60,000 people make one strong voice for trails

This year showed us what we can do when we bring our voices together for public lands. WTA’s Trail Action Network — which is 60,000 hikers strong — protected state trails funding, prevented the sale of national public lands and inspired us with your dedication.

Together, thousands of people can accomplish what one hiker cannot do alone: protect the places we love. Photo by Mike Ritscher

Together, we helped save state trails funding

2025 started with Washington state facing a budget shortfall similar to the Great Recession. With budget writers looking at cuts across all agencies, WTA was worried about funding for trails. In particular, we were concerned about essential maintenance funding that keeps our state parks and other state recreation lands safe and open for you to enjoy.

WTA rallied our partners and people like you who love the outdoors. Over a hundred and fifty hikers joined us in Olympia to ask legislators to protect this funding, and 700 people amplified the message by emailing their state representatives. The result? The state preserved a majority of this maintenance funding. The reason? You spoke up.

Your voice is stronger when joined with others

Whether you are directly contacting your representatives, or sharing your support through a petition, your action, when combined with others, builds a strong base of support for trails and outdoor places.

This summer, we learned that our voices, when combined with those across the nation, were powerful enough to stop the sale of our national public lands.

“We're stronger when we work together, so raising our collective voices is important,” said one member of WTA’s Trail Action Network.

“I want to be involved in issues I care about and appreciate that WTA has created a way for me to take action,” said Kristina Wayland, another member of WTA’s Trail Action Network.

When you take action with WTA, you help us share what is important to you when we talk to lawmakers. You also help elected officials see that WTA is a voice for people they represent.

WTA makes sure the issues you care about are front and center with lawmakers. Photo of WTA staff and hikers with Washington state’s Speaker of the House Rep. Jenkins by Victoria Obermeyer.

WTA brings your priorities to members of Congress

When WTA’s policy and planning manager Michael DeCramer traveled to Washington, D.C. in February, his main priority was talking with members of Congress about reinstating recently fired U.S. Forest Service and National Park Service employees. Before Michael’s trip, WTA launched an action where over 7,400 individuals sent 22,000 messages to their members of Congress, asking to defend those jobs.

When Michael sat down with Congressional offices, he was able to mention the thousands of messages they had recently received. Because of your messages, members of Congress and their staff were already aware of the issue, and they knew the people they represent cared. That let Michael dive right into conversations about what to do.

“When I talk with elected officials, I always emphasize that thousands and thousands of hikers care deeply about protecting the outdoors, and that’s reinforced every time you take action. Quite often, elected representatives and their staff will start a conversation by telling me that they know and respect the passion of our community,” Michael said.

Washington’s landscapes have a bright future when everyone who loves the outdoors speaks up for them. Photo by Hannah Fee.

This summer, Michael hit the trail with various members of Congress to talk about the staffing and funding our national public lands need, as well as an ongoing attempt to reduce protections for our national forests. WTA’s 2025 report, Eroding Access to Our Public Lands, was part of these conversations.

The report highlights that forest roads are an essential connection between the public and their public lands. If roads go unfunded, they become undrivable, and then you can’t reach parts of our national forests.

WTA is proud to speak up for the funding our national forests need, and that includes forest roads. It helps us advocate for this funding when we share that over 1,200 hikers contributed their perspectives to help create our report.

Be a voice for trails and public lands

It is the job of elected officials to represent the interests of their constituents (people who live in their district). It adds more power to WTA’s message for public lands when it’s backed by a show of support from people like you.

Make your voice heard. Join WTA’s Trail Action Network to come together with others as a powerful voice for Washington’s outdoor spaces.

“A single voice does not carry as much weight as a multitude of voices, which WTA can provide,” said Trail Action Network member Dennis Reichelt.