Lucy Portman at the Barnes Butte Recreational Area welcoming the public to the Barnes Butte Charrette community barbecue.

Meet Lucy Portman. She is an all-star Steward serving with the National Park Service’s Rivers, Trails and Conservation Assistance (RTCA) Program in Seattle, Washington. Throughout her first 47-week term, Lucy has had the opportunity to initiate, develop, and see through a number of exciting conservation projects.

Recently, Lucy helped plan and facilitate two design charrettes with projects in Eastern Washington and Central Oregon. Lucy and team will be using the concepts and materials sourced from these workshops to develop concept plans for the projects. These concept plans will be adopted into local jurisdiction and allow the trail and recreational projects to move forward, thanks to Lucy’s help.

For both projects, Lucy assisted in the outreach required to build the design teams, engage steering committees, and work with tribes. She also worked with the local health departments to build community health profiles for both projects, a tool that emphasizes the importance of public health considerations in the design process.

Lucy at the Barnes Butte Recreational Area Focus Committee Meeting in front of Posters Lucy developed to collect committee member feedback about design considerations and priorities.

Earlier in the year, Lucy and team worked on two separate trail projects, wherein she assisted planning committee meetings, creating work plans, building community outreach plans, and doing research on community health and existing conditions. Working with several different partners, Lucy had the opportunity to support the Wild and Scenic Rivers program on the completion and release of a River Access Planning Guide, a framework document to assist planners in enhancing river access. Further yet, she wrote articles for publication and developed presentations to spread awareness about the guide.

So, what is next for Lucy? Well, this is just the beginning. Lucy has officially begun her second 47-week term with the RTCA Program, and we are more than excited to see what this year brings.

Lucy Portman in Waitsburg, Washington at the city's town hall where they hosted the first day of the Touchet Valley Trail charrette.