This moment in history presents an opportunity to develop a more sustainable cost-structure
Dear, Friends,
By the end of 2024, Siskiyou Mountain Club had about $750,000 in agreements that had been obligated by Forest Service managers across southwest Oregon and northwest California. In legal speak, an obligation is like a handshake.
Those funds would have been used to help pay our staff, buy tools, service the fleet, feed volunteers, and support our operations starting at the end of 2025 and through 2027. But at this point, it would not be prudent to factor those handshakes into any financial planning.
Historically, we could trust those handshakes would lead to an agreement that got signed and woven into our annual operations, albeit with plenty of process that we happily managed for the last 15 years of doing business with the agency.
This means that the next six months are going to have tremendous bearing on our long-term trajectory as we maintain service levels with fewer resources and also the hard work it will take to adopt the seismic shifts in our budget.
It's my job to keep that team together as we chart a strategic transition to a more sustainable cost-structure. We're up for it. The team we've built is stronger than the economic and political gusts we face.
If you are interested in discussing a strategic gift or would like to donate stocks as they flirt with historic highs, we are available at your convenience. Email info@siskiyoumountainclub.org, call 458-254-0657, or connect with me directly at gabe@siskiyoumountainclub.org.
It's also easy to join online now (new members can get a free pair of Darn Tough Socks and all members get 30% off of all purchases from our online and brick-n-mortar store through August). You can also start a monthly membership for as little as $3.75 per month or send checks payable to:
SMC
POB 61
ASHLAND OR 97520
Sincerely,
Gabriel Howe
Executive Director