<br><br>I wrote to the pcta to ask about the matching grant..<br><br>following is their reply:<br>If you are interested, get the check in the mail.<br><br><br><span style="color: blue;"> If you would like to make a contribution, make sure that you reference "US
Forest Service Matching Grant" so that your donation gets designated
properly.</span><br><br>Mike<br><br><br>Pacific Crest Trail Association<br>
5325 Elkhorn Blvd. PMB 256<br>
Sacramento, CA 95842-2526<br>
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<p align="left"> November 2007</p>
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<p align="left">Dear Friend,</p>
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<p> A few weeks ago, I wrote to you to announce the largest grant in
the history of the Pacific Crest Trail Association: if we can raise
$174,000 by December 31, we will earn $504,796 from the U.S. Forest
Service for volunteer programs, trail maintenance and communications.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p align="left"> As I write today, I'm pleased to report that we are
<b>very close to the goal</b> <font face="Symbol, serif"></font>
just $30,000 to go. We need your gift to put us over the top!</p>
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<p style="text-indent: 0.5in;" align="left">If you've already sent a
year-end gift to the PCTA, thank you. But if you haven't yet
responded, please do so by December 31. <b>Every dollar you send
will be matched by <i>three</i> dollars from the U.S. Forest Service.</b>
</p>
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<p style="text-indent: 0.5in;" align="left">And all of it will be put to
good use to ensure that the Pacific Crest Trail remains a very
special experience.</p>
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<p> Whether you take to the trail for a few hours or a few days, it
provides an extraordinary escape into Western wilderness. You might
pass through high desert or low, old growth forest, or arctic-alpine
country.
</p>
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<p align="left"> <b>But the trail is only spectacular because we make
an ongoing effort to keep it that way.</b> It's a team effort to
stay on top of regular maintenance, and our team includes:</p>
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<ul><li><p align="left">Hundreds of volunteers and dozens of partner
groups, under the coordination of PCTA, who go out on the trail
every year to remove fallen trees, or clear mudslides, or whatever
else might need to be done to keep the footpath clear and safe;</p>
</li></ul>
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<ul><li><p align="left">Government agencies like the U.S. Forest Service,
which not only provides funding assistance but also empowers PCTA as
the official nonprofit organization charged with overall stewardship
of the trail from border to border;</p>
</li></ul>
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<ul><li><p align="left">Generous members like you, who have made PCTA the
strong and vital organization that it is today.
</p>
</li></ul>
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<p align="left"> In fact, your gifts are the seeds from which all else
blossoms. Without your
</p>
<p align="left">support, we wouldn't qualify for Forest Service
funding, and without those resources, we wouldn't be able to
recruit, train and equip volunteers.</p>
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<p align="left"> It is a team effort, to be sure, but we look to you to
start the chain of events that keeps the trail enjoyable.</p>
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<p align="left"> That's why I'm hoping you will send a gift by
December 31 to help us earn the 2007 grant from the U.S. Forest
Service. <b>Remember,</b> <b>your year-end donation will be matched
3-to-1 by the grant.</b></p>
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</p>
<p align="left"> In addition to helping us keep the trail in good
condition, the Forest Service grant provides funding for another
important aspect of trail stewardship: communications with the
public.
</p>
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</p>
<p align="left"> PCTA maintains a toll-free number and Web site updates
on trail conditions, informs the media when conditions are severe,
and acts as a clearinghouse for news from the various trail sections
in Washington, Oregon and California. We also offer tips and
resources to hikers and equestrians who are planning a trip, help
people obtain wilderness permits for long-distance hikes, and raise
public awareness about outdoor ethics.</p>
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<p style="text-indent: 0.5in;" align="left">The Forest Service is
chronically understaffed, so they are pleased to have PCTA take on
this role. Even at the official federal Web page for the Pacific
Crest Trail, the Forest Service directs the public to us: "The
Pacific Crest Trail Association is an excellent source of information
for anyone planning a trip on the PCT." That's a sure sign of
their confidence in PCTA, and we take that responsibility very
seriously.
</p>
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<p align="left"> For novices and seasoned veterans alike, good
communication is the entry point for an enjoyable experience of the
Pacific Crest Trail. It's the start of a first-hand encounter with
the best of the West <font face="Symbol, serif"></font> from the
Mojave Desert to Yosemite National Park, from the volcanoes of the
Cascade Mountains to the Columbia River Gorge.
</p>
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<p style="text-indent: 0.5in;" align="left">The Pacific Crest Trail is
the jewel in the crown of the national trails system, and your
support helps make it so. <b>Please send a year-end gift today, to
be matched 3-to-1 by the Forest Service</b>, to ensure that the trail
gets all the attention it needs and deserves.
</p>
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<p style="margin-left: 3in; text-indent: 0.5in;">Sincerely,</p>
<p style="text-indent: 0.5in;" lang=""><br>
</p>
<p style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><br>
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<p style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><br>
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<p style="margin-left: 3in; text-indent: 0.5in;" align="left">Liz
Bergeron</p>
<p style="margin-left: 3in; text-indent: 0.5in;">Executive Director
</p>
<p><br>
</p>
<p style="margin-left: 0.5in; text-indent: -0.5in;">P.S. The U.S.
Forest Service grant for 2007 <font face="Symbol, serif"></font>
the largest in our history <font face="Symbol, serif"></font> must
be earned by December 31. We are very close to the goal. Please
send a generous donation today. Your gift will multiply and put us
over the top! Thank you.</p>
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<br><br clear="all"><br>-- <br><a href="http://www.engel.org/ihwm">http://www.engel.org/ihwm</a> (Courtesy of my friend Glenn Engel)<br><br>"I hike alone sometimes.Its during these Mike Aken<br>solo hikes that the number of arrogant N7OUJ
<br>and ignorant people I have to deal <br>with is reduced to one". <br> Jack Hampson <br>