Letter from 207 Organizations in Support of FY 24 Trail Funding (Interior)-Sept 2023

Interior Appropriations Subcommittees Leaders,

 

On behalf of the millions of trail users our 207 collective organizations represent, who spend their time, money and energy to get out on trails for recreation, health and wellness, and to volunteer, we thank the Committees for advancing legislation to fund our nation’s trails and public lands to ensure access for all. We write to follow-up on our Public Witness/Outside Witness Testimony submission from earlier this year. 

 

As Congress works together on a final bill, we ask you to adopt the following trail specific funding levels and report language that are included in the respective House and Senate versions of the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies funding bills, so the federal government can continue to leverage private contributions and benefit from volunteer labor as well as provide inexpensive, healthy outdoor recreation options for your constituents and all Americans. Appropriations for federal land management agencies requested herein, coupled with the significant resources provided by non-profit partners, serve to accelerate collective stewardship of our nation’s public lands and waters and enhance climate adaptability.

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Forest Service

 

Program: Capital Improvement and Maintenance, Trails

House Report (pg. 82)

• Funding Level: $25 million
• Report Language: National Scenic and Historic Trails.—The Committee directs the Forest Service to continue to provide specific trail operation, maintenance, and construction funding and accomplishment data for the National Scenic and Historic Trails in future budget justifications. The Committee recommends no less than $15,000,000 for National Scenic and Historic Trails funding.
• Note: In order to support adequate funding for all Forest Service trails and to avoid a reduction in the existing budget for all other Forest Service managed trails, increases for all other Forest Service Trails should occur in parity with the rate of increases for National Scenic and Historic Trails

 

Program: Recreation, Heritage & Wilderness

 

House Report (pg. 79):

• Funding Level: $60M

 

Program: Legacy Roads & Trails

Agency/Account: Forest Service, Legacy Roads & Trails

House Report (pg. 82 ):

• Funding Level: $10M
• Note:  The Trails Community supports funding at $15M at minimum, with support for Washington Watershed Restoration Initiative (WWRI) coalition request of $100M.

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Bureau of Land Management

 

Program: Bureau of Land Management National Trails System Line Item Funding

Agency/Account: National Conservation Lands, National Trails

House Report (pg. 12-13 ):

• Funding Level: $14M
• Report Language: Within the amount provided for National Conservation Lands, the Committee recommends $14,000,000 for National Scenic and Historic Trails for trail operations, construction, and maintenance projects.

 

Program: National Conservation Lands

Agency/Account: BLM, National Conservation Lands

Senate Report (pg.1 ):

• Funding Level: $63.599M
• Note: The Trails Community supports funding at $78.145M.

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U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Program: Visitor Services

Agency/Account: Fish and Wildlife Service, Visitor Services

House Report (pg.19):

• Report Language:: Refuge Maintenance.—The Committee directs continued management of the more than 2,500 miles of trails, including significant portions of 15 National Scenic and Historic trails, across 860 miles of public lands in 21 States that the Service oversees. The Committee encourages the Service to consider cooperative agreements with non-profit organizations that support trails. For trails projects, the Committee understands funding from this account is supplemented with funding from the Federal Lands Transportation Program, which comes from the Highway Trust Fund, and from the Great American Outdoors Act. The Service is directed to continue to include a current and projected deferred maintenance backlog in its annual budget request
• Note: The Trails Community supports funding at $86.114M.

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National Park Service

Program: Rivers, Trails, & Conservation Assistance (RTCA) 

Department: Department of Interior Agency/Account: NPS, National Recreation and Preservation

House Report (pg. 13):

• Funding Level: $13M
• Note: The Trails Community supports funding for RTCA at $15M.

 

Program: National Trails System

Agency/Account: National Park Service, Park Service Operations

 

House Report (pg.26):

• Funding Level: $18.856 (level funding compared to FY23)
• Note: The Trails Community supports funding for the National Trails System at $20.964M

 

Senate Report (pg. 39 ):

• Report Language: National Trails System.—The Committee understands the importance of providing adequate funding to develop and maintain the National Trails System for future generations to enjoy. The Committee urges the Service to continue its efforts to support construction and maintenance projects and volunteer coordination efforts, including activities in support of non-unit National Scenic Trails.

 

Program: Volunteers in Parks

Agency/Account: NPS, Park Partnership Support Functions

 

Senate Report (pg.36 ):

• Report Language: The recommendation provides the enacted level for funding volunteers in parks programs, interpretation and education programs, and youth partnership programs. 

 

Program: Youth Partnership Programs

 Agency/Account: National Park Service, Visitor Services

 

Senate Report (pg.36 ):

• Report Language: The recommendation provides the enacted level for funding volunteers in parks programs, interpretation and education programs, and youth partnership programs. 
• Note: The Trails Community supports funding at $10.95M

 

Program: Outdoor Recreation Legacy Partnership

Agency/Account: National Park Service, State Conservation Grants

House Report (pg. 113):

• Funding Level: $125M
• Note: The Trails Community supports funding at $135M

 

Senate Report (pg.162 ):

• Funding Level: $125M
• Note: The Trails Community supports funding at $135M

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U.S. Geological Survey

Program: National Digital Trail Project

Agency/Account: U.S. Geological Survey, Core Science Systems

 

Senate Report (pg.51 ):

• Funding Level: At least $1.35M
• Report Language: The recommendation includes at least the enacted level for the National Digital Trails project.
• Note: The Trails Community Supports funding at $1.5M

Sincerely,