Whatcom Chapter Volunteer Hour Reporting Guidelines

Trail Work

  • trail and trailhead clean up, trail work on public land or open private lands
  • Planning and Prep work for future work parties                          
  • Packing, carpentry, bridge construction, teamster, search & rescue, trail survey, GPS.                                 
  • Organization for major work parties

Leave No Trace

  • Rendezvous, clinic, seminars-LNT
  • Attendance—attending and participation in education classes designated for LNT purposes
  • Presentations and or articles written regarding LNT
  • Teaching-LNT clinics, seminars and presentation to the public

Education

  • Clinic, hosting education clinic put on for the public benefit, education booths-representation of the BCH with interaction with the public, chain saw certification

Public Meetings

  • Active participation at public meetings including USFS, BLM, DNR, National Park, State County and City Parks
  • Conference, meetings, seminars relating to BCH purpose and objectives
  • Active participation at these meetings to include, speaking, interacting, taking notes for an upcoming newsletter or meeting

Administrative Service

  • newsletter editor hours
  • volunteer hours record keeping 
  • research for articles or writing of an article to be published in a newsletter
  • planning work shops
  • planning calendar events that are open to the public

Travel Time

  • Time you spend getting to and from your place of volunteering

Personal Vehicle Miles

  • Log the miles that you drive to and from your place of volunteering under personal vehicle

Personal Equipment

  • Count only the hours that you use small power tools, however if you carry them the entire time count all your time. If you are packing them on stock count them as cargo and only count the time that you use them but remember to county your entire stock time. Chainsaw, fuel, oil and blades should be counted as cash donations. Prepping heavy equipment and loading it before you use it counts.

Stock

  • Count how many stock you used for however many days and the number of hours in each day.                Example:I used 2 Stock for 8 hours each, equals 16 total hours and 2 stock days.
  • Keep track of the cargo that you’re packing.
  • Try to keep track of the miles.
  • Keep track of all the stock information that you can keep - stock days are the most important. Each animal gets credit for one stock day.
  • Be sure and include all cargo that you pack with your stock.
  • When working with pack animals, hours are considered skilled.
Additional Guidelines for Trail Work & work Parties
  • Members / Workers – Log your actual travel and work time. Driver logs miles
  • All work / no ride – Log round trip travel, driver mileage, and actual work time.
  • 1⁄2 work – 1⁄2 ride – log one-way travel and one-way driver mileage and actual work time.
  • Ride with incidental work – Log just work time.
  • Pack and Saddle Stock Log work time And DAYS USED
  • Make notes of the Cargo you are packing (Weight and Quantity)
  • Make notes of Items that are donated, with estimated donation cost.
  • Chain Saw use, etc… Log your actual work time.
  • Record heavy equipment hours from the time you leave home etc. Record your miles hauling your heavy equipment under stock hauling miles.
  • Use the going rate as an hourly rate for operating heavy equipment. Report rental fees for heavy equipment under equipment dollars.
  • If you are working with an agency contact person make sure that he / she gets a copy of your work party report.

Record hours in ½ or 1 hour increments.

When in question as to what constitutes reportable hours, consider the following:

  • Does the public benefit, or just the BCH?
  • Is the travel and mileage within reasonable distance?
  • Will any part of the contribution be compensated for in real Dollars? If so, by whom?
  • Would an agency consider this reasonable?
  • What was the intent of the event?
If you are ever in doubt, record your time spent regardless. You can always go back and ask questions later. If you put it aside until later, you may forget, and the time is lost.