Strong partnerships, increased capacity, and more sustainable trails
This report was produced by American Trails in partnership with the USDA Forest Service USFS Eastern Region. The report and the engagement process that it chronicles represent the kind of cooperation that the 10-Year Trail Shared Stewardship calls for. It has been a pleasure to share in this experience and launch the Trail Challenge in the Eastern Region!
by USDA Forest Service, American Trails
The10-Year Trail Shared Stewardship Challenge (Trail Challenge) evolved from the National Strategy for a Sustainable Trail System and the 2016 USFS Stewardship Act. It was initiated in 2020 by the Trails Program of the USDA Forest Service with the intent to engage partner organizations in two major stated goals:
1. Increase collective trail workforce capacity for all field units
2. Increase trail sustainability on the more than 160,000 miles of National Forest System
trails.
The National Headquarters charged each region with supporting field units (National Forests and Grasslands and their Ranger Districts) with implementation of the Trail Challenge. The Eastern Region chose an innovative approach to initiate the first phase of the Trail Challenge, entitled “Launch and Learn”, entering a partnership with the nonprofit organization American Trails. An agreement between the Eastern Region and American Trails identified four goals:
This report has been developed to document the results of the region’s Launch and Learn phase. It describes the process, recommended actions for agency managers and partners, a set of useful tools, and success stories within the region.
American Trails, working together with Eastern Region Recreation and Trails leadership, engaged a broad spectrum of Forest Service employees at all levels and both current and prospective partners to launch the Trail Challenge.
Attached document published October 2023
To sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of the Nation’s forests and grasslands to meet the needs of present and future generations.
American Trails celebrates decades of working on behalf of all trail interests. Our website is one of the world's most comprehensive online sources for planning, building, designing, funding, managing, enhancing, and supporting trails, greenways, and blueways.
ON FIRE: The Report of the Wildland Fire Mitigation and Management Commission
posted Oct 2, 2023
The wildfire crisis in the United States is urgent, severe, and far reaching. Wildfire is no longer simply a land management problem, nor is it isolated to certain regions or geographies. Across this nation, increasingly destructive wildfires are posing ever-greater threats to human lives, livelihoods, and public safety.
Trails and Resilience: Review of the Role of Trails in Climate Resilience and Emergency Response
posted Apr 12, 2023
Trails are often overlooked as elements of essential infrastructure for a resilient transportation system.1 In emergencies where other transportation facilities are shut down or inaccessible, people may use trails to get where they need to go.
2023 Legacy Trails Program Grant Awardee Portal
posted Apr 3, 2023
Below you will find documents that may be useful as you prepare your invoices.
10-Year Trail Shared Stewardship Challenge
posted Mar 21, 2022
Why Do We Need a Trail Challenge? Despite the great work happening in support of trails, workload demands continue to outpace the capacity of agency staff, partners, and volunteers. To address these shortcomings, the Forest Service has issued a 10-year Trail Challenge. It focuses the collective energy and resources of the trail community on actions resulting in greater collective capacity to manage and maintain trails, as well as more miles of trails that are well-designed, well-maintained, and well-suited to support recreation use today and into the future.
662 views • posted 10/10/2023
