Announcing a New TRAMPS Scholarship Opportunity
National Smokejumper Association TRAMPS Scholarships are awarded to children, and grandchildren of current and former Smokejumpers, current and former Smokejumper pilots, and current and former NSA Associate Members.
- Learn more at TRAMPS Scholarship Application Info
About TRAMPS
Trails Program, now known as The NSA Trails Restoration & Maintenance Project Specialists or TRAMPS, was started by Art Jukkala in 1999 as a means of giving old Smokejumpers a chance to visit old stomping grounds and maintain old relationships. Over the years, it has expanded into a national trails program that maintains and builds trails as well as restoring back country cabins and other forestry buildings.
In one year alone, the NSA Trails Program, during a series of 20 week-long projects, Smokejumpers, associates, friends, and spouses donated thousands of hours to maintain and build trails, restore cabins and corrals, and provide other assistance.
Projects were located in national forests, national parks, and wilderness areas located in 8 different states. Crews made up of five to twelve Smokejumpers and Associates worked on each project, and projects included drive-to projects as well as pack-in projects. Backcountry Horsemen supported some of the projects. Projects had differing levels of physical difficulty ranging from easy to the more difficult to accommodate a wide variety of physical abilities.
In future years, plans are being made for projects in 9 states as well as introducing the Trails Program to the Bureau of Land Management. It is a great opportunity for Smokejumpers and Associates to show appreciation for the "best job we ever had" as well as renew acquaintances and swap old stories.