William Hoeferlin Award recognizes Trail Conference volunteers who have demonstrated exemplary service to trail maintenance, management, and/or trail land protection. This year the award was presented to:
Stephen Zubarik, of Tomkins Cove, NY, chief of our West Hudson South chainsaw crew. To say Steve is frequently out on trails clearing blowdowns is an understatement. His dedication is extraordinary. Last year, facing a massive blowdown challenge caused by two hurricanes, Steve led the crew in clearing more than 200 trees and large branches from miles of trails at Harriman, Bear Mountain, and Sterling Forest State Parks within just a few weeks.
A trails volunteer since 2000, Steve is a trail maintainer (Long Path from Fort Lee Historic Park, NJ to Mount Ivy, NY and Menomine Trail at Bear Mountain), works on trail-building crews, and is active with our invasive plant strike force. He also is an effective manager, maintaining a constantly updated list of blowdowns that need removal and coordinating crew outings for maximum efficiency. Steve provides cheerful, thoughtful, and commonsense guidance to everything in which is he involved. His volunteer efforts in some of the most popular parks in the country help to keep hundreds of miles of trails open, safe, and enjoyable for thousands of users each year.
–John Mack, West Hudson South Trails Chair