Conservation Project



In 1938, Waite Phillips donated the first tract of what would become Philmont Scout Ranch to the Boy Scouts of America. Prior to that gift and even Phillips’ ownership, that same land had been inhabited for thousands of years by Ute, Comanche, Pueblo, and Jicarilla Apache peoples. As American colonization began in the 1800s, and as mining, logging, and ranching industrialized the landscape, the high desert environment began to experience use of an unprecedented intensity. Over the past 80+ years, Phillips’ original gift and subsequent multi-thousand-acre acquisitions have come to host over one million scouts camping, hiking, and horse-back riding. Intense land use of the last 200 years has not occurred without an impact to the local ecosystem and landscape. Phillips envisioned that scouts have the opportunity to give back to the Ranch by working to preserve its integrity as a natural and recreational resource. Since its beginning, scouts visiting Philmont have been able to preserve, repair, and enhance the natural integrity of the Ranch for future generations by participating in projects ranging from trail construction and maintenance, stream restoration, and fire rehabilitation to forest fuels reduction, erosion control, and invasive species removal. Your crew will have the same opportunity this coming summer. As a requirement of the Arrowhead Award, your trek itinerary will feature an assigned 3-hour conservation project critical to the continued operation of Philmont Scout Ranch. This project will be facilitated by trained Conservation Department staff at one of several conservation sites across the ranch.
Campsites offering this program: Elkhorn Sioux Cyphers Mine Sawmill Beaubien Lower Bonita North Fork Urraca Ring Place Beatty Lakes Lower Bonito Cimarroncita

Treks 12-5 12-9 12-26 12-29 12-31 12-33 12-34
7-1 7-3 7-4
9-1 9-2 9-5 9-14 9-15
take this program at Elkhorn

Treks 12-10 12-26 12-32
7-6 7-11
9-7
take this program at Sioux

Treks 12-17 12-22 take this program at Cyphers Mine

Treks 12-4
7-13 7-15
9-4 9-9 9-13
take this program at Sawmill

Treks 12-1 12-6 12-8 12-12 12-14 12-15 12-19
7-14
9-3 9-10 9-12
take this program at Beaubien

Treks 7-10
take this program at Lower Bonita

Treks 12-3 12-7 12-11 12-13 12-20 12-21 12-24
7-2 7-5 7-8 7-9
9-8 9-11
take this program at North Fork Urraca

Treks 12-16 12-18 12-23 12-25 12-27 take this program at Ring Place

Treks 12-26 take this program at Beatty Lakes

Treks 12-2 12-11
7-7 7-16
take this program at Lower Bonito

Treks 9-6 take this program at Cimarroncita




Photos at Baldy Skyline


Briefing before conservation



Photos at Dan Beard


Conservation Project at Dan Beard - Removing Bull Thistle



Photos at Ponil


Conservation at Ponil Conservation at Ponil



Photos at Cimarroncito


Conservation Work at Cito Cutting & Stacking at Cito Conservation at Cito Cutting & Stacking at Cito Cutting & Stacking at Cito Thinning the trees in the meadow at Cito Safety briefing at Cito Conservation at Cito Conservation briefing at Cito Conservation Work at Cito Safety briefing at Cito Conservation at Cito Conservation work at Cito Woodpiles at Cito Conservation work at Cito Conservation at Cito



Photos at Beaubien


Conservation at Beaubien Conservation at Bonia Peak Conservation at Bonia Peak Conservation at Bonia Peak Conservation at Beaubien



Photos at Crater Lake






Photos at Phillips Junction


Conservation briefing Stash Pile



Photos at Whiteman Vega






Photos at On the trail


Conservation Work on the Middle Fork near Hunting Lodge Conservation Work on the Middle Fork near Hunting Lodge Conservation Work on the Middle Fork near Hunting Lodge Conservation Work on the Middle Fork near Hunting Lodge Trail work 2020



Photos at Whistle Punk






Photos at Upper Webster Park