About the Partnership for the National Trails System
The Partnership for the National Trails System (Partnership) is a 501 c (3) nonprofit corporation organized to further the protection, completion, and stewardship of the National Trails System.
To accomplish these goals, the Partnership provides technical assistance to, facilitates communication and information exchange among, and coordinates collaborative action among the staffs and volunteers of its partners. Partners are organizations that work to support and sustain the national scenic and historic trails within the National Trails System.
Mission
- Strengthen the ability of the Partnership's public and private partners to enhance the development, maintenance, management, and protection of the National Trails System
- To promote the appropriate use of the National Trails System for the education and appreciation of all.
Purpose
- The Partnership works to secure better public and private funding for the important work of both its non-profit trail organizations and their volunteers and the Federal agencies that administer the National Trails System.
- The Partnership also works to improve communication and coordination among its trail organizations and the Federal agencies responsible for managing the national scenic and historic trails and to increase public awareness of and agency support for the National Trails System.
Partners
The Partnership includes non-profit trail organizations that work directly with Federal agencies to sustain one or more national scenic or historic trail. The Partnership also has Affiliate Members – organizations that are dedicated to indirectly completing and sustaining the National Trails System.
Our principal Federal Agency partners are the:
The first three agencies collectively administer the national scenic and historic trails and manage the sections of the trails that cross the parks, forests, public lands they administer. The FHWA provides vital guidance and assistance for the many places where the National Trails System intersects the Federal Highway System.
Activities
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The Partnership strives to strengthen the capacity of its partners by facilitating communication, information exchange and education among their staffs and volunteers through:
- Gathering and Distributing Information about the National Trails System
- Publishing the Quarterly Newsletter: PATHWAYS Across America
- Organizing Meetings, Educational Conferences and Training Workshops
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The Partnership coordinates and guides collaborative action and activities of its partners to benefit the National Trails System.
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The Partnership seeks adequate public and private funding for the scenic and historic trails of the National Trails System
Accomplishments
Conferences:
Since 1997 the Partnership has organized and sponsored five biennial Conferences on National Scenic and Historic Trails to bring together leaders of the organizations sustaining these trails, Federal trail managers, and State agency partners to share information, successful trailmaking and preservation practices, and devise ways to address the challenges to fully completing the National Trails System.
PATHWAYS Across America:
Since 2000, the Partnership has collaborated with the National Park Service, Bureau of Land Management, USDA-Forest Service, Federal Highway Administration, and American Hiking Society to publish and distribute a quarterly newsletter — PATHWAYS Across America — to the trail organization leaders and Federal and State agency managers who work to sustain the National Trails System.
Federal Funding for the National Trails System:
Since 1993, the Partnership has guided cooperative advocacy efforts among its partners that have resulted in increases in the level of annual Federal funding and Federal staff for the National Trails System. (See charts below.)
| |
1993 |
2004 |
National Park Service
|
$1.44 million |
$6.96 million |
| Challenge Cost Share Funding |
$0 |
$5.62 million* |
| Bureau of Land Management |
Undeterminable |
$3.11 million |
| USDA-Forest Service |
Undeterminable |
$4.72 million |
| * = $5 million for Lewis & Clark NHT Bicentennial; $620,000 for other scenic and historic trails; |
Federal Staff Dedicated to the National Trails System:
| |
1993 |
2004 |
National Park Service
|
12 FTE |
54 FTE |
| Bureau of Land Management |
0 FTE |
1 FTE program lead,
2 FTE trail administrators,
10 part-time trail liaisons |
| USDA-Forest Service |
0 FTE |
1 part-time program lead,
4 FTE trail administrators |
Inter-agency Collaboration:
In 2000, the Partnership encouraged the National Park Service, Bureau of Land Management, USDA-Forest Service, and Federal Highway Administration to enhance their collaborative management of the National Trails System. The Partnership's encouragement led to an Inter-agency Memorandum of Understanding among these four agencies and the National Endowment for the Arts that set out some 20 "work elements" they agreed to pursue over five years to strengthen their management of and support for the national scenic and historic trails. Among the products of the increased inter-agency collaboration fostered by the agreement are:
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Inter-agency trail data standards
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Inter-agency development of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) for most of the scenic and historic trails
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Increased inter-agency and non-profit partner planning and implementation of projects along the trails, and
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Sharing of funding, staff and other resources to accomplish programs and projects for the trails.
National Trails Training Partnership:
In 1999, the Partnership joined with 12 other non-profit organizations and five Federal agencies to establish this ongoing partnership to foster more and better training opportunities for volunteers and agency professionals in all skills, disciplines, techniques and information useful for high quality trailmaking. The Partnership continues to help guide the work of the National Trails Training Partnership.
