHV Recreation: Meeting Public Needs, Improving Management and Building Partnerships Dana Bell, Project Coordinator, National Off-Highway Vehicle Conservation Council
2:30 - 3:00	Break
3:00 - 4:30	Noxious Weeds n' Trails Sue Donaldson & Patti Bakker, Truckee Meadows Weed Coordinating Group
6:30 - 9:30 pm	Annual Awards and Entertainment Banquet with presentations by Marianne Fowler of the Rails to Trails Conservancy (RTC). Cowboy poets, too. [Ballroom A]
Thursday, February 5
8:00 - 9:00 am	Trail Agency Budgets and Projects for Bid in 2004 and Competitive Sourcing Studies Agency representatives
8:30 - 3:00	Indoor Trade Show and Outdoor Demo & Tryout Area		Indoor Trade Show and Outdoor Demo & Tryout Area 8:30 - 3:00
9:00 - 9:15	Floods of Ought 3 Kathy White, Trails Specialist, Mt Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest
9:15 - 11:00	Trail Bridges: Guidelines for Selecting Bridge Structures and Bridge Sites Scott Groenier, Structural Engineer, USFS Missoula Technology and Development Center
11:00 - 11:15	Break
11:15 - 12:00	Trail Bridges: Enlivening the Trail Experience Troy Scott Parker, Natureshape
12:00 - 1:00	Catered Lunch [Ballroom A]
1:00 - 5:00	Explosives and Blasting Safety/Advanced Blasters Training — see —————>>	Explosives and Blasting Safety/Advanced Blasters Training (separate fee & registration required) 1:00 - 5:00 Conducted by Stan Bones, USFS Region 1 lead blaster [Ballroom D]
1:00 - 2:30	Cutting by Hand: An Introduction to the Crosscut Saw David Michael, Crosscut Saw Examiner for USFS Region 5 [Ballroom E]
2:20 - 2:45	Break
2:45 - 5:00	Building Better Trails with IMBA Mark Schmidt and Lora Woolner of IMBA's Subaru Trail Care Crew [Ballroom E]

Session Details Tuesday, February 3 Welcome and Introductions We'll ask all conference participants to introduce themselves and tell us briefly about the trail challenges they face in 2004. WTBA Founders Show – Walt Sprague and Jerry Morrison In 1976, five trail contractors first met to discuss their common interests and, in the words of the first Western Trailbuilders Association brochure, “to establish a good rapport and line of communication between the trail contractor and the government agencies offering trail contracts.” Three of the five founders are still with us, and two of them are still members. No one is really sure how many years of trail experience these three gentlemen have between them, we just know it’s somewhere over 120. Walt Sprague and Jerry Morrison will show slides, videos and tell stories of some of their more interesting projects past and present. Note: Carl May, the third of the founders who is still with us, had to cancel his appearance due to his wife’s surgery. Initiatives in Trail Funding and Budgets for 2004 – Roger Bell, American Trails; John Favro, US Forest Service; Christopher Douwes, FHWA; Stuart Macdonald, American Trails and the Coalition for Recreational Trails Christopher Douwes will provide an overview and info on how to apply for the Federal Highway Administration's National Recreation Trail Program (NRTP) and Transportation Enhancements programs. John Favro will discuss the current National Forest Service trails budget and budget trends, and how the budget is allocated by regions, forests, and districts. Stuart Macdonald has put together a comprehensive list of successful nongovernmental trail funding initiatives meant to provide funding ideas for other trail advocates. He will also discuss the efforts of the Coalition for Recreational Trails. Before & After: Reconstructing a High-Use Open Space Trail System – Dennis Smith, NWWS, Inc. and Richard E. Bickness & Curt Dunn, Palo Alto Open Space (Calif.) Arastradero Preserve is a 609-acre nature preserve in the heart of the city of Palo Alto, California. In a two-year project, its entire 15-mile trail system was completely overhauled. Dennis Smith of NWWS, Inc., the trail contractor and WTBA member who did the work, and Richard Bicknell and Curt Dunn from the City of Palo Alto will present the process, including many before-and-after photos; challenges of weather, soils, multi-use issues and politics; construction of trail features including turnpikes, culverts, switchbacks, drain dips, check dams, puncheon, and more; and the mechanized equipment used to do the work. Learn about trail maintenance procedures on these heavily used trails. Note: Dennis is also spearheading the WTBA Mechanized Trailbuilding Demo on Wednesday, so you'll be able to see some of his same machines in action in Reno. Wednesday, February 4 Current Industry Standards and Treatment Types for Preservative-Treated Wood – Dennis Hayward, Executive Director, Western Wood Preservers Institute The Western Wood Preservers Institute is a member of the American Wood Preservers Institute, the industry trade group that basically sets all the industry standards for treated wood. Dennis will talk about current standards and changes in the industry, specifically the elimination of CCA for most applications and the alternative treatments that the industry is now using. Environmental Impacts of Preservative-Treated Wood in Wetland Boardwalks and Bridges – Dr. Kenneth Brooks, Aquatic Environmental Sciences The USDA Forest Service, Forest Products Laboratory has conducted extensive field research into leaching and environmental accumulation of wood preservatives used on bridges and trail boardwalks and their environmental effects. Dr Kenneth Brooks, the lead biological researcher with Aquatic Environmental Sciences on these studies will describe their study methods and findings. Included in the studies are a variety of different types of preservative treatments in several different environments. Appropriate Mechanized Equipment for Building Cost Effective, Sustainable Trails – Gerry Wilbour, Northwest Trails Inc. An overview and introduction to the outdoor session Wednesday afternoon (see next session below). Selecting and using compact mechanized equipment for trail construction, reconstruction and maintenance. WTBA Mechanized Trailbuilding Demonstration (Wednesday, 1 PM to 5 PM, mostly outdoors) SPECIAL SESSION: Selecting and using compact mechanized equipment for trail construction, including designing trails for efficient construction with mechanical aids. See firsthand how professional trail contractors can bring machinery into a sensitive environment, construct a trail tread no more than 24" in width and leave the finished product looking as no machinery was ever there. Demonstrations will be by 12 WTBA trail contractors with 175+ years of collective trailbuilding experience. Session begins with short indoor intro, then proceeds to a trail 7 miles from Atlantis. We'll organize carpools and/or shuttles—during registration, please indicate 1) if you think you'll attend and 2) if you can drive in the carpool. Field portion includes discussion of sustainable trail, plus problems and repair needs created by inappropriate layout and design. Demonstration—the majority of the session—includes reconstructing a narrow, natural surface interpretive trail around a pond and wetland using mini trail machines. We'll have at least three different types of mini-excavators to see and operate if you wish. We'll also install a 15" culvert with large rock headwalls, install a 16' log retainer turnpike drilled and pinned with rebar, and obliterate a social trail from start to finish with the use of machines and a Honda Power Carrier. Come stretch your legs in an afternoon of real-world trailbuilding that demonstrates an efficient blend of traditional hand work and mechanical aids. OHV Recreation: Meeting Public Needs, Improving Management and Building Partnerships – Dana Bell, Project Coordinator, National Off-Highway Vehicle Conservation Council Session Objective: To build a better understanding of the needs and desires of the OHV public. To review the importance and interrelationship of the 4E’s, engineering, education, enforcement, and evaluation for the effective management. And, to review potential partnerships between the OHV public, land management agencies and professional trail builders. Noxious Weeds n' Trails – Sue Donaldson & Patti Bakker, Truckee Meadows Weed Coordinating Group Construction and maintenance of trails can both create opportunities for noxious weeds to spread and create a means for their containment. This session will discuss what to look for and how to best manage the problem. Thursday, February 5 Floods of Ought 3 – Kathy White, Trails Specialist, Mt Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest This past fall, while fires were raging in Southern California, the Pacific Northwest was being drenched by its heaviest recorded rainfall ever. The snow level had dropped to about 5500 feet the week before. While the lowlands and many drainages escaped with only normal flooding, some higher drainages suffered what has been described as almost biblical flooding. Current cost estimates to repair trail bridges and trails is about $4.5 million. Signifcant sections of the Pacific Crest Trail among many others are now inaccessable. This session will show highlights (or lowlights) of projects to come. Agency Trail Budgets and Projects for bid in 2004 Trail budgets and pending contracts for 2004 and beyond. Representatives from various agencies will present outlines of current projects going out to bid and future trail budget trends. Of interest primarily to trail contractors. Competitive Sourcing Studies An update on the current status of federal agency studies on comparative costs of outsourcing. Trail Bridges: Guidelines for Selecting Bridge Structures and Bridge Sites – Scott Groenier, USFS Missoula Technology and Development Center There are numerous types of trail bridge structures with significant differences in materials, costs, aesthetics, and structural elements. Each type has a location where it is the most appropriate. The USDA Forest Service Technology and Development Program has developed a catalogue of these different types and made a number of recommendations about each type. Site selection and proper maintenance have also been identified as critical factors extending the lifespan of trail bridges. This session will cover these topics and cover of the basic concepts in trail bridge design. Trail Bridges: Enlivening the Trail Experience – Troy Scott Parker, Natureshape Trail bridges greatly influence the visitor's trail experience. In the public eye, they also reflect the land manager's stewardship. Learn many simple, practical ways to enhance the form and function of bridges, to shape them to echo and respect their sites, to satisfy visitors' needs and desires, to make each bridge an appropriately memorable feature on the trail, and to increase visitors' sense of stewardship for the trail and site. While this is a standalone WTBA conference session, it's also an extension of the one-day workshop Natural Surface Trail Design: The Keys to Sustainability & Visitor Enjoyment on Monday. Cutting By Hand: An Introduction to the Crosscut Saw – David Michael, Crosscut Saw Examiner for USFS Region 5 This multi-media presentation introduces basic concepts of crosscut saw selection, use and maintenance to the trail professional. Participants will acquire a greater understanding of the relationship between the “tool”, the “skill” and the safe productive outcome of a sawing assignment. Myths will be dispelled and participants will have the opportunity to ask questions and share expertise. David will also instruct the one-day workshop Time-Honored Principles: Revisiting the Lost Art of Crosscut Saw Use on Friday. While "Cutting By Hand" is free, there is a fee for "Time-Honored Principles." Building Better Trails with IMBA – Mark Schmidt and Lora Woolner of the International Mountain Bicycling Association's Subaru Trail Care Crew This presentation covers the essentials for sustainable natural surface trail design. Concise yet broad-ranging, it's one of the best explanations of basic trail construction we've seen. Highly recommended for beginners and intermediates. This is scheduled as a relatively long session and doubles as a primer for IMBA's Advanced Trailbuilding School workshop on Friday-Sunday.

Trailbuilders Trade Show Indoor-Outdoor Trade Show Pinpoint Products shows its Stanley TracHorse power carrier at the 2002 Trailbuilders Trade Show. Runs Wednesday and Thursday as part of the WTBA Trailbuilders Conference. This is the only trade show in the nation dedicated to trailbuilders and trailbuilding technology. In addition to indoor booths in the Ballroom Terrace next to the meeting rooms, you'll also be able to try out tracked and power equipment outdoors in an unfinished parking lot next to the hotel. Take 'er for a spin in the dirt and spend as much time as you like. We encourage you to spend time one-on-one with vendors as you try out their equipment at your leisure. The outdoor demo area is across the Sky Terrace bridge on the other side of S. Virginia Street, next to an Outback Steakhouse restaurant. Weather is generally favorable for this — see typical Reno weather for this time of year. The indoor trade show has all kinds of vendors. Demo of a Mini Boulder Buster (smoke is from firing) outside Atlantis at the 2003 Trailbuilders Trade Show. Troy Duffin tests an Ibex by SummitCalifornia at the 2003 Trade Show. Vendor info for the Trailbuilders Trade Show.

Party and Networking Networking lunches Registration includes catered lunches on Wednesday and Thursday. Tuesday Night Informal Networking Party On Tuesday night from 7 until midnight, we have an informal networking party. Enjoy networking with beer, soft drinks and munchies. Contractors often bring photos of their recent projects. This is the best time in the entire conference to meet people! Wednesday Evening Banquet The Banquet has awards, presentations, and networking over a good dinner with wine and entertainment. This is a relatively informal banquet that's not stuffy or pretentious. WTBA's 2004 Harvey Bell Award For its beyond heroic efforts in orchestrating Congressional passage of the Enhancements portion of 2003' federal transportation bill (worth many millions and which was slated for deep cuts in recreation trail funding), WTBA presents its annual Harvey Bell Award to the Rails to Trails Conservancy (RTC). Marianne Fowler of RTC will be there to accept the Award for the Rails to Trails Conservancy, yet this is her award as much as RTC's. Past winners of the Harvey Bell Award. “Ask Not, Get Not—The Reauthorization of ISTEA” Marianne is also headlining the banquet with her interesting "inside the beltway" perspective on trail funding. Over the years, RTC has made a huge difference (improvement) in funding and preserving rail trail corridors and trail development. Her talk will give us a break from talking about the nuts, bolts, rocks and dirt of trails to reflect on the hard work and humor of the politics of trails. Cowboy Poets, too: Bill Roberts, world famous cowboy poet (at least in these parts), will entertain us with a fresh batch of stories. A regular for this conference, we're glad to have him back! He may have a partner, too. Atlantis Casino Resort New, modern conference area at Atlantis Recently built, the conference areas at Atlantis are modern, attractive, and have excellent ventilation. Smoking is not permitted in any of the conference areas. We had this conference here last year and found the modern ventilation system quickly removes cigarette smoke even in the smoking areas. As a new building, it is also wheelchair accessible. More on Atlantis.

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