Form 990 for tax year 2023

Totals

Total revenue

$1,216,976

Total expenses

$1,193,208

Contributions and grants received

$224,067

Grants paid

$70,125

Program service revenue

$991,046

Investment income

$1,863

Other revenue

$0

Total assets, end of year

$360,918

Total liabilities, end of year

$150,894

Net assets or fund balances, end of year

$210,024

Program services expenses (Part IX)

$866,203

Management and general expenses

$238,679

Fundraising expenses

$88,326

Program service expenses (Part III)

$866,203

Program services were 72.6% of total expenses calculated — Part IX's program-services column over total expenses, both as filed.

Line items

Every line the filer filed in Parts VIII, IX and X, as filed and in filed order. Blank columns are left out, and the lines are not forced to add up to the totals above.

Mission and programs · 2023

• Wilderness Stewardship Program: In partnership with federal agencies, SAWS wilderness rangers provide trail maintenance, collect stewardship data, monitor wilderness character, and engage public land visitors with local information and Leave No Trace education. In 2024, we delivered 29,330 hours of stewardship across 26 wilderness areas in 6 states, connected with 3,956 visitors, removed 803 pounds of trash, and authored 61 technical wilderness documents contributing thousands of data points for recreation site and solitude monitoring.

  Expenses $866,203 · Grants $70,125 · Revenue $991,046

• Trail Infrastructure Program: Across federal public lands, SAWS field crews maintain, restore, and construct trail tread and infrastructure in remote and wilderness areas. In 2024, we brushed over 15 miles of trail corridor, built 552 feet of rock cribbing, maintained 208 drainage features, installed 56 rock steps, removed 649 downed trees, and constructed 7,328 feet of new trail tread. Training and Education Program: SAWS delivers specialized training in wilderness stewardship, crosscut saw use, wilderness first aid, trail infrastructure, Leave No Trace, and public land management. In 2024, we co-led the annual Wilderness Skills Institute serving 183 participants, 10 national forests and regions, and 28 partner organizations through 9 free courses over two weeks, providing certifications and hands-on learning opportunities to agency staff, partners, and volunteers to promote excellence in stewardship. Additionally, we led 21 trainings including certifying 135 crosscut saw sawyers under U.S. Forest Service standards.

• Workforce Development Program: SAWS provides paid field positions and leadership development opportunities to the next generation of conservation stewards. In 2024, we created 25 new jobs and delivered 4,720 hours of professional development training for seasonal crews, rangers, and specialists who gained hands-on experience in conservation, trail work, and leadership. Many alumni return for additional seasons or go on to careers in conservation, natural resource management, and public land service. Disaster Response Program: SAWS maintains expert C-certified sawyers and trail specialists ready to lead and mobilize crews for natural disaster response in wilderness areas using traditional tools and adhering to wilderness law and policy. In 2024, SAWS responded to two natural disasters on federal land: Tropical Storm Fred on the Pisgah Ranger District, National Forest in North Carolina and flood damage on the Ocoee Ranger District, Cherokee National Forest. Community Engagement Program: Across the Southern Appalachian Mountains, SAWS engages community volunteers, partners, and the public through stewardship projects, educational outreach, and collaborative events. In 2024, we hosted 98 stewardship events including 62 volunteer projects, 21 trainings, 13 outreach events, and 2 education events. These efforts supported 4,020 hours of volunteer stewardship service.

As filed on the 2023 return.

Listed in Part VII

Compensation is as filed in Part VII: reportable pay from this organization and from related organizations, other compensation, and hours per week. The total, marked calculated, is our sum of the three dollar columns, with a blank column counted as $0; the form itself has no total. On a Form 990-EZ the columns are Part IV's instead, and on a Form 990-PF Part VIII's — compensation, contributions to benefit plans, and expense account — and the total sums those.

Grants on this return

• The Pisgah Conservancy

  $23,375

  Forest Conservation

• Conservation Legacy

  $23,375

  Forest Conservation

• Wild South

  $23,375

  Forest Conservation

Provenance

Return type

form_990

Tax year

2023

Filed

21 July 2025

IRS schema version

2023v6.0

Source object

202502029349300325

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