12/21/2024 8:18:29 AM	NRM 131 Course Outline as of Fall 2010	Changed Course
CATALOG INFORMATION
Discipline and Nbr:  NRM 131	Title:  TRAILS MAINT/RECONSTRUCT
Full Title:  Park and Forest Trails Maintenance and Reconstruction
Last Reviewed:1/23/2023

Units		Course Hours per Week			Nbr of Weeks	Course Hours Total
Maximum	2.50	Lecture Scheduled	2.00		17.5 max.	Lecture Scheduled	35.00
Minimum	2.50	Lab Scheduled	1.50		2 min.	Lab Scheduled	26.25
		Contact DHR	0			Contact DHR	0
		Contact Total	3.50			Contact Total	61.25
		Non-contact DHR	0			Non-contact DHR Total	0

Total Out of Class Hours:  70.00

Total Student Learning Hours: 131.25

Title 5 Category:  AA Degree Applicable
Grading:  Grade or P/NP
Repeatability:  00 - Two Repeats if Grade was D, F, NC, or NP
Also Listed As: 
Formerly: 

Catalog Description:

An introduction to the equipment, methods, techniques, and tools used in laying out, repairing, and rebuilding park and forest trails.

Prerequisites/Corequisites:

Recommended Preparation:
Eligibility for ENGL 100 or ESL 100

Limits on Enrollment:

Schedule of Classes Information
Description:

An introduction to the equipment, methods, techniques, and tools used in laying out, repairing, and rebuilding park and forest trails.

(Grade or P/NP)
Prerequisites:
Recommended:Eligibility for ENGL 100 or ESL 100
Limits on Enrollment:
Transfer Credit:
Repeatability:00 - Two Repeats if Grade was D, F, NC, or NP

ARTICULATION, MAJOR, and CERTIFICATION INFORMATION

Associate Degree:		Effective:		Inactive:
Area:
CSU GE:	Transfer Area			Effective:	Inactive:
IGETC:	Transfer Area			Effective:	Inactive:
CSU Transfer:		Effective:		Inactive:
UC Transfer:		Effective:		Inactive:
C-ID:

Certificate/Major Applicable: Both Certificate and Major Applicable

COURSE CONTENT

Outcomes and Objectives:
At the conclusion of this course, the student should be able to:

Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to:

1. Explain the historical, environmental, and political issues involved in park and forest trails and trail works.

2. Identify and demonstrate the safe use of all of the basic hand and power tools used in trail maintenance and reconstruction.

3. Identify twenty plant species (including twelve tree species) growing along the trail and state the environmental requirements and uses for each plant.

4. Identify animal species in habitats along the trail and discuss food sources and predators for each.

5. Identify the various types of trail users and describe their impacts.

6. Distinguish between scale and slope and recognize their representation on topographic maps.

7. List adjacent land uses in Sonoma County bordering the Sonoma County trails and articulate some of the issues concerning those land uses.

8. Construct a section of trail.

9. Identify agencies that employ trail workers and discuss the qualifications and working conditions in those agencies.

Topics and Scope

I.  History of Trails and Trail Construction

   A. Trails before roads

   B. Animal and game trails and trail patterns

   C. Trails in other societies: The Inca trail example

   D. Look at the trail

II. Trails Construction Principles

   A. How trails are laid out

      1. Identification

      2. Safe use

    B. Different tools for different users on the same trail

III. The Environment

    A. Plants

      1. Keys to identification

      2. Native and non-native species: How you can tell what to keep or kill

      3. Adaptations for use along trails for specific users

   B. Animals

      1. What they eat

      2. What eats them

   C. Land

      1. Adjacent land uses

      2. Issues in Sonoma County

IV. Trail Users and Impacts

   A. Walk  

    B. Bike ride  

    C. Horses  

    D. Motors and engines and where they can go

V. First the Paperwork

   A. Scale

   B. Slope

   C. Drainage

   D. Maps, trail logs, and profiles

VI. Project Implementation

   A. Review and post test

   B. Tool maintenance

      1. Cleaning

      2. Sharpening

   C. Construction of a section of trail

   D. Scotch broom eradication (three methods)

   E. Keeping a trail maintenance log (evaluation of project)

VII. Bring Skills Together with Job Opportunities

   A. Talks by Sonoma County Regional Parks representative

   B. Trails advocate

   C. Federal trails standards and employment opportunities

      1. NPS (National Parks Service)

      2. USFS (United States Forest Service)

      3. BLM (Bureau of Land Management)

      4. Other as determined by instructor

Assignments:

Assignments may include:

1. Reading assignments (averaging 5-10 pages per week).

2. Field assignments using trail work tools.

3. Field notebooks and logs, including maps and diagrams.

4. Project report (including photos of work accomplished).

5. Pre-test (ungraded); post-test (graded).

Methods of Evaluation/Basis of Grade.

Writing: Assessment tools that demonstrate writing skill and/or require students to select, organize and explain ideas in writing.		Writing 20 - 40%
Field notebook; project report.
Problem solving: Assessment tools, other than exams, that demonstrate competence in computational or non-computational problem solving skills.		Problem Solving 0 - 0%
None
Skill Demonstrations: All skill-based and physical demonstrations used for assessment purposes including skill performance exams.		Skill Demonstrations 30 - 50%
Field assignments.
Exams: All forms of formal testing, other than skill performance exams.		Exams 10 - 30%
Multiple choice, True/false, Matching items, Completion, Short answer.
Other: Includes any assessment tools that do not logically fit into the above categories.		Other Category 0 - 0%
None

Representative Textbooks and Materials:

The Complete Guide to Trail Building and Maintenance. Demrow, Carl and Salisbury, David. Appalachian Mountain Club Books, 1998 (Classic)

Pacific Coast Tree Finder: A Manual for Identifying Pacific Coast Trees. Watts, Tom. Nature Study Guild, 2004.

Print PDF