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Trails and Recreation Budgets in Jeopardy Yet Again

From Americans for Responsible Recreational Access

ARRA needs your help yet again to let legislators know the importance of adequate funding for trails and recreation. ARRA members weighed in earlier in the year and Congress responded by restoring funds for the U.S. Forest Service Trails and Recreation budgets, but these programs face a new danger. As a result of a threat by the President to veto appropriations bills, Congressional leaders plan to offer a compromise package that will significantly reduce spending across the board. Essentially, funding for trails and recreation, which makes up a miniscule fraction of total government spending, faces deep cuts because of unrelated issues. Please click the Take Action button below to urge your legislators to retain funding for trails and recreation.

Send a letter to the decision maker, your Congressperson and your Senators:

Below is the sample letter:

Subject: Please Maintain Increases for Trails and Recreation Programs

I write to urge you to maintain the Congressionally approved funding levels for the Trails and Recreation Programs within the U.S. Forest Service budget. It has come to our attention that a compromise intended to avoid a veto of appropriations legislation would reduce any increases in spending over the President's proposed budget by half. While we understand that you have many priorities to consider, these two budgets in particular are vital to the more than 200 million visitors to our National Forests each year as they fund trail maintenance and improvement and the management of recreational activities.

The Trails and Recreation budgets are also primary sources of funding for the implementation of the Travel Management Rule. This Forest Service rule requires each Forest to develop a system of designated routes and trails that can be accessed by off-highway vehicles (OHVs). After the process is complete, each Forest will develop a Motor Vehicle Use Map detailing which routes and trails are open for use by OHVs. All routes and trails that do not appear on the map will be off-limits to wheeled motorized recreation. Officials from Forests across the nation have made it clear that lack of adequate funding is making implementation of the rule difficult.

Again, please do not reduce the Congressionally approved spending increases for the Forest Service Trails and Recreation programs.

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