Washington Trails Association

Advocacy: wta believes that people will protect the places they love to hike, from local parks to remote wilderness. We are committed to turning hikers into champions for Trails and public lands through grassroots advocacy. Wta works closely with federal and state policymakers to advance hikers' interests in forest planning, trail funding, wilderness protection and new recreation projects. As more and more people head outside to enjoy Washington's great outdoors, the need to steward these lands increases. In 2023 wta worked with our partners at the state level to advocate for additional funding for state land agencies to reduce their maintenance backlog on their recreation lands and for funding to emplower a diverse community of outdoor leaders to explore, stewared and protect Trails and public lands through the emerging leaders program. Wta also advocated for funding for national forests and parks and facilitated recreation coalitions in support of responsible recreation on public lands. Wta continued to empower more than 65,000 individuals to take action for Trails using its online trail action network.