After five years of success, Congress will decide the fate of public lands funding

Today, the National Parks and Public Land Legacy Restoration Fund turns five years old. Congress created the Legacy Restoration Fund on August 4, 2020 in a landmark investment in our national public lands and an incredible success for bipartisan support of these cherished outdoor places. Now, Congress has less than two months to see that this funding doesn’t disappear. 

Congress must renew the Legacy Restoration Fund before the end of September. Photo of Stephen Lake by trip reporter master_wanderer

The Legacy Restoration Fund provides up to $1.9 billion annually for projects that improve trails, roads, campgrounds and bathrooms at national parks, national forests and other public lands.  

• From Great American Outdoors Act to America the Beautiful
• In 2020, the Great American Outdoors Act created the National Parks and Public Land Legacy Restoration Fund to care for our national public lands. The Legacy Restoration Fund expires at the end of September 2025. The America the Beautiful Act proposes to extend the Legacy Restoration Fund for eight more years. 
  
  Join WTA’s Trail Action Network to be part of future wins for trails and public lands.

Since 2020, this funding has made a huge difference for hiking here in Washington. It has improved some of our state’s most popular trails and helped us regain backcountry destinations that we were in danger of losing. 

This funding reopened access to the Big Four Ice Caves trail and improved visitor safety at Denny Creek trailhead, two of our state’s most-visited trails. It also helped WTA create our first paid backcountry trail crew. The crew cleared the way for hikers in the Pasayten and recovered trails in the Entiat River Valley that had been damaged by wildfire.

With all it accomplished in its first years, think about what the Legacy Restoration Fund could do if it’s allowed to continue!

The Legacy Restoration Fund allowed WTA to recover access to hike in fire-damaged areas of the Entiat River Valley. Photos by Ginevra Moore.

There is still a $40 billion maintenance backlog of trails, roads and infrastructure work needed on public lands nationally. Senators across the aisle think the Legacy Restoration Fund should be renewed to address that. Earlier this year, bipartisan support introduced the America the Beautiful Act, which, if it passes, would extend the Legacy Restoration Fund through 2033.

If funding continues, there are already projects in line. Two million dollars would go to fixing trails and trail bridges across the Olympic National Forest, where 30 trail bridges are in need of replacement. This funding would effectively reopen parts of the Olympics that have slipped out of the public’s reach due to trail disrepair.

In their trip reports this year, hikers point out safety concerns due to the lack of trail maintenance on Olympic National Forest trails.

 “Downed trees can make it difficult to relocate the trail,” wrote trip reporter TrollToll on June 17, after a multi-day trip in the North Fork Quinault area.

Trip reporter zcamp wrote on May 5 about a North Fork Quinault trail bridge that is “skewered through with a large log, making the crossing extremely dangerous”.     

After hiking the Pyramid Mountain trail on June 29, trip reporter SamuelBurge wrote, “This section has become too dangerous over the years and it's honestly best to refrain from crossing.”

Future funding would fix trails and trail bridges across Olympic National Forest, work that is “sorely needed” according trip reporter rbiasell

If Congress renews the Legacy Restoration Fund, it would allow Olympic National Forest staff to address deferred maintenance on more than 100 miles of trail, improving the hiking experience on some of the forest’s most popular trails including Lena Lake, Upper Big Quilcene, Mount Townsend, Mount Ellinor, South Fork Skokomish, Upper Dungeness and many others.

“Investment in recreation infrastructure maintenance for trails, campgrounds and other amenities is critical to ensuring the forest is safe and open to all users. Our partners, volunteers and staff work hard to maintain the multiple opportunities the forest provides. We need to continue leveraging the resources these groups bring to the table so we can keep our trails in good shape for the next generation,” said Alex Weinberg, Olympic National Forest public services staff officer.

WTA hopes Congress will act before the Legacy Restoration Fund expires on September 30.

We will update you about this and other parts of the national budget that affect your public lands and your ability to experience them.  

• Join WTA’s Trail Action Network to be part of future wins for trails and public lands.