Dear Fellow Trails Enthusiast:

This past fall, at the Opening Plenary Session of the 18th National Trails Symposium in the Quad Cities of Illinois and Iowa, the membership of American Trails (over 550 trail advocates and professionals) met and thoughtfully crafted a list of recommendations for the future of trails and greenways in America. This compilation has been forwarded to the Members of the 110th Congress, the White House, key agency heads and leaders in the trails community, and the national news media.

10 Steps to Help Save Our Outdoors

1. Promote Connections In Our Communities – Trail and greenway infrastructure that connects people and places in our neighborhoods, towns, cities and regions readily accessible within 15 minutes walking distance of every American.
2. Create a National Trails Network/System – An integrated trails network at all levels: linking cities, states, and regions of the United States and North America, as well as trails accessing National Parks, National Forests and other public lands.
3. Commit Sustainable Funding – Ongoing, sustainable revenue stream to fund and offer incentives to create trails and greenways. Includes federal funds & programs: Transportation Enhancements, Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality (CMAQ), National Park Service Rivers, Trails and Conservation Assistance (RTCA) program, The Recreational Trails Program, U.S. Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management (BLM) programs, Land & Water Conservation Fund (LWCF), Safe Routes to School, and Complete Streets.
4. Expand Environmental Education – Environmental education an integral part of a national and local school curricula at every level.
5. Associate Trails with Health and Fitness – Trails are, and should be, a significant part of community health and fitness programs.
6. Encourage All Americans to Participate – Opportunities for the American People to give back—helping to plan, fund and work on trails in our neighborhoods, parks, as well as on state and federal lands.
7. Promote Sustainable Transportation – Alternative modes of travel that lessen dependence on foreign oil and reduce CO2 emissions contributing to climate change.
8. Engage, Motivate Youth – Promote stewardship with youth conservation/trail building corps.
9. Promote Access and Accessibility – An accessible, safe system for all abilities within easy reach of all homes and places of employment.
10. Build Trail and Greenway Partnerships – Trails and greenways created as vital infrastructure; working with homebuilders and developers, transportation, utility, flood and fire control agencies and others with mutual benefit.

In an era of diminishing wild spaces, American Trails is striving to create a legacy of places of outdoor recreation and solace readily accessible to all Americans. We thank all of those who participated in this heartfelt and creative effort, including the offices of Senators Obama and Huckabee. We encourage the vigorous pursuit of this vision for this and future generations.

Please forward this important message on to your network. We would greatly appreciate it if you would publish it in your newsletter and/or on your website.

Thank you for all of your great work in supporting the future of trails and greenways in America!

Sincerely,

 

                                          

click to go back