The Torrey Society

The New York - New Jersey Trail Conference invites you to join the Raymond H. Torrey Society - A personal way to preserve your trails.

Exuberant hiker, brilliant trail planner, prolific writer, unyielding conservationist, volunteer organizer and motivator, shrewd negotiator and diplomat, botanist, amateur geologist and historian.... these are the words used to describe Raymond H. Torrey, one of the founding fathers of the New York-New Jersey Trail Conference.

These same words describe the collective personality of the Trail Conference today, and reflect a broad range of accomplishments that will propel us into the next century.

Facing Our Future: An Invitation to Join

You are invited to join the Raymond H. Torrey Society and stand among leaders as we face the future of our foot trails together.

Firmly rooted in a long, rich history, the New York-New Jersey Trail Conference faces a new millennium that is destined to accelerate the already demanding challenges to the integrity of our foot trail systems in New York and New Jersey... while offering remarkable opportunities for building new trails and protecting the land that offers us extraordinary hiking experiences.

The Raymond H. Torrey Society is a group of concerned members and friends of the New York-New Jersey Trail Conference who wish to directly influence the future of our region’s hiking trails. They are contributors who donate gifts of cash or stock at a level of $500 and above annually.

Raymond H. Torrey Society Members Support Action!

The New York-New Jersey Trail Conference is committed to protecting our trail lands and assisting with the management of these lands. We are building strong partnerships to accomplish these goals with colleague organizations, land trusts, state agencies, and diverse groups with a common purpose.

The Trail Conference continues to plan and build new foot trails that open up the region’s natural world for the public to explore.

Your Torrey Society Membership will support:

• long-term trail projects such as the completion of the 150-mile NY-NJ Highlands Trail and the northward extension of the present 325-mile Long Path.
• the complete protection of the 20,000-acre Sterling Forest and continued cooperation with park officials on developing management strategies for this long fought-for land.
• countryside land protection for the Appalachian Trail and many other trails within the region -- creating greenway buffers for our foot paths.
• the work of many hundreds of volunteers through skills workshops for design, building, maintenance, management and safety.
• purchasing tools and equipment, lumber and other materials to build bridges, puncheons, lean-tos, stiles, privies and wells.
• trail education programs through publications, interpretive signage, Ridge Runners and youth outreach.
• ensuring separate foot trail systems while partnering with other recreational trail use groups to achieve common goals.
• collaborating with parks and other organizations to develop model programs for resource management and enforcement of proper trail use.
• developing partnerships with other organizations to advocate increased state park funding for stewardship and management, and federal funding for local land protection efforts.
• educating legislators about the value of trails and open spaces surrounding our megalopolises, and rallying their support, while creating greater public awareness about trail issues.

And there are many more ways that your Torrey Society membership will support the protection and management of our hiking landscape in areas including the New Jersey Highlands, the Hudson Highlands, Schunemunk Mountain, the Shawangunks, the Catskills and Sterling Forest.

Consider Joining the Raymond H. Torrey Society Today!

There are four Torrey Society levels:

• Trail Partner - gifts of $500 to $999
• Trail Blazer - gifts of $1,000 to $4,999
• Trail Steward - gifts of $5,000 to $9,999
• Trail Champion - Gifts of $10,000 and above

Gifts can be made incrementally throughout the year.

When you join the Raymond H. Torrey Society, you are entitled to:

• a one-year Trail Conference Gift Membership to give a friend.
• an invitation to attend a special Torrey Society event.
• the deep satisfaction of building a legacy of protected trails for future generations of hikers to enjoy.

Contributions are tax deductible to the extent permitted by law.

V3 Last updated: April 12, 2005   Copyright © 1996-2008  New York-New Jersey Trail Conference Privacy Statement.