Since 1876, the appalachian mountain club has promoted the protection, enjoyment, and understanding of the mountains, forests, waters, and trails of the appalachian region. We are the nation's oldest outdoor recreation and conservation organization.

Camps , Environment , Environmental Education , Sports

Outdoor program centers - the amc manages more than 40 outdoor program centers and backcountry facilities, including lodges, mountain huts, full-service camps, cabins, shelters and campgrounds. These amc facilities serve as a base for 4-season recreational activities, nature and environmental education courses, programs, scientific research, outdoor artistic pursuits, and other conservation-related activities. Visitors and overnight guests enjoy a broad range of walk-on programs, guided naturalist activities, outdoor recreational safety and skill building workshops, and backcountry activities to choose from. Amc facilities are managed to reduce environmental impact by providing environmentally sensitive septic systems, composting, public *refer to schedule o, page 46 for continuation*outdoor program centers (continued):drinking water, and overnight accommodations (some near treeline and in sensitive alpine areas) in areas where camping would have severe effects on the alpine plant life. Amc facilities provide information and education on the local environment, recreational opportunities, outdoor safety, trails, and emergency shelter. Amc staff also participates in search-and-rescue efforts throughout the white mountains of nh and other regions. In 2014, amc provided more than 162,000 overnight guest accommodations at its facilities and information and other services to more than 2,000,000 visitors. membership - amc members provide the grassroots network through which the amc delivers its programming on a local level throughout our 11 state region. The more than 100,000 members, advocates and supporters of the amc provide a base of volunteers for trail projects, local clean-up and conservation projects, outdoor how-to and safety instruction. These members and volunteers organize and lead thousands of recreational outings, and provide the local governance structure for 12 local amc chapters. Member dues and participation in the above mentioned activities provide a critical base of support for carrying out the amc mission. conservation research and policy - the amc actively promotes the protection, enjoyment and understanding of the mountains, forests, waters and trails of the appalachian region including critical areas of the four-state northern forest, the mid-atlantic highlands of pa, nj, ny, and ct, and maine's 100-mile wilderness region. The amc's research and policy program conducts analyses of natural ecosystems to guide its efforts to protect these areas. This includes studying changes in land cover and land use and the impact on ecological and recreational resources; monitoring air quality and climate change impacts on northeastern mountain ecosystems; analyzing in-stream flow criteria and hydroelectric dam operation impacts on river ecosystems and*refer to schedule o, pages 46-47 for continuation*conservation research and policy (continued):recreational resources; developing methods to reduce recreational user impacts on the region's mountains; and studying the benefits and impacts of different transportation options and energy sources, including renewable energy, on the ecosystems of concern to the amc. Achievements are exemplified by the development and successful implementation of the recovery plan for an alpine plant formerly listed on the federal endangered species list, publication of a national award winning "ecological atlas of the upper androscoggin watershed", adoption by states of elements of amc's wind power siting guidelines and amc's successful citizen science mountain monitoring program, mountain watch. The amc's research and policy program also works with conservation partners and local communities to build grassroots support for priority conservation projects. The research and policy program participates in and comments on formal resource management programs and decisions at the local, state, and federal level; consults with industry and land owners to find equitable solutions to environmenta