Partnership for the National Trails System

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 30+ 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 National Trails System 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.

Advocacy:hosted hike the hill 2023, an annual convening of Trails groups to meet in Washington dc and discuss policy with federal agencies and legislation with congressional offices. In 2023 we succeeded in obtaining a line item for Trails funding in the bureau of land management budget and also succeeded in achieving unit status for all of the National scenic Trails within the National park service.

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.

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.