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Our National Trails System: Why it Matters?
With many Americans watching their
budgets carefully, the National Trails System--which just celebrated its 40th anniversary and
now reaches all 50 states--has taken on new importance with its "close to home"
recreation opportunities and ability to bring communities together. Says National Park
Service staffer Steve Elkinton, "Locally, trails are a
wonderful organizing tool--they have a magic to them." In fact, every federal
dollar is matched--and then some--by community advocates' donations and volunteer
service in public-private partnership.
With over 60,000 miles
of trail--more than the Interstate Highway System--one day it may be possible to travel
across the entire country by trail. But today, gaps remain in the system. The
National Park Service is focused on increasing connections as part of its
Centennial Initiative, and the nonprofit Partnership for the National Trails System has launched a campaign
to complete all the trails currently authorized by Congress within the next 10
years.
Gary Werner, Executive
Director of the Partnership, sees the system--which recognizes trails for their
scenic, historic, or recreational value--as critical to our country's heritage.
"Because they're long distance," he says, "they link lots of places,
communities, and times together. The trails can help people get better
connected to the land we live in, and to the history of where we've come from."
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Appalachian Trail near Harpers Ferry, WV
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Learning from the Field: The Appalachian
National Scenic Trail
Cell towers.
Transmission lines. Highway construction. As Appalachian Trail Superintendent
Pam Underhill
notes, "We want to protect a primitive outdoor recreation experience that gets
people outside, but that's a challenge with other societal needs." The trail--America's
first National Scenic Trail and our longest marked footpath--also faces other
challenges, such as finding ways to engage youth and diverse citizens in
volunteer efforts.
But because of the
Appalachian Trail's iconic status and broad reach--it's within a day's drive of two-thirds of all Americans--Underhill knows it can be an important role model and testing
ground for other parts of the National Trails System. "We're in 'pay it
forward' mode," she says. The trail has launched several innovative programs to
connect people with the outdoors and protect our environment. "A Trail to Every Classroom" is a professional development
program for K-12 teachers which introduces them to the trail and helps them
involve their students in service learning. The program seeks to combat both
the obesity crisis and what some experts call 'nature deficit
disorder'--children's increasing reliance on videogames instead of outdoor
recreation. Capitalizing on its large number of rare and threatened species,
the Appalachian Trail's "Mega-Transect"
program seeks to involve citizens in environmental monitoring. Volunteers are
taught how to evaluate and record air and water quality, as well as forest
health, as a means of gathering crucial data and impacting public policy. Finally,
the trail is working in partnership with the American Chestnut Foundation to
reintroduce a hybrid tree that is resistant to the blight that decimated the
original chestnut trees a century ago. Catalysts
Interested in preserving
the Appalachian Trail? Learn more about " A Trail to Every Classroom"
Mega-Transect volunteer
opportunities and the trail's work with the American Chestnut Foundation
Looking for tools for trail building and management,
training about trails or rail trails? Or check out another view of the value of trails from National Geographic, The Intimate Wild: Ozark Highlands Trail. | |
Conservation Success: Great Barrington Trails and Greenways
"Sometimes community members need a
reminder about how precious our natural resources are. Connecting
our project with the Appalachian Trail gives validity to
the importance of our local trails."
~ Christine Ward, project co-leader
After working for a year with NPS Rivers, Trails and Conservation Assistance on organizing volunteer trail projects, creating a new trails "vision map", and sponsoring guided hikes and other community events, the Great Barrington Trails and Greenways Committee has built a strong local alliance that includes public health, schools, historic preservation, recreation, and land conservation. It was recently invited by the Appalachian Trail
Conservancy to participate in their Gateway Communities Program which will support
activities designed to strengthen physical and programmatic connections between
the Appalachian Trail and their community. For more information, check out their new website or contact Charles Tracy.
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Let's Work Together
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Could your project benefit from 1-2 years' staff time from a National Park Service specialist?
If you're working on restoring a river, building a community trail, or making an urban park flourish, we'd love to talk with you about ways we could work together. Please call or email your regional representative today. 
Tomales Point Trail, Point Reyes National Seashore, California
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The Update informs Department of the Interior staff, organizational partners, and friends about the program successes and activities of the National Park Service Conservation and Outdoor Recreation Programs. For more details, please contact the staff person involved with each project.
This e-newsletter may be copied or redirected. Our staff would be pleased to assist your editor in adapting each story for your publication; for more information, please call (202) 354-6918 or e-mail sally_grate@nps.gov.
Images courtesy National Park Service. | |
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