Trail Funding FY27 Public Witness Testimony from 175 Organizations and Entities (House)

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 • Partnership for the National Trails System • Rails-to-Trails Conservancy

+ 166 Organizations and Entities

Chair Simpson, Ranking Member Pingree, and members of the subcommittee, on behalf of American Hiking Society, and the organizations listed below, representing millions of trail users, we urge you to build on your FY26 work by increasing trails and recreation management funding. This investment is vital to our national economy and the nonprofit partners who currently shoulder the majority of trail maintenance. As federal staffing changes shift more responsibilities onto NGOs, these partners are forced to do more with less support. Increased funding is essential to offset inflation, cover rising operational costs, and ensure these crucial federal partnerships continue. 

Summary of Requests

Forest Service:

• Capital Improvement and Maintenance (CMTL), Trails at $24M

• • • Report Language: Non-governmental partners play an outsized role in the maintenance of Forest Service Trails completing over 60% of all maintenance based on 2025 Forest Service data. The Forest Service is directed to utilize funding to increase financial support of these partnerships to address maintenance needs given current agency staffing and capacity. 
    • Report Language: In order to support adequate funding for all Forest Service trails and to avoid a reduction in the existing budget for non-National Scenic and Historic Trails managed by the Forest Service, increases for non-National Scenic and Historic Trails should occur in parity with the rate of increases for National Scenic and Historic Trails.

• $70M to fund Recreation, Heritage & Wilderness (echoing request of Outdoor Alliance)

• At least $6M to fund Legacy Roads & Trails, including the Trail Stewardship Grant Program–Legacy Roads & Trails. 

• • Report Language: The committee supports continued funding for the National Forest System Trail Stewardship Trail Partner Funding Program. The Forest Service has had a successful Trail Stewardship Partner Funding program in place since 2017 that leverages federal funding by 6:1.

Bureau of Land Management:

• National Conservation Lands, National Scenic and Historic Trails at $11.496M

• National Conservation Lands at $78M (echoing request of Conservation Lands Foundation)

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service:

• Refuge Visitor Services at least $76M;

• Branch of Transportation & Data Management - Headquarters
  • Report Language: National Partnerships are an important component to maintain trail infrastructure across Fish and Wildlife Service sites. The Department shall continue to support National Partnerships in the Branch of Transportation & Data Management and across Headquarters and prioritize funding to leverage these partnerships.

National Park Service:

• Rivers, Trails, & Conservation Assistance (RTCA) program at $13.47M (echoing request of American Rivers)

• Park Service Operations for the National Trails System at a minimum of $18.856M

• Volunteers in Parks programs at $7.717M

• Visitor Services sub-activity, Youth Partnership Programs at $14.665M

• Outdoor Recreation Legacy Partnership (ORLP) Program, at $130M

US Geological Survey:

• $1.5M to fully fund the National Digital Trail Project (NDTP)
  

  ---

   

Forest Service Recommendation: 

National Forests provide 159,000 miles of heavily used trails of all types, but this vital public resource is severely underfunded and understaffed. Currently, over half of the trail system requires maintenance. A December 2025 Forest Service report revealed a 15-year low in accomplishments, with maintained miles dropping by 22% and trails meeting standards falling by 19%. Without immediate action, the agency warns of irreversible infrastructure loss, restricted public access, diminished economic benefits to rural communities, and severely degraded trust from both partners and the public.

 

Program: Capital Improvement and Maintenance, Trails  

FY27 Funding Level Requested: $24M

FY26 Enacted Level: $22M

Department: US Department of Agriculture

Agency/Account: Forest Service, Capital Improvement and Maintenance, Trails

Report Language requested: 

• Non-governmental partners play an outsized role in the maintenance of Forest Service Trails completing over 60% of all maintenance based on 2025 Forest Service data. The Forest Service is directed to utilize funding to increase financial support of these partnerships to address maintenance needs given current agency staffing and capacity. 
• In order to support adequate funding for all Forest Service trails and to avoid a reduction in the existing budget for non-National Scenic and Historic Trails managed by the Forest Service, increases for non-National Scenic and Historic Trails should occur in parity with the rate of increases for National Scenic and Historic Trails.

 

Program: Recreation, Heritage & Wilderness

FY27 Funding Level Requested: $70M to fund Recreation, Heritage & Wilderness;

FY26 Enacted Level: $45M

Department: US Department of Agriculture

Agency/Account: Forest Service, Recreation, Heritage & Wilderness

 

Program: Legacy Roads & Trails

FY27 Funding Level Requested: $6M at a minimum

FY26 Enacted Level: $6M

Department: US Department of Agriculture

Agency/Account: Forest Service, Legacy Roads & Trails

Report Language Requested: The committee supports continued funding for the National Forest System Trail Stewardship Trail Partner Funding Program. The Forest Service has had a successful Trail Stewardship Partner Funding program in place since 2017 that leverages federal funding by 6:1.

---

 

Bureau of Land Management Recommendation: 

The BLM manages 13,468 miles of trails over 245 million acres—more land than any other

federal land management agency. These lands contain a variety of ecosystems and landscapes

that often provide the public less structured but nonetheless diverse recreational opportunities.

BLM recreation resources and visitor services support strong local economies. More than 120

urban centers and thousands of rural towns (comprising 64 million people) are located within 25

miles of BLM lands.

 

Program: National Conservation Lands, National Scenic and Historic Trails 

FY27 Funding Level Requested:$11.496M

FY26 Enacted Level: $11.248M

Department: Bureau of Land Management

Agency/Account: National Conservation Lands, National Scenic and Historic Trails

 

Program: National Conservation Lands

FY27 Funding Level Requested: $78M

FY26 Enacted Level: $59.135M

Department: Bureau of Land Management

Agency/Account: Bureau of Land Management, National Conservation Lands

---

 

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Recommendation:

Managing over 2,500 miles of trails, including across 15 National Scenic and Historic Trails and 44 National Recreation Trails, the FWS requires expanded, dedicated funding through Refuge and Visitor Services and the Branch of Transportation & Data Management. We specifically request funding and report language to support “Infrastructure-National Partnerships” within the Branch of Transportation & Data Management - Headquarters  These nonprofit cooperative agreements are vital for leveraging limited FWS resources to address essential trail maintenance and construction across the system.

 

Program: Visitor Services

FY27 Funding Level Requested:  $76M

FY26 Enacted Level: $74.5M

Department: Department of Interior

Agency/Account: Fish and Wildlife Service, Visitor Services

 

Program: Branch of Transportation & Data Management - Headquarters

Department: Department of Interior

Agency/Account: Fish and Wildlife Service, Branch of Transportation & Data Management- Headquarters

Report Language requested: National Partnerships are an important component to maintain trail infrastructure across Fish and Wildlife Service sites. The Department shall continue to support National Partnerships in the Branch of Transportation & Data Management and across Headquarters and prioritize funding to leverage these partnerships.

---

 

National Park Service Recommendation: 

National parks, and the world-class experiences their 18,844 miles of trails provide, are one of the most unifying forces in America. Well-maintained trails improve the quality of visitor experiences and enhance visitor safety.

 

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

FY27 Funding Level Requested: $13.47M

FY26 Enacted Level: $13M

Department: Department of Interior

Agency/Account: National Park Service, National Recreation and Preservation

Report Language requested: Within, National Recreation and Preservation, $13.47M for the Rivers, Trails, & Conservation Assistance program.

 

Program: National Trails System, Park Service Operations

FY27 Funding Level Requested: $18.856M

FY26 Enacted Level: $18.856M 

Department: Department of Interior

Agency/Account: National Park Service, Park Service Operations

Report Language requested: 

• Within, Park Service Operations, $18.856M for administration of the National Trails System. 
• National Trails System.-The Committees understand the importance of providing adequate funding for the development and maintenance of the National Trails System for future generations to enjoy. The Committees urge the Service to continue its efforts to develop National Scenic and Historic Trails, not limited to supporting construction and maintenance projects and volunteer coordination efforts.

 

Program: Volunteers in Parks

FY27 Funding Level Requested: $7.717M

FY26 Enacted Level: $7.717M

Department: Department of Interior

Agency/Account: National Park Service, Park Partnership Support Functions

Report Language Requested: The committee recommends funding through Volunteers in Parks be provided for volunteer support of the National Trails System, National Rivers, and National Park Service trails. 

 

Program: Youth Partnership Programs

FY27 Funding Level Requested: $14.665M

FY26 Enacted Level: $14.665M

Department: Department of Interior

Agency/Account: National Park Service, Visitor Services

Report Language Requested: The committee recommends funding through the Youth Partnership Programs be provided for support of the National Trails System, National Rivers, and National Park Service trails. 

 

Program: Outdoor Recreation Legacy Partnership

FY27 Funding Level Requested: $130M

FY26 Enacted Level: $125M

Department: Department of Interior

Agency/Account: National Park Service, State Conservation Grants

Report Language Requested: The committee recommends funding through the Outdoor Recreation Legacy Partnership Program be provided for support of trails.

---

 

US Geological Survey Recommendation:

To support the DOI’s mission of expanding outdoor access, the USGS National Digital Trails Project provides three essential resources: the TRAILS web tool for identifying network connectivity, a nationwide public-domain digital database, and a mobile maintenance protocol that leverages external apps to share real-time maintenance data with land managers.

Program: National Digital Trail Project

FY27 Funding Level Requested: $1.5M

FY26 Enacted Level:$1.35M

Department: U.S. Geological Survey

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

---

Respectfully,

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 • Partnership for the National Trails System • Rails-to-Trails Conservancy and