Sawtooth Stewardship Volunteer Program

Summer 2023

Do you love the Sawtooth National Recreation Area?

Idaho Rivers United and the U.S. Forest Service are partnering with Ninkasi Brewing Co. to “connect and protect” the SNRA for all to enjoy by gathering volunteers our the Sawtooth River Stewards Program. Learn more about both volunteer opportunities.


Leave No Trace Stewards

Virtual training will be held on June 21, stay tuned for details

The program is self-guided and centered around Leave No Trace ethics while you recreate in the area. Sawtooth River Stewards will be focus on picking up trash and be trained to conduct trail maintenance along river areas in the SNRA. The program is based on an honor system, and IRU asks its stewards to send us before and after photos of the areas that were cleaned up. In order to complete this program, stewards will need to record at least one area that has benefitted from their work. The purpose of this program is to learn how to protect the SNRA while you recreate, with the mindset to leave it better than you found it. 

Sawtooth Salmon Stewards

Virtual training will be held on August 1, sign up for details.

This program is for those looking for a more advanced stewardship opportunity. Stewards will be trained on topics such as salmon life cycles, responsible fishing practices, how to identify redd (salmon egg nest) locations, as well as promoting IRU’s mission to protect and restore the rivers of Idaho. Stewards will have the opportunity to either run a trailhead river engagement station in the SNRA or be working with the USFS on a river restoration project. Both options will allow the stewards to apply what they learned in training to improve how everyone recreates in the Sawtooth’s. 

Oregon friends: look for this Connect & Protect sign at a beer store near you and sign up!