AMC Action Plan for 2025-30
- Thread starter NHChris
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pwsull
New member
Dr Daisypiodidae as always provides thoughtful and well researched information and analysis. Like him I also applaud the AMC’s transparency. I also agree that in the modern world assets of $213 milllion is essentially chump change for a nonprofit. Most nonprofits require quite a lot more just to survive in a corporate world of multi billion dollar for profit companies
Having worked in non profit organizations, I would also add that in the modern economy, day to day operations require access to credit to meet day to day operation expenses (including payroll). Organizations require capital to qualify for loans and an endowment is a big part of the financial assets and stability that leads to a high credit rating and easy access to credit to maintain normal daily operations.
AMC has earned justified criticism about elitism and some of their philosophy and policies but they have also provided critical influence and support over 148 years for preserving and maintaining WMNF in as pristine a state as is possible in the modern world.
I would venture to say that the WMNF that is our natural playground might not have been created and might not exist in as unspoiled a state without their presence and political influence over the past 150 years.
I asked Google the following question: "
The Appalachian Mountain Club (AMC) operates huts in the White Mountain National Forest under a special use permit from the U.S. Forest Service. The AMC annually presents an Operating Plan (AOP) to the USFS that describes how the AMC will meet the permit's requirements.
How does the arrangement work?
What arrangement does the Appalachian mountain club have with the US Forest Service to operate huts on public lands?"
And got the following AI response: "The Appalachian Mountain Club (AMC) operates huts in the White Mountain National Forest under a special use permit from the U.S. Forest Service. The AMC annually presents an Operating Plan (AOP) to the USFS that describes how the AMC will meet the permit's requirements.
How does the arrangement work?
- The AMC owns and operates the huts.
- The AMC employs "croo" members to maintain the huts during the summer season.
- The AMC offers special programs for thru-hikers on the Appalachian Trail.
- The AMC encourages visitors to follow the regulations of the USFS and New Hampshire State Parks.
- The AMC provides lodging, meals, and educational programs for guests.
- The AMC offers low or no cost camping for thru-hikers and backpackers.
- The AMC positions the huts along the Appalachian Trail to benefit thru
Ha. Similar experience...I used to say "We're a for-profit company or at least trying like hell to be..."I worked for a non-profit once. Unfortunately, it wasn't supposed to be and I had to get a new job...
Financials aside, if you don’t like the AMC then generously support all those other Northeast-based conservation/recreation organizations at work in our hills.
What? You can’t think of any? Exactly.
Note: The RMC is not a player on much of anything south of Mt Adams.
What? You can’t think of any? Exactly.
Note: The RMC is not a player on much of anything south of Mt Adams.
Ken MacGray
Active member
Here are a few:
Cohos Trail Association - https://www.cohostrail.org
Dartmouth Outing Club - http://outdoors.dartmouth.edu
Maine Appalachian Trail Club - https://www.matc.org
Maine Conservation Corps - https://www.maine.gov/dacf/parks/get_involved/conservation_corps/
Upper Valley Trails Alliance - https://www.uvtrails.org
Wonalancet Out Door Club - https://www.wodc.org
I would like to add the Lakes Region Conservation Trust (LRCT). I was a member for many, many years. They do great work with the trails in the Ossippee Mountains.
And for those in and around the WMV, the Upper Saco Valley Land Trust: https://www.usvlt.org/
and Tin Mountain Preserve: https://tinmountain.org/
and Tin Mountain Preserve: https://tinmountain.org/
Ken MacGray
Active member
Even more:
https://experience.arcgis.com/experience/a143cf69a1f34648938900f69850c4d3/
To say that AMC is the only player when it comes to land conservation/protection and outdoor recreation in New Hampshire just isn't accurate. In addition to AMC we are fortunate to be blessed with so many other wonderful organizations.
https://experience.arcgis.com/experience/a143cf69a1f34648938900f69850c4d3/
To say that AMC is the only player when it comes to land conservation/protection and outdoor recreation in New Hampshire just isn't accurate. In addition to AMC we are fortunate to be blessed with so many other wonderful organizations.
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A simple minded person like myself might call that a "profit" of around $20 million. I'm sure there is a simple explanation, probably rooted in the nature of non-profit organizations that I am simply ignorant of. Would like to have that ignorance rectified. If there is someone here that knows and is kind enough to explain, I'd be grateful.
Similarly, I'd like to understand just the basics of how a non-profit organization can accumulate significant assets. I understand that organizations may want to acquire assets that help them in their mission, plus establish reserves to tide them over though lean periods, no quarrel with that. Is it as simple as, "if you spend excess revenue on durable assets, or squirrel it away as a reserve, you don't have to count it as profit?"
Just mostly idle curiosity. But I'm the curious sort.
TomK
This may answer some of your questions:
https://www.google.com/search?q=can...CDUzMDFqMGo0qAIAsAIB&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8
Thank you for this most accurate post. Seems as if somewhere it has been stated that part of The AMC's goals is to interact with these other players to help harmonize overall common shared good. Unfortunately, some AMC stalwarts don't seem to see it that way and present an image the AMC is King. I personally don't see it that way, but I do recognize The AMC plays an integral role in the overall mission. As already mentioned, I have been a member of the AMC in the past but in recent years have been focusing my efforts and monies towards the smaller local efforts close to me. By doing that I have an actual understanding of where and how those efforts and monies are being funneled. I would like to help The AMC but until they make a genuine effort towards a much higher level of transparency that will not be happening. This relates much to what I have already mentioned about The AMC and downscaling. They have become too big and therefore are lacking focus. Convince me otherwise I'm still listening.
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Good info. Thank you for sharing.
Thanks! I wasn't too thrilled that the first thing shown was apparently generated by so-called AI, but then there were links to explanations from actual people, like the Chamber of Commerce, and a CPA.
If I read it all right, the answer to my question:
Is, "pretty much", yup, it's that simple....
Thanks!
TomK
The Google reply often incorporates the reference to AI. Apparently it's part of the search engine Google uses.
Ken MacGray
Active member
Google has incorporated an AI summary into all of their default search results. If you don't want to see the AI dingus, use this instead:
https://udm14.org
https://udm14.org
Many, many thanks, you have greatly improved my search experience. The UDM=14 hack not only removes the AI, but also all the non links stuff you get with normal search.
I have no idea what you mean by “antique architecture,” but the AMC has not expanded their hut system since Mizpah opened in 1964, to fill in the gap between Zealand and Lakes huts for various types of through-hikers. The only alternative at the time was Crawford House at the head of Crawford Notch, which was an expensive grand hotel, like the Mount Washington at Bretton Woods, but it burned to ground in 1977. The AMC bought the property but it took them over two decades with much controversy to get the powers at be to allow construction of the Highland Center (HC) on the site, which was dedicated in fall 2003. The HC was built with much attention to environmental sustainability, which has continued with installation of a 100 kW solar array in 2024 and multiple EV charging stations. The renovated Carriage House displays many large format B&W photos by Bradford Washburn on the first floor walls and now houses the AMC Library archives that were moved north from AMC Headquarters in Chelsea, Mass., on the second floor.
As noted earlier, AMC floated a plan to build an up-scale, all-season, short walk-in hut on state land near the trailhead for the Ethan Pond and Willey Range Trails in lower Crawford Notch, but withdrew the plan after much controversy.
The AMC’s main expansion the past two decades has been the Maine Woods Initiative that included rehabilitating old lodges and camps in the Area of the 100 Miles Wilderness part of the Appalachian Trail to keep this paper company land out of the hands of developers. The initiative has been a financial loser for the AMC, I think because of the great distance from population centers, but it has been a super winner from an environmental conservation perspective, as active sustainable logging is promoted on the land.
As I noted earlier, cutting back from full service to self service in the eight huts would pretty much end the AMC’s environmental education programs, managing back-country campsites in the Whites, and trail maintenance efforts, among other programs. The U.S.F.S. no longer has the resources to carry out much of this work, which may become even worse over the next four years as federal employees are eliminated.
Is https://udm14.org significantly different from a privacy focused search engine like duckduckgo?
Feel free to answer via PM, rather than engage in further digression from discussing the AMC...
Before clicking KRooney's link, I don't think I'd used google for a good 15 years, give or take...
TomK
Feel free to answer via PM, rather than engage in further digression from discussing the AMC...
Before clicking KRooney's link, I don't think I'd used google for a good 15 years, give or take...
TomK
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