Here's another summary of Dave Field's contributions to the A.T., from the bio of him in the Appalachian Trail Museum's Hall of Fame page:
Dr. Field is the retired department chairman and professor at the University of Maine School of Forestry. He served on ATC’s Board of Managers from 1979 to 2005, including Chair from 1995 to 2001. He remains active in the Maine A.T. Trail Club, where he has been President and held every other leadership position at least once. He is active in digitizing one of the most extensive collections of documents and photographs pertaining to the A.T. In 2011, he published the book “Along Maine’s Appalachian Trail”. He has continuously maintained a stretch of the Appalachian Trail at Saddleback Mountain in Maine since he was 16 years old -- probably the longest such service in the history of the trail.