Emily
Emily Paulson

Trail Program Manager

City of Boulder Open Space & Mountain Parks

Boulder, CO
United States

(406) 697-0291
[email protected]

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I'm a trail project manager with a background in leading, training & managing trail crew programs, from the front-country to the wilderness. Wilderness living & risk management. Project logistics, planning & management. Sustainable trail design, maintenance & construction. Experienced working for federal, municipal, private, non-profit & volunteer trail programs.

Skill Snapshot

Trail Construction
None
Entry
Full
Expert
Trail Maintenance
None
Entry
Full
Expert
Project Preparation
None
Entry
Full
Expert
Project Planning & Design
None
Entry
Full
Expert
Project & Crew Management
None
Entry
Full
Expert
Program Admin & Leadership
None
Entry
Full
Expert

Industry Roles

Trainer Agency Corps Nonprofit
I'm available for custom trainings. Learn more.

Portfolio, Documents, and Certifications

Foundations of Accessibility

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OSHA-30

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Wilderness First Responder

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USDA Crosscut Saw Faller-B

(cert-card forthcoming)

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USDA Faller-A

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DSWA Level-1 Dry-Stone Waller

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Trail Rigging Systems

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Forklift Operator

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LNT Master Educator

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Trail Type Experience

Detailed Skill Profile

Trail Construction

Experience Details:

Most experienced in building single-track, backcountry wilderness trails. Some experience constructing hand-built, single-track bike trail. Some significant experience assessing, building and spec-ing Accessible trails in NY, AZ and CO. Since 2020, my position is heavily focused on interpreting and applying Trail Management Objectives to trail repairs and construction, as well as developing new TMOs for adaptive mountain bikes.

Skill Self-Assessment

Construction Specifications

Corridor Clearing

Hand-Built Trail Construction

Mechanized Trail Construction

Trail Finishwork

Water Management/Drainage Features

Water Crossing Structures

Retaining Walls

Tread Hardening

Trailside Structures / Dispersed Recreation

Decommissioning Trails

Trail Maintenance

Experience Details:

I have performed trail maintenance on natural and imported-surface trails for a variety of Trail Management Objectives since 2010, including assessing use patterns and soil-loss and evaluating multiple possible remedies for those issues.

Skill Self-Assessment

Maintenance Specifications

Inventory & Assessment

Corridor Clearing: Power tools

Corridor clearing: Hand Tools

Tread Maintenance - Hand tools

Tread Maintenance - Mechanized Equipment

Drainage Features/Water Management

Project Preparation

Experience Details:

Since 2020, my position has required me to familiarize myself with and prioritize project from existing management plans, and to balance these work plans with emergent issues on our system.

Skill Self-Assessment

Land Use Plan Alignment

Define Purpose and Need of Project

Corridor Planning

Stakeholder Engagement

Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (JEDI) Principles

Project Planning and Design

Experience Details:

I have generally had support from other subject-matter experts in things like permitting or interpretation, and have been growing my skills at cost-estimation, developing project plans, etc. I've completed the Eppley Institute's "Foundations of Accessibility" certification to better understand accessible trail specs and regulations, and would describe myself as "more familiar than most" trail generalists with accessibility concepts.

Skill Self-Assessment

Project Cost Estimation

Implementation Plan

Trail Specifications

Design

Trail Plans

Interpretation

Permitting

Universal Design/ADA Accessibility

Project & Crew Management

Experience Details:

As a crew leader and field staff supervisor for many years, I have experience evaluating and hiring applicants, as well as managing performance for both under-performing and high-performing staff. I have an excellent on-site safety record, and consider resource protection to be an integral component of trailwork.

Skill Self-Assessment

Crew Recruitment

Crew Management

Jobsite Safety

Jobsite Risk Management

Performance Management

Field-based Resource Protection

Program Administration and Leadership

Experience Details:

I have some experiencing with budgeting and implementing small-scale (non-competitive) contracts, but rely on subject matter experts within my department to manage most funding and communications. I would like to learn more about these areas.

Skill Self-Assessment

Program Budgeting

Communications

Contract Administration

Education and Public Outreach

Funding/Grants

Inspections/Monitoring

Partnership and Collaboration

Policy/Directives/Law

Visitor Use Management and Monitoring

Agreement Development

Agency Specific

Experience Details:

In addition to skills described below, I have also received training in the use of fall-arrest gear for trail projects, and was certified at a B-faller level in crosscut felling in 2023. I've been a Wilderness First Responder since 2012.

Skill Self-Assessment

Blasting Certification

BLM Inventory, Assessment, Monitoring

Bridge Inspection

Contracting Officer Representative

Sawyer Certification

National Trail System Specific

No experience details provided.

Skill Self-Assessment

IAM (Inventory, Assessment, and Monitoring)

National Scenic Trail Designation and Planning

National Historic Trail Designation and Planning

National Recreation Trail Designation and Planning

Rail Trail Designation and Planning

Skill Profile

Construction Specifications: Expert
Corridor Clearing: Expert
Hand-Built Trail Construction: Expert
Mechanized Trail Construction: Entry Level
Trail Finishwork: Full Performance
Water Management/Drainage Features: Expert
Water Crossing Structures: Full Performance
Retaining Walls: Expert
Tread Hardening: Expert
Trailside Structures / Dispersed Recreation: Entry Level
Decommissioning Trails: Entry Level
Maintenance Specifications: Expert
Inventory & Assessment: Expert
Corridor Clearing: Power tools: Expert
Corridor clearing: Hand Tools: Expert
Tread Maintenance - Hand tools: Expert
Tread Maintenance - Mechanized Equipment: Entry Level
Drainage Features/Water Management: Expert
Land Use Plan Alignment: Full Performance
Define Purpose and Need of Project: Full Performance
Corridor Planning: Full Performance
Stakeholder Engagement: Entry Level
Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (JEDI) Principles: Entry Level
Project Cost Estimation: Full Performance
Implementation Plan: Full Performance
Trail Specifications: Full Performance
Design: Expert
Trail Plans: Entry Level
Interpretation: Entry Level
Permitting: Entry Level
Universal Design/ADA Accessibility: Full Performance
Crew Recruitment: Full Performance
Crew Management: Expert
Jobsite Safety: Expert
Jobsite Risk Management: Expert
Performance Management: Expert
Field-based Resource Protection: Expert
Program Budgeting: Entry Level
Communications: Entry Level
Contract Administration: Entry Level
Education and Public Outreach: Entry Level
Inspections/Monitoring: Expert
Partnership and Collaboration: Entry Level
Policy/Directives/Law: Entry Level
Visitor Use Management and Monitoring: Full Performance
BLM Inventory, Assessment, Monitoring: Entry Level
Bridge Inspection: Entry Level
Sawyer Certification: Full Performance
IAM (Inventory, Assessment, and Monitoring): Entry Level

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Upcoming Trainings

No upcoming trainings

Trainings I Provide

I offer trainings for the following skills:

  • Construction Specifications
  • Corridor Clearing
  • Hand-Built Trail Construction
  • Trail Finishwork
  • Water Management/Drainage Features
  • Retaining Walls
  • Tread Hardening
  • Maintenance Specifications
  • Inventory & Assessment
  • Corridor Clearing: Power tools
  • Corridor clearing: Hand Tools
  • Tread Maintenance - Hand tools
  • Drainage Features/Water Management
  • Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (JEDI) Principles
  • Design
  • Universal Design/ADA Accessibility
  • Crew Management
  • Jobsite Safety
  • Jobsite Risk Management
  • Performance Management
  • Sawyer Certification

Please contact me for more details on the trainings I offer.

Past Trainings

No upcoming trainings

Member since Jan 2024
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