We're thrilled to announce that Falls Creek Wildlands and Trails (FCWT) has filed Form 1023-EZ to apply for official 501(c)(3) non-profit status. This important milestone will help us grow our impact, enable tax-deductible contributions from supporters like you, and solidify our commitment to promoting conservation, stewardship, and responsible recreation in the Falls Creek area through trail work, restoration, and education. We eagerly await the IRS determination and thank you for being part of
Balancing Nature and Recreation in Falls Creek
We abuse land because we regard it as a commodity belonging to us. When we see land as a community to which we belong, we may begin to use it with love and respect. — Aldo Leopold
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About
Mission: Falls Creek Wildlands and Trails (FCWT) promotes conservation, stewardship, and responsible recreation in the Falls Creek area through trail development and maintenance, environmental restoration and preservation projects, and educational programs on environmental awareness and outdoor ethics. Collaborating with land managers and partners, FCWT protects the area's ecological health and natural beauty, provides sustainable recreation opportunities, fosters community stewardship, and contributes to regional economic vitality through responsible outdoor recreation for present and future generations.
Our mission inherently contains a contradiction: promoting access to wildlands through trail development while simultaneously striving to protect those same lands from the impacts of increased human presence.
This delicate balance—between providing sustainable recreation opportunities and preserving the ecological integrity of the Falls Creek area—is crucial not only for the health of the ecosystem and the enjoyment of current visitors, but also for ensuring that future generations inherit a landscape as vibrant and wild as the one we cherish today.
Our Founders
Justin Poehnelt brings a decade of experience in conservation and trails work with organizations and agencies such as the Student Conservation Association, US Forest Service, US Geological Survey, National Park Service, and Bureau of Land Management, shaping his deep passion for environmental stewardship.
This background, encompassing field data collection with Trimble units in remote areas, managing and analyzing USFS trails within the INFRA database, developing satellite imagery algorithms for famine prediction in sub-Saharan Africa, and building large-scale satellite imagery pipelines for enterprise insights, ultimately led him to a career in software engineering.
Today, Justin can often be found running the trails and exploring the Falls Creek area.
Latest News
The U.S. Forest Service (USFS) has announced restoration efforts at the newly renamed Falls Creek Conservation Area, emphasizing the preservation of natural, historical, and archaeological resources.
Falls Creek now has a dedicated organization focused on fostering a deeper connection between our community and the natural world: Falls Creek Wildlands and Trails (FCWT).