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Federal budget proposals:
funding issues for trails

Members of Congress continue to be focused on the federal budget, the deficit, and many have proposed cuts to spending on every aspect of national programs.

American Trails is committed to bringing you all the vital news about funding and policies that affect you. Watch for our ongoing alerts about the budget process, and check this federal budget page for updates....

Every individual and organization concerned with trails and bike/ped facilities should be ready to tell their Members of Congress why funding for trails and bike/ped programs is important:

How to contact your Representative
How to contact your Senators

What's happening now?

How FY13 Federal budgets affect trails, parks, and public lands

August 14, 2012: Funding for the federal agencies for fiscal year 2013 is the next issue for outdoor recreation advocates. Congressional leaders recently agreed to fund federal agencies for the first six months of FY 2013 at about the same levels as 2012. The likely outcome is that Congress will pass a Continuing Resolution to carry the federal government into early 2013 at current funding levels.

The challenge for the House and Senate is to tackle the overall multi-year budget. If they can't agree by January 2, 2013, they face an automatic $1.2 trillion in spending reductions. Following the elections in November the budget will be a top issue in Congress. We'll keep you posted on this page.

February 16, 2012: The Administration released its proposed Fiscal Year 2013 budget on Feb. 13. For Federal land management, funding would be generally maintained at current levels.

The most substantial impact would be a 5% reduction in National Forest System recreation programs. The administration recommended $267 million, or $14 million less than the fiscal 2012 appropriation of $281.6 million. However, the Senate's proposed budget would increase USFS recreation to $290.5 million, while the House maintains the FY12 level.

Forest Service trails: Request, $82 million vs. $82 million in FY12. The Senate proposes $82.2 million. The House bill doesn't break out trails expenditures.

For the Department of Interior, the America’s Great Outdoors program would receive $5.1 billion, an increase of $146 million over the FY12 enacted level. The Youth in the Great Outdoors program would receive $35 million vs. $37.5 million in FY12. The administration proposes a Land and Water Conservation Fund budget of $258 million for federal land acquisition plus $60 million for stateside funding. Read more on the LWCF news and resources page...

The Feb. 13 bulletin from Federal Parks & Recreation newsletter reported on the the funding outlook for Federal land management agencies:

Bureau of Land Management - Administration Request: $70.3 million. Enacted for Fiscal Year 2012: $67.5 million. Senate proposal: $68.7 million. House proposal: $67.6 million.
National Park Service operations - Request: $2.250 billion. Fiscal 2012: $2.240 billion. Senate: $2.230 billion. House: $2.243 billion.
National Park Service recreation and preservation - Request: $52.1 million. Fiscal 2012: $60 million. Senate: $60 million. House: $49.4 million.
National Park Service construction - Request: $131.2 million. Fiscal 2012: $159.6 million. Senate: $153 million. House: $152.1 million.
Historic Preservation Fund - Request: $56 million. Fiscal 2012: $56 million. Senate: $64 million. House: $49.5 million.
Forest Legacy - Request: $60 million. Fiscal 2012: $54 million. Senate: $58 million. House: not clear.

July 8, 2011: Federal budgets for land management agencies are back in the news. The House Appropriations subcommittee on Interior and Related Agencies has prepared a Fiscal Year 2012 budget bill which "includes $27.5 billion— a cut of over $2 billion— to fund programs within the Department of the Interior, the U.S. Forest Service, the Environmental Protection Agency, Indian Health Service, and other agencies." The bill is expected to go to the full committee Tuesday, July 12.

On June 16 the FY 2012 Department of Agriculture appropriations bill (HR 2112) included reductions of $1 billion. However, funding for the National Forest System was set at $1.547 billion, or $2 million more than in FY 2011.

Here are some of the numbers in the House subcommittee on Interior bill, compared to fiscal 2010, compiled by Federal Parks & Recreation:

The Land and Water Conservation Fund took a big hit:

Federal side of LWCF: $43.9 million, or $123 million less than the $165 million appropriation in fiscal 2011. The administration request was $465 million.
State side of LWCF: $2.8 million, or $37.2 million less than the $40 million in fiscal 2011. The administration request was $160 million.

National Park Service operations and construction were only slightly below 2010 levels. However, Park Service recreation and preservation was set at $49.4 million compared to $59 million in fiscal 2011. The administration request was $51.6 million.

Bureau of Land Management also faces a slight decrease: $1 billion for FY 2012, a decrease of $63 million from last year.

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service would receive a 21% cut: $1.2 billion budget is $315 million below last year’s level.

The tone of the discussion may be gathered from comments by Rep. Mike Simpson (R-ID) on the House appropriations act for fiscal year 2012. “We are living at a time when the federal government borrows over 40 cents for each dollar that it spends. We are also living at a time of record deficits and debts,” Chairman Simpson said during the subcommittee markup. “This committee is taking meaningful steps to help put our country’s fiscal house in order. While reductions in discretionary spending alone will not erase the deficit, the bill before us this morning is a step forward in that direction.”

March 7, 2011: Both the House and Senate passed the Surface Transportation Extension Act of 2011 last week to extend federal transportation programs to September 30, 2011. H.R. 662 was introduced in the House by the Republican and Democrat leaders of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. The legislation freezes funding at fiscal year 2010 levels for highway, transit and highways safety programs.

February 19, 2011: House lawmakers voted to cut more than $60 billion, from 2010 levels, in spending for federal programs and agencies for the rest of FY2011. The House vote was 235-189 to send the so-called continuing resolution to the Senate. However, with government funding set to expire March 4, 2011, the Senate will only have five days to work on the funding bill after returning from the Presidents Day recess on Feb. 28. As a result, both Democrats and Republicans are working on short-term extensions to avoid a government shutdown.

House proposed budget details for fiscal year ending Sept. 30, 2011:

Table of FY 2011 Continuing Resolution reductions (pdf 53 kb)
H.R. 1: House appropriations bill - Feb. 11 - 359 pages (pdf 659 kb)
Summary of FY 2011 Continuing Resolution budget (pdf 119kb)

Land and Water Conservation Fund: March 7, 2011: The House version of the Continuing Resolution cuts LWCF by 90% from the proposed FY 11 levels and by 87% from FY 10 enacted levels. The Senate version of the bill reduces LWCF overall by 27 % from the FY 11 budget proposal and by 17% from FY 10 enacted levels. While the Senate version sets us back from our push towards full funding, it is clearly better than the provisions of HR 1. Neither HR 1 nor the Senate substitute are expected to be the final bill approved, but on Tuesday those are the two choices available. See more news and details on LWCF...

Please use the Talking Points and Congressional Support list to contact all members possible. We urgently need your support and help reaching out to House champions urging them to protect LWCF and ensure it has consistent and reliable funding for the future. Once a program has lost all funding for a year, it is very difficult to restore it.

Please urgently ask all LWCF House champs to come to the floor and defend LWCF while reiterating that the program is a wise investment that provides public access for recreation, bolsters local economies and jobs, conserves working forests, farms and ranches, and protects our waters, wildlife and open spaces. See details and how you can take action now...

Federal land management budgets: Major cuts are also proposed in the current House budget for a wide variety of construction, maintenance, and supporting programs on federal public lands. This includes trails and recreation areas on National Forests, Bureau of Land Management lands, US Fish & Wildlife Refuges, and the National Parks. (Stay tuned for more details.)

Take action!

American Trails and other nationwide organizations have been urging key members of Congress and Administration officials to recognize the importance of funding for trails and related facilities.

There is strength in numbers and we need to present a unified voice for trails, to document their many benefits, and to make the case for funding trails and bicycle/pedestrian programs. Join us in contacting your Senators and Representatives to let them know why these programs are vital to your local efforts.

You can reach your House Representative by visiting this website: https://writerep.house.gov/writerep/welcome.shtml
You can reach your Senators by visiting this website: www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm

Key Committees:

US Senate Committee on Appropriations
US Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation
US Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources
US Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works
US House Committee on Appropriations
US House Democratic Committee on Appropriations
US House Committee on Energy and Commerce
US House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure - see Republican members and contact information and for Democratic members
US House Subcommittee on Highways and Transit

TALKING POINTS

Now more than ever, advocates must convince Congress that money spent on trails, bike/ped facilities, parks, and outdoor recreation is a sound investment in the country’s economy. The health of our children, as well as our cities, will depend on expanding transportation choices and preserving trails, open space, parks, and places for recreation.

As our nation looks closely at the increase in childhood obesity, the need for healthier lifestyle choices for everyone, safe routes for active transportation, and urban development, there are major issues to address. Trails, greenways, bikeways, and other routes are a critical part of the solution. Read more about the benefits of trails and find talking points by visiting these links:

American Trails benefits-related web pages:

Additional Resources:

Meeting with your Member of Congress Talking Points, provided by America Bikes and the Rails-to-Trails Conservancy
Talking Points Against Gutting LWCF in FY11 CR from LWCF Coalition
Recreational Trails Program (RTP) Fact Sheet, provided by the Coalition for Recreational Trails (CRT)
Benefits of Trails and Active Transportation Fact Sheet, prepared by the Rails-to-Trails Conservancy and the Rahall Appalachian Transportation Institute as testimony for the House Transportation and Infrastructure field hearings held in West Virginia on February 14
Transportation Enhancements (TE) Myths, provided by America Bikes
Safe Routes to School (SRTS) Fact Sheet, provided by the Safe Routes to School National Partnership

More news and opinion on funding and federal programs

Support the Recreational Trails Program! Join our efforts with the Coalition for Recreational Trails to get RTP funding included in the next transportation bill and sign on to the letter supporting RTP. Will your state's trails program survive? See concerns about the future of the Recreational Trails Program.

February 17, 2011: "The House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee is expected on Wednesday to approve another short-term extension of current surface transportation through the end of the fiscal year, which ends Sept. 30." As both sides face up to possible gas-tax hikes, the administration is leaving decisions on how to pay for transportation to Congress.
February 14, 2011: The House Transportation Committee kicked off a series of field hearings on Federal Transportation reauthorization February 14 in West Virginia. Forums are planned for Beckley, WV; Charleston, WV; Philadelphia, PA; Scranton, PA; Rochester, NY; Columbus, OH; Indianapolis, IN; Chicago, IL; Vancouver, WA; Fresno, CA; Oklahoma City, OK; Jonesboro, AR; Memphis, TN. See current schedule...
February 10, 2011: The new continuing resolution will contain $100 billion in cuts from Obama’s budget. The measure, which funds government operations including transportation, is essential to keeping federal programs running temporarily, will be released on Friday, and is still set to hit the House floor next week. Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) promised that the cuts put forth by the GOP will be the largest in congressional history.
February 6, 2011: House Budget Committee Chairman Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) was quoted last Thursday as saying that "the GOP will seek to make the deepest cuts to funding for transportation, housing, agriculture, and justice as it seeks to bring down spending for the rest of 2011." However, some observers say that transit and high-speed rail will take the biggest cuts, not the federal highway aid program, which is funded by different mechanisms.
February 4, 2011: "I'd like to have a transportation bill on the president's desk by the August recess," Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said Friday during a conference call with reporters. He expressed his belief that members of the House and Senate appear committed to complete the legislation.
February 2, 2011: House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) "has been empowered under House rules to set 2011 non-security spending levels at 2008 levels or less." On Feb. 8 Ryan is to publish his budget figures in the Congressional Record. Then, House appropriators will have to decide on spending ceilings for each subcommittee (e.g. Highways and Transit) and finalize the committee bill by Feb. 11.
January 31, 2011: "House Republicans try to find middle ground on budget-cutting plan"
January 28, 2011: According to a Missouri Bicycle and Pedestrian Federation article, "The idea that bicycle and pedestrian funding-- rather than general overall cuts to federal transportation spending-- might be specifically targeted is realistic given that a few members of the House, like House Majority Leader Eric Cantor of Virginia, have repeatedly called for bicycle & pedestrian funding to be cut or eliminated." Read about past history of bicycle and pedestrian cuts proposed in federal budget.
January 27, 2011: World Health Organization official discusses "Transport and Health: Measuring the Link"
January 27, 2011: "Senate committee backs infrastructure, but not bike lanes"
January 24, 2011: A clear explanation of the transportation funding debate from a "reduced-government-spending" viewpoint: "These challenges will in large part be driven by the need to constrain overall federal spending and by shortfalls in the highway trust fund." Read article from the Heritage Foundation...
January 18, 2011: "There are no Republican or Democratic roads. There are no Republican or Democratic bridges," said Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood. Speaking at a transportation technology conference, LaHood expressed confidence that Congress would pass a multiyear bill to reauthorize the federal surface transportation programs.

Resources on federal budgets and transportation funding

Transportation policy

The future of trails in federal transportation funding, by Eric B. Beightel, U. S. DOT Office of Transportation Policy
"Transportation for a New Generation:" strategic plan from the U.S. Department of Transportation

Economic impacts of walking and bicycling

Benefits of Trails and Active Transportation Fact Sheet, prepared by the Rails-to-Trails Conservancy and the Rahall Appalachian Transportation Institute as testimony for the House Transportation and Infrastructure field hearings held in West Virginia on February 14
Economic Benefits of Bicycle Infrastructure Investments (pdf 900 kb) from League of American Bicyclists
"Active Transportation for America" (pdf 4.3 mb) from Rails-to-Trails Conservancy provides "quantitative assessments and an overall estimation of the monetary value of the benefits of current and future bicycling and walking in the United States."
"New data adds job creation to the many benefits of bicycle infrastructure," according to Transportation Secretary LaHood. A recent study argues that pedestrian and bicycle projects create more jobs than road upgrades or resurfacing, and the CDC states 67% of Americans support street design that increases physical activity. "Putting the two studies together creates a powerful argument for continuing the Department of Transportation's support for bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure projects, said LaHood. "Even as these investments increase mobility, they also generate economic growth. And, people are demanding them for their communities."

Funding trails and bike/ped programs

Coalition for Recreational Trails is the umbrella group for supporting funding for Recreational Trails and other vital federal transportation programs
Recreational Trails Program (RTP) Fact Sheet, provided by the Coalition for Recreational Trails (CRT)
President's national debt commission proposes transportation funding mechanism that would increase federal gas tax
Federal funding programs for trails and bike/ped programs: index of resources, research, and articles
Transportation Enhancements (TE) Myths, provided by America Bikes
Safe Routes to School (SRTS) Fact Sheet, provided by the Safe Routes to School National Partnership

Blogs and supporters

League of American Bicyclists - transportation issues from a national cycling organization
Official Blog of the U.S. Secretary of Transportation - "Fast Lane": postings are not always “bike/ped or trails-related, but here is where we learn the latest on reauthorization from the Secretary’s point of view
Transportation for America Coalition is focused on authorization of the next multi-year transportation bill
Program Information Resources: American Recovery and Reinvestment Act

YOUR COMMENTS and SUGGESTIONS

American Trails is committed to bringing you all the vital news about funding and policies that affect you. Watch for our ongoing alerts about the budget process, and check this page for updates.

Your comments on these concerns are welcome. Email us at trailhead@americantrails.org.

To propose additional articles, letters, links, or resources for this page, please email Pam Gluck, Executive Director, American Trails. This is meant to be an educational page, and American Trails reserves the right to turn down any submission that doesn't meet our intent for this page.

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For over 20 years, American Trails has been the collective voice for a diverse coalition of enthusiasts, professionals, land managers, conservationists, and friends of the outdoors and livable cities. With your support, American Trails will continue to keep you informed on both trail know-how and issues critical to the future of trails.

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