American Hiking and 259 Organizations Support FY26 Trail Funding

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 + 252 Organizations and Entities

Chair Simpson, Ranking Member Pingree, and members of the subcommittee, on behalf of American Hiking Society and the millions of trail users our 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 Committee for the opportunity to provide testimony on the importance of adequately funding our nation’s trails and public lands. We ask the Committee to adopt the following funding requests so the federal government can continue to leverage private contributions and benefit from volunteer labor to provide economic generating outdoor recreation for your constituents. Appropriations and adequate staffing 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, resulting in economic growth and development from rural gateway communities to urban centers.

Summary of Request

Forest Service:

• Capital Improvement and Maintenance (CMTL), Trails at $22M, including funding for the National Forest System Trail Stewardship Trail Partner Funding Program

• • • 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, an increase for non-National Scenic and Historic Trails, if any, should occur in parity with the rate of increase, if any, for National Scenic and Historic Trails;
    • Report Language: The committee supports continued funding for the National Forest System Trail Stewardship Trail Partner Funding Program. Nearly half of the Forest Service’s trail work is accomplished today by volunteer groups and non-profit partners. The Forest Service’s  successful Trail Stewardship challenge cost share agreement leverages federal funding via a 5:1 return on investment.

• At minimum $58M to fund Recreation, Heritage & Wilderness;

• At least $6M to fund Legacy Roads & Trails,

• Report Language: The committee supports continued funding for the Legacy Trails Grant Program provided by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (BIL) . Much of the Forest Service’s trail work is accomplished today by volunteer groups and non-profit partners. The Legacy Trails Grant Program leverages federal funding via its 8:1 return on investment.

Bureau of Land Management:

• Funding at $11M for National Trails System Line Item;

• National Conservation Lands at minimum $78M

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service:

• Refuge Visitor Services at least $78.969M;

• Support Infrastructure-National Partnership funding;

National Park Service:

• Rivers, Trails, & Conservation Assistance (RTCA) program at $13.47M;

• Park Service Operations for the National Trails System at a minimum of $22.9M;

• Volunteers in Parks programs at a minimum of FY25 levels,

• Visitor Services sub-activity, Youth Partnership Programs at a minimum of FY25 levels, including an acknowledgment of the benefits for trails;

• Outdoor Recreation Legacy Partnership at a minimum of of $125M

US Geological Survey:

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

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Forest Service Recommendation: 

National Forest trails benefit everyone and receive increasing public use each year. Collectively, the National Forests provide 159,000 miles of trails for activities ranging from hiking, biking, horseback riding, off-highway vehicle usage, groomed winter trails for cross-country skiing and snowmobiling, and access points for “river trails.” Roughly 120,000 of the 164,000 miles of trails are in need of some form of maintenance or repair. 

Program: Capital Improvement and Maintenance, Trails  

FY26 Funding Level Requested: $22M

FY25 Enacted Level: $20M

Department: US Department of Agriculture

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

Report Language requested: See Summary on pg. 1

 

Program: Recreation, Heritage & Wilderness

FY26 Funding Level Requested: At, minimum $58M to fund Recreation, Heritage & Wilderness;

FY25 Enacted Level: $45M

Department: US Department of Agriculture

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

 

Program: Legacy Roads & Trails

FY26 Funding Level Requested: $6M at a minimum

FY25 Enacted Level: $6M

Department: US Department of Agriculture

Agency/Account: Forest Service, Legacy Roads & Trails

Report Language Requested: See Summary on pg. 1

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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 and contains a diversity of 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: Bureau of Land Management National Trails System Line Item Funding

FY26 Funding Level Requested:$11M

FY25 Enacted Level: $11M

Department: Bureau of Land Management

Agency/Account: Trails

 

Program: National Conservation Lands

FY26 Funding Level Requested: $78M

FY25 Enacted Level: $59.135M

Department: Bureau of Land Management

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

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U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Recommendation:

Refuge Visitor Services provides funding for trail maintenance across FWS-managed land. Located in every U.S. state and territory, and within an hour’s drive of nearly every major U.S. city, National Wildlife Refuges provide incredible opportunities for outdoor recreation, including hiking, hunting, fishing, birding, boating and nature photography across 2,500 miles of trails. More than 37,000 jobs are reliant on refugees.  Funding at a level of $93M will provide for trail maintenance across the land and water trails, refuges, wetlands, and hatcheries, including eleven National Scenic and Historic Trails and forty-four National Recreation Trails. 

Program: Visitor Services

FY26 Funding Level Requested:  $78.9694M

FY25 Enacted Level: $76M

Department: Department of Interior

Agency/Account: Fish and Wildlife Service, Visitor Services

 

Program: Infrastructure

Department: Department of Interior

Agency/Account: Fish and Wildlife Service, Infrastructure

Report Language requested: National Partnerships are an important component to maintain trail infrastructure across Fish and Wildlife Service sites. The Department shall continue support for National Partnerships and prioritize funding to leverage these partnerships. 

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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) 

FY26 Funding Level Requested: $13.47M

FY25 Enacted Level: $13M

Department: Department of Interior

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

Report Language requested: Within, National Recreation and Preservation, $13.845M for the Rivers, Trails, & Conservation Assistance program.

 

Program: National Trails System, Park Service Operations

FY26 Funding Level Requested: $22.9M

FY25 Enacted Level: $18.856M 

Department: Department of Interior

Agency/Account: National Park Service, Park Service Operations

Report Language requested: 

• Within, Park Service Operations, $22.9M 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, and to recognize equal “unit” status of National Scenic Trails.

 

Program: Volunteers in Parks

FY26 Funding Level Requested: Maintain FY25 level funding

FY25 Enacted Level: Level funding with FY24

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

FY26 Funding Level Requested: Maintain FY25 level funding.

FY25 Enacted Level: Level funding with FY24

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. 

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US Geological Survey Recommendation:

Program: National Digital Trail Project

FY26 Funding Level Requested: $1.35M

FY25 Enacted Level:$1.35M

Department: U.S. Geological Survey

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

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(Across Agencies) Protect and Improve Staffing for Federal Land Managers Recommendation:

Federal land agency field staffs continue to suffer from previous job reductions, and the resulting lack of oversight is now a roadblock to proper collaborative management between federal land agencies and volunteer-based partners. Crucial projects are stalled waiting for plan review or other necessary agency expertise, such as environmental studies, design and other work that is above the ability and purview of trail groups. Delays have lasted years, contributing to the maintenance backlog and, ultimately, increasing the cost to taxpayers for this necessary work as trails continue to deteriorate at an even greater rate.

We must protect and improve agency staffing levels to meet the need. Agency front-line managers provide crucial and unparalleled expertise and oversight to nonprofit trail partners. This guidance is key to the success of nonprofits as they take on more of the management responsibility for our trails and recruit, train and marshal thousands of volunteers in public service. Improving agency staffing levels is essential to completing the complex work of managing and maintaining trails and public lands.

Beyond improving land management agency staffing, we ask the committee to include report language to audit the centralized agency hiring practices, which have been identified as a roadblock to filling thousands of crucial vacancies. Centralizing hiring prevents land managers from quickly filling vacancies from local talent pools. The cumbersome process slows hiring so much that vacancies often go unfilled. In many cases, by the time a job is offered, the candidate has already moved on. More hiring flexibility would help local land managers fill vacancies quickly.