Photo by North Carolina Division of Forest Resources
North Carolina Department of Correction
July 13, 1997
Young Offenders Forest Conservation Program Work on Black Mountain Crest Trail
During June 10-19, eight inmate crews from the North Carolina Division of Forest Resources' Young Offenders Forest Conservation Program worked on the Black Mountain Crest Trail.
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The inmate crews set up a base camp which included
tents, cook shelter and dining area. During the day, time
was spent on constructing water bars, building steps,
clearing brush; and brushing trails to make them more
easily accessible for hikers. It was a 5 mile hike
between the base camp and work site. After a day's work,
the crews returned to their base camp, prepared supper
over a lightweight stove and got a good night's rest to
prepare for the hard labor of the next day.
Photo by North Carolina Division of Forest Resources |
The inmate crews were introduced to a camping/working experience using backpacking ethics and observing the outdoor codes:
The inmates had a good camping experience even though they had hot, dry and humid weather broken by an occasional thunderstorm. They kept their cool even during an encounter with a bear. The bear entered camp and made off with a cooking pot.
The Young Offenders Forest Conservation Program is also known as BRIDGE, which stands for Building, Rehabilitating, Instructing, Developing, Growing, Employing. The program is a cooperative effort of the North Carolina Division of Forest Resources and the North Carolina Division of Prisons. The work and training program involves young inmates from the Blue Ridge Youth Center near Newland and Western Youth Institution at Morganton. The inmates are supervised by correction and forestry staff.
--North Carolina Division of Forest Resources
The Young Offenders Forest Conservation Program
NC Department of Correction News
NC
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