FY26 Trail Funding Letter from 259 Organizations (November 2025)

PDF Version of Letter

American Hiking Society • American Trails • American Motorcyclist Association • Back Country Horsemen of America • Equine Land Conservation Resource • International Mountain Bicycling Association • National Wilderness Stewardship Alliance •Rails-to-Trails Conservancy + 251 Organizations and Entities

November 21, 2025,

Re: Trail Related Funding Levels and Report Language in FY26 Interior and Related Appropriations Bill

Interior Appropriations Subcommittee Chair(s) Murkowski and Simpson and Ranking Member(s) Merkley and Pingree:

On behalf of the millions of trail users our 259 collective organizations represent, who invest their time and resources 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. 

As follow-up to 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. 

We write in support of the topline agency funding levels proposed in the Senate bill and the trail specific programs and report language below included in the House and Senate report language and bill text. 

Programs with identical proposed funding levels or report language have been omitted for brevity. 

Forest Service

Program: Capital Improvement and Maintenance (CMTL), Trails

House Report: pg. 252

Funding Level: $22M

Program: Recreation, Heritage & Wilderness

House Report: pg(s). 76, 251

Funding Level: $48M

Bureau of Land Management

Program: National Conservation Lands, National Trails System

Senate Report: pg. 19, 179

Funding Level: $11M

Report Language: “National Conservation Lands.—The Committee recommends $59,135,000 for National Conservation Lands, including $11,000,000 for National Scenic and Historic Trails. National Conservation Lands conserve the Nation’s heritage and this funding will allow increased inventory, monitoring, and protection of cultural resources; enhance proper management of all resources; and provide a quality visitor experience through recreational access. Furthermore, this funding ensures that units in the National Conservation Lands system are adequately staffed with land managers,

law enforcement officers, and cultural resources experts.”

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Program: Refuge Visitor Services 

Senate Report: pg. 27, 181

Funding Level: $76M

House Report: pg. 21-22

Report Language: 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.

Program: Infrastructure Management- National Partnerships

House Report: pg. 21-22

Report Language:  “The Committee encourages the Service to consider cooperative agreements with non-profit organizations that support trails through Infrastructure-National Partnerships.”

National Park Service

Program: Park Service Operations, National Trails System

Funding Level: $18.856M

House Report: pg. 27-28

Report Language: “Appalachian Scenic Trail.—The Committee is aware that many parks, including the Appalachian Scenic Trail, are experiencing increased visitation and support needs and encourages the Service to include sufficient resources in future budget requests to address these needs.”

El Camino Real de los Tejas National Historic Trail.—The Committee notes the importance of the El Camino Real de los Tejas National Historic Trail and encourages the Service to include sufficient resources in future budget requests to ensure a continued

positive visitor experience.

Senate Report: pg. 42

Report Language: “Newly-Designated National Scenic Trails.—The Committee notes the designation of three new national scenic trails as units of the park system, including the Ice Age, the New England, and the North Country National Scenic Trails. The Committee notes that the Service has incorporated ongoing funding for these newly designated trails into the Service’s base operations budget and directs the Service to ensure that commensurate access to resources is provided to them.”

Program: Volunteers in Parks

Funding Level: $7.71M

Senate Report: pg. 43

Program: Youth Partnership Program, Visitor Services 

Funding Level: $14.665M

Senate Report: pg. 43

U.S. Geological Services

Program: National Digital Trail Project

Funding Level:$1.35M

House Report: pg. 37

Report Language: “Within the amount provided, $1,350,000 is for the National Digital Trails project.”

Agency Staffing

Department of Interior Staffing

Senate Report pg. 9:

“Staffing.—The Committee is greatly concerned with the actions taken regarding staffing across the Department of the Interior and the other agencies funded in this bill. The staff are the lifeblood of the Department and these agencies and the uninformed manner in which staffing reductions have been imposed in the name of efficiency is anything but efficient. The Committee expects the Department of the Interior and the other agencies funded in this bill to maintain the requisite staffing levels to ensure that operations are not deleteriously affected or have a negative impact on the economic output and support to States, localities, and tribes.”

Senate Bill pg. 9:

“Agency Budget Staff.—The Committee notes the value of having a full set of budget staff maintained at specific agencies in addition to having department-level budget office staff and therefore directs each agency funded by this act to maintain its own separate budget office at the agency level. The Committee notes that section 447 of the bill restricts transfers of funds among accounts with the effect of moving personnel and affirm that agency budget staff is covered within that provision.”

Forest Service Staffing

Senate Report pg. 138:

“The Forest Service shall maintain staffing levels by hiring, retaining, and rehiring after separations in order to fulfill the mission required under title 7, title 16, title 30, title 43, and title 54, United States Code, including to protect natural and cultural resources, provide and maintain appropriate access and recreation for visitors, provide safety precautions for visitors and staff, maintain physical and natural infrastructure, provide information and respond to stakeholders and the general public, conduct tribal consultation, provide for administrative support, administer forestry assistance programs, provide technical assistance to states, tribes and private landowners, manage energy and minerals resources, and carry out other activities in support of effectively operating the National Forest System and carrying out programs administered by the Forest Service in a timely manner.”

Bureau of Land Management Staffing

Senate Bill pg. 8:

“That the Bureau of Land Management shall maintain staffing levels by hiring, retaining, and rehiring after separations in order to fulfill the mission required under title 16, title 30, title 43, and title 54, United States Code, including to protect natural and cultural resources, provide and maintain appropriate access and recreation for visitors, provide safety precautions for visitors and staff, maintain physical and natural infrastructure, provide information and respond to stakeholders and the general public, conduct tribal consultation, provide for administrative support, manage energy and minerals resources, and carry out other activities in support of effectively managing the National Conservation Lands and other public lands in a timely manner.”

U.S. FIsh and WIldlife Service Staffing

Senate Bill pg. 15:

“That the United States Fish and Wildlife Service shall maintain staffing levels by hiring, retaining, and rehiring after separations in order to fulfill the mission required under title 16, title 43, and title 54, United States Code, including to protect natural and cultural resources, provide and maintain appropriate access and recreation for visitors, provide safety precautions for visitors and staff, maintain physical and natural infrastructure, provide information and respond to stakeholders and the general public, conduct tribal consultation, provide for administrative support, enforce Federal wildlife laws, protect species, uphold Acts, treaties,conventions and agreements to conserve, protect, and enhance fish, wildlife, plants, and their habitats, providing professional expertise to other agencies and international and private partners, and carry out other activities in support of effectively operating the National Fish Hatchery System and National Wildlife Refuge System and carrying out programs administered by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service in a timely manner.”

Senate Report pg. 28:

“Staffing of the National Wildlife Refuge System.—Over the past decade, the Refuge System’s full-time equivalent [FTE] staffing has decreased while the Refuge System has continued to grow. The Committee is concerned with the current level of FTEs within the Refuge System. Further, within 60 days of enactment of this act, and monthly thereafter, the Department and the Service are directed to brief the Committee on Refuge System operations, to include staffing levels by refuge, visitor data by refuge, and other data necessary to convince the Committee that operations have not been and will not be deleteriously affected in an effort to make the Refuge System operate more efficiently.

Further, the Committee directs the Service to submit, no later than 90 days after the enactment of this act, a report detailing by month: (1) how many permanent, probationary, and temporary positions were terminated during Fiscal Year 2025 and in which refuge units or complexes they served, their titles, and whether they were permanent, probationary, or temporary staff; (2) how many permanent, probationary, and temporary positions remain filled and in which refuge units or complexes they serve, their titles, and whether they are permanent, probationary, or temporary staff; and (3) which Refuge System units or complexes have two or fewer staffers, what the filled positions at those refuges are, and if those staff are permanent, probationary or temporary. Within the funding recommended for National Wildlife Refuge System, the Committee encourages the Service to prioritize hiring and retention of FTEs particularly to fill longstanding vacancies in the refuge system such as at the Northern Maine Wildlife Refuge Complex and Chesapeake Marshlands National Wildlife Refuge Complex.”

National Park Service Staffing

Senate Bill pg. 23:

“The National Park Service shall maintain staffing levels by hiring, retaining, and rehiring after separations in order to fulfill the mission required under title 16, title 43, and title 54, United States Code, including to protect natural and cultural resources, provide and maintain appropriate access and recreation for visitors, provide safety precautions for visitors and staff, maintain physical and natural infrastructure, provide information and respond to stakeholders and the general public, conduct tribal consultation, provide for administrative support, administer historic and other preservation programs, and carry out other activities in support of effectively operating the National Park System and carrying out programs administered by the National Park Service in a timely manner.”

Senate Report pg. 40:

“NPS Staffing.—While national parks generate billions of dollars of economic output annually for the U.S. economy that helps boost States, localities, and tribes, visiting a national park is often a ‘‘bucket list’’ adventure or a once in a lifetime opportunity for some. The Committee is concerned about actions that could potentially lessen Americans’ ability to visit parks or have a safe experience while visiting parks, and that otherwise could depreciate the value of time spent exploring some of America’s great natural wonders. Within 60 days of enactment of this act, and monthly thereafter, the Department and the Service are directed to brief the Committee on park operations, to include staffing levels by park, visitor data by park, and other data necessary to convince the Committee that operations and natural and cultural resource protection have not been and will not be deleteriously affected in an effort to make parks operate more efficiently.”

Please contact Tyler Ray, Senior Director for Programs and Advocacy, American Hiking Society to discuss further. 

Sincerely,