NPS Header
Klamath River, California
In This Issue
Take Another Look at Trails
Citizens of the Trails
A Tip of the Hat...
Trust for Public Land
Keep Connected
Get Involved
Events
Let's Work Together
Links

Sidebar-1Read Up
Trust for Public Land

Land & People
(Spr/Sum 2009)

47,000 Miles and Counting: The National Trails System connects Americans to landscape and history.

Sidebar-2Keep Connected
* Applause: Walkway Over the Hudson now open!
* Chicagoans: You have a new NPS resource -- meet Jeffrey Obirek.
Sidebar-GetInvolvedGet Involved
Benefits of NRT designation
EventsEvents
Meet new partners + learn new tools
Conservation + Recreation: November 2009
FeatureArticleFour Reasons to Take Another Look at Trails
NPS Header
Over 80,000 miles of America's trails have a connection to the National Park Service. That's a lot of rocks, roots, fresh air and views - and it's a lot to care for.  But the Service could never have accomplished 80,000 miles without partnerships.  Trail advocacy groups, town and city governments, thousands of dedicated individual and organized volunteers, and NPS -- together-- create and sustain the many kinds of trails America needs in four ways:
 
1. National Parks
Every year thousands of volunteers spend tens of thousands of hours doing trail work on the over 18,000 miles of trails in national parks.  These trails range from intensely rugged backcountry trails to trails accessible to everyone, from hiking and walking trails to bicycling and horseback trails.  There is a huge collective investment in these park trails, so maintaining and protecting them is a constant labor for NPS and all those volunteers.  The Service is working to improve information sharing between parks and to communicate effectively with the public -- like through this new "Leave No Trace" VIDEO.

2. Community Assistance
Each year, NPS assists communities and local advocates who are creating or conserving trails, greenways, and open spaces through its Rivers, Trails, and Conservation Assistance (RTCA) program. Through consultations and technical assistance, NPS helps partners develop over 1,300 miles of new trails every year.  The NPS role is to catalyze the community and local partners, break down barriers, and help the partners find answers to tough questions about funding, conservation, and project management.
 
3. National Trails System
Unlike national park trails and community trails, the National Trails System has a specific legislative mandate: to promote preservation and access to outdoor areas and historic resources; to institute a national system of trails; and to encourage Americans to get involved with those trails.  That has translated into over 50,000 miles of national scenic, historic, and recreational trails where NPS has a permanent administrative relationship, ranging from historic trails that tell America's story, like the Lewis and Clark or the Selma to Montgomery trails, to remote and stunning scenic trails like the Ice Age Trail and the Pacific Crest Trail.  And, every year the Secretary of the Interior designates new National Recreation Trails in response to local nominations.
 
4. Discovery Trails
For almost 20 years, advocates have been working on adding the American Discovery Trail to the National Trails System.  When that happens, it will be the first of a new category: National Discovery Trails.  Anticipating passage of a National Discovery Trails Act, other interstate, interurban, and multi-modal discovery trails are forming now at the grassroots level.  Some that may join the list: the East Coast Greenway and the Mississippi River Trail.
ArticleACitizens of the Trails
Every one of these 80,000+ miles has been touched by a trail advocate, an individual or group that has devoted time and energy to create or preserve a treasured trail.  Their goals: ensure that trails are safe, meet the needs of the community, promote healthy enjoyment and appreciation of the outdoors, and encourage the next generation of citizens to care for the trails.

Here, two trail advocates speak out about how partnerships with the National Park Service help create and sustain the trails America needs:
 
"We all have a responsibility to and passion for assisting agencies like the National Park Service in fulfilling their mission to preserve and protect unique resources and allow current and future generations to enjoy them.  We really value the cooperative spirit that NPS embraces... When we walk the National Parks and surrounding landscapes and perhaps get to see a wolf in the distances silhouetted against the moon or enjoy a herd of elk grazing in a meadow in the distance...we instantly claim that spot in our hearts.  So we want to bring our best skill set, our experience, our time to the parks.  NPS allows Americans to do just that.  I hope they'll continue to allow us the opportunity and privilege to help them preserve these special places."
-- Kim Hutson de Belle, Vice President for Programs, American Hiking Society

 
"We're excited about so many interesting and different kinds of projects.  Trails are really evolving from what used to be the lonely wanderer out in the woods.  The face of America is changing and that should be reflected in our trails, we should see those faces on our trails.  We want to expand partnerships with the community and NPS and the people who care about having trails for future generations."
-- Stuart Macdonald, Editor, American Trails
(Fall 2009 issue, "Trails without Borders" avail. Nov. 6)
ArticleBA Tip of the Hat to...
The Point Lookout Trail Management Group

The Point Lookout Trail in McDowell and B
uncombe counties, North Carolina has been in the works for years.  One condition of building the trail was that someone had to agree to maiPoint Lookout Trail Openingntain it.  The Point Lookout Trail Management group was formed in October 2008 to do just that: Mr. and Mrs. Franklin, U.S. Forest Service, McDowell County, Buncombe County, LifeWay Ridgecrest Conference Center, McDowell Trails Association, and the towns of Black Mountain and Old Fort.  The group meets monthly to address trail management and maintenance issues.

"This group is a great example of what can be accomplished with collaboration and working across jurisdictional boundaries.  Lots of people worked for a very long time on this and continue to work hard to maintain this trail.  The landowners ha
ve gone from having real concerns about parking, dumping, and other trail related issues on their land to identifying solutions to make trail access safer for users, including working with the group on how their land may be used to contribute to the trail system.  They participate actively and positively in the group, and the group itself is pretty amazing.  The towns, counties, and Forest Service share equipment and training and take turns with maintenance and mowing, the McDowell Trails Association patrols and does maintenance and mowing, and the conference center may consider an easement on its land for parking.  It's truly a special partnership among a small group of people who really care for the trail and manage the big task of keeping it in great shape."

 -- Dawn Godwin, RTCA, North Carolina Field Office and Blue Ridge Parkway
LetsWorkLet's Work Together
Could your project benefit by consulting with a National Park Service specialist?
 
If you're 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.
 
Call or email your regional representative today.
Conservation + Recreation 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 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) 354-6930 or e-mail [email protected].

Images courtesy National Park Service

Join Our Mailing List