PARTNERSHIP FOR THE NATIONAL TRAILS

Trail land conservation policy: the partnership continued to encourage the u.s. Department of the interior bureau of land management and the u.s. Forest service (usfs) to adopt special management corridors to guide land use planning and management for the scenic and historic trails. We emphasized this management approach through comments on planning for solar energy projects on public lands adjacent to the national landscape conservation system and in comments on several proposed revisions as changes are proposed. The partnership continued to monitor development of the u.s. Forest service's revised saw use policy for standardizing procedures for safe use of chainsaws and crosscut saws by volunteers and staff on all national forests throughout the country, which was promulgated in late 2016. The partnership also participated in several meetings organized by the u.s. Forest service to develop a national strategy for sustainably maintaining the 155,000 miles of trails in the national forests. It held sessions for federal agencies to explain new policies following the passing of the great american outdoors act.

Advocacy:hosted hike the hill 2024, an annual convening of trails groups to meet in washington dc and discuss policy with federal agencies and legislation with congressional offices. In 2024, we succeeded in obtaining a line item for trails funding in the bureau of land management budget and succeeded in achieving unit status for all of the national scenic trails within the national park service.