Partnership For The National Trails System

TO PROVIDE LEADERSHIP AND REPRESENTATION ON NATIONAL ISSUES, TO PROMOTE COMMUNICATION AND MUTUAL ASSISTANCE AMONG AND PROVIDE RESOURCES AND ASSISTANCE TO THOSE ORGANIZATIONS STRIVING TO PROTECT, DEVELOP, COMMEMORATE AND PROMOTE NATIONAL HISTORIC AND SCENIC TRAILS OF THE NATIONAL TRAILS SYSTEM.

NEXT GENERATION PROGRAMS: THE PARTNERSHIP CONTINUED THE YOUTH OUTREACH AND ENGAGEMENT PROGRAM BEGUN IN 2009 WITH FEDERAL FUNDING BY PROVIDING GRANTS TO THE NATIONAL TRAILS PUBLIC/PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS TO FUND TRAIL INTERNS TO WORK ON PROJECTS, PROGRAMS, AND ACTIVITIES DETERMINED TO BE PRIORITIES BY EACH TRAIL PARTNERSHIP.

MEMBER SERVICES AND COORDINATION: THE PARTNERSHIP FOR THE NATIONAL TRAILS SYSTEM (PARTNERSHIP) IS A COLLECTIVE VOICE, A RESOURCE PROVIDER AND A HUB FOR EXCHANGE, LEARNING, AND ACTION FOR THE NATIONAL TRAILS SYSTEM. AS A MEMBERSHIP ORGANIZATION AND THE ONLY 501(C)(3) NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION FOCUSED ON THE 30 NATIONAL SCENIC AND HISTORIC TRAILS (NSHT), PNTS BRINGS TOGETHER AND STRENGTHENS THE CAPACITY OF PROFESSIONALS, LEADERS AND TRAIL AND HIKING ENTHUSIASTS TO PROMOTE A THRIVING, ACCESSIBLE, AND INCLUSIVE NATIONAL TRAILS SYSTEM. A UNIQUE CHARACTERISTIC OF NSHT IS THAT THEY ARE COOPERATIVELY MANAGED BY FEDERAL ADMINISTRATORS AND PRIVATE NONPROFIT PARTNERS. THE 31 NSHT NONPROFIT PARTNERS ARE ALSO PNTS TRAIL ORGANIZATION MEMBERS AND OUR VOLUNTEER LEADERS. THIS ENSURES THAT OUR WORK IS DEEPLY ROOTED IN THE NATIONAL TRAILS AND ADVANCES THE VISION AND PRIORITIES OF THE NTS COMMUNITY. SIMILARLY, WE WORK CLOSELY WITH FEDERAL PARTNERS THROUGH COOPERATIVE AGREEMENTS TO PROVIDE RESOURCES THAT ENHANCE PUBLIC AND PRIVATE PARTNERS' ABILITIES AND CAPACITIES AND TO ADDRESS SYSTEMIC ISSUES IN THE NATIONAL TRAILS SYSTEM.KEY MEMBER SERVICES INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING: REGULAR CONVENINGS OF ALL NONPROFIT TRAIL ORGANIZATION MEMBERS TO COORDINATE AND ACT ON MATTERS IMPORTANT TO THE NATIONAL TRAILS SYSTEM THROUGH THE TRAIL LEADERS COUNCIL AND TOPICAL COMMITTEES; HIKE THE HILL, THE PREMIERE, ANNUAL 'FLY-IN' EVENT FOR NATIONAL TRAILS AND HIKING ADVOCATES THAT WE CO-HOST WITH AMERICAN HIKING SOCIETY; TRAINING AND EDUCATION INCLUDING WEEK-LONG WORKSHOPS, WEBINARS AND CASE STUDIES FOCUS ON PROTECTING, INTERPRETING, MAINTAINING AND ENGAGING THE PUBLIC IN NATIONAL TRAILS; POPULAR COMMUNICATIONS THAT SHARE INFORMATION AND RESOURCES VIA OUR QUARTERLY PATHWAYS ACROSS AMERICA PRINT PUBLICATION, WEBSITE, E-NEWS, SOCIAL MEDIA AND MORE; FORUMS FOR PROFESSIONALS TO LEARN BEST PRACTICES, EXCHANGE AND ACT COLLABORATIVELY SUCH AS A 50+ MEMBER ADVOCACY AND POLICY COMMITTEE AND TOPICAL ROUNDTABLES; CAPACITY BUILDING RESOURCES FOR TRAIL ORGANIZATIONS; AND SPECIAL PROJECTS SUCH AS THE CREATION OF AN INTERACTIVE GIS BASED CONNECTIVITY TOOL THAT HELPS TRAIL ORGANIZATIONS AND THEIR FEDERAL PARTNERS PLAN AND PRIORITIZE LAND ACQUISITION OPPORTUNITIES.

TRAIL LAND CONSERVATION POLICY: THE PARTNERSHIP CONTINUED TO ENCOURAGE THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT AND THE U.S. FOREST SERVICE (USFS) TO ADOPT SPECIAL MANAGEMENT CORRIDORS TO GUIDE LAND USE PLANNING AND MANAGEMENT FOR THE SCENIC AND HISTORIC TRAILS. WE EMPHASIZED THIS MANAGEMENT APPROACH THROUGH COMMENTS ON PLANNING FOR SOLAR ENERGY PROJECTS ON PUBLIC LANDS ADJACENT TO THE NATIONAL LANDSCAPE CONSERVATION SYSTEM AND IN COMMENTS ON SEVERAL PROPOSED REVISIONS AS CHANGES ARE PROPOSED. THE PARTNERSHIP CONTINUED TO MONITOR DEVELOPMENT OF THE U.S. FOREST SERVICE'S REVISED SAW USE POLICY FOR STANDARDIZING PROCEDURES FOR SAFE USE OF CHAINSAWS AND CROSSCUT SAWS BY VOLUNTEERS AND STAFF ON ALL NATIONAL FORESTS THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY, WHICH WAS PROMULGATED IN LATE 2016. THE PARTNERSHIP ALSO PARTICIPATED IN SEVERAL MEETINGS ORGANIZED BY THE U.S. FOREST SERVICE TO DEVELOP A NATIONAL STRATEGY FOR SUSTAINABLY MAINTAINING THE 155,000 MILES OF TRAILS IN THE NATIONAL FORESTS. IT HELD SESSIONS FOR FEDERAL AGENCIES TO EXPLAIN NEW POLICIES FOLLOWING THE PASSING OF THE GREAT AMERICAN OUTDOORS ACT.

ADVOCACY: PNTS ADVOCACY AND POLICY WORK CHAMPIONS A WORLD-CLASS NATIONAL TRAILS SYSTEM FOR ALL, WITH A FOCUS ON NATIONAL SCENIC AND HISTORIC TRAILS. THE PARTNERSHIP PROVIDED ANNUAL REPORTS AND INFORMATION TO CONGRESS AND FEDERAL TRAIL MANAGING AGENCIES ABOUT THE STATE OF THE TRAILS AND CONTRIBUTIONS, PROJECTS, AND ACTIVITIES OF OUR MEMBER ORGANIZATIONS TOWARDS SUSTAINING THE NATIONAL SCENIC AND HISTORIC TRAILS. THE PARTNERSHIP ALSO PROVIDED INFORMATION TO CONGRESS ABOUT THE FUNDING NEEDED TO SUSTAIN AND INCREASE ACTIVITIES UNDERWAY TO ACQUIRE LAND AND TO CONSTRUCT, MAINTAIN, INTERPRET, AND MANAGE THE SCENIC AND HISTORIC TRAILS THROUGH WRITTEN TESTIMONY PROVIDED TO THE HOUSE AND ENATE INTERIOR APPROPRIATIONS SUBCOMMITTEES. THE PARTNERSHIP PARTICIPATED WITH DOZENS OF OTHER CONSERVATION ORGANIZATIONS IN COALITIONS URGING CONGRESS TO PASS LEGISLATION TO REAUTHORIZE AND FULLY FUND THE LAND AND WATER CONSERVATION FUND, AND REAUTHORIZE THE FEDERAL TRANSPORTATION PROGRAM TO CONTINUE THE RECREATIONAL TRAILS FUNDING PROGRAM AND OTHER PROGRAMS FUNDING DEVELOPMENT AND MAINTENANCE OF LOCAL, REGIONAL, AND NATIONAL TRAILS THE PARTNERSHIP COMPILED AN ANNUAL "STATE OF THE TRAILS" REPORT WHICH IT SHARED WITH CONGRESS AND FEDERAL AGENCY STAFF AND A REPORT DOCUMENTING THAT DURING 2021 THE MEMBER ORGANIZATIONS OF THE PARTNERSHIP HAD ORGANIZED AND GUIDED 13,816 CITIZEN VOLUNTEERS WHO CONTRIBUTED AT LEAST 942,886 HOURS OF LABOR TO HELP SUSTAIN THE 30 NATIONAL SCENIC AND HISTORIC TRAILS. THE VALUE OF THIS DONATED LABOR AND THE FINANCIAL CONTRIBUTIONS MADE BY THE NONPROFIT TRAIL ORGANIZATIONS TOTALED NEARLY $48,8 MILLION, FAR EXCEEDING THE FUNDS CONGRESS APPROPRIATED FOR THE NATIONAL PARK SERVICE, U.S. FOREST SERVICE, AND BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT TO MANAGE AND MAINTAIN THESE NATIONAL TRAILS.