Walz, Lummis Trail Bill Passes Committee Unanimously

Statement

Today H.R. 845, the National Forest System Trails Stewardship Act, sponsored by U.S. Representatives Cynthia Lummis (R-WY) and Tim Walz (D-MN) passed the U.S. House Agriculture Committee unanimously.

"The National Forest System Trails Stewardship Act will stretch taxpayer dollars during these tight fiscal times, to make sure we maximize use of all our existing resources," said Rep. Lummis. "Refocusing on volunteers and partners will help the Forest Service make real progress on the backlog and open up these trails to public access. The bill also looks into utilizing fire crews during the off season and letting outfitters work off some of their fees. We need to continue exploring the different ways we can clean up our trails and make progress on the $500 million trail maintenance backlog. Thanks to Representative Walz's help getting it through the committee process, the bill is now ready for consideration on the House floor."

"From hikers to bikers, outdoor enthusiasts across the country utilize 157,000 miles of National Forest System trails every day for exercise, relaxation, and exploration. Though public use remains high, close to two-thirds of these trails don't receive any maintenance whatsoever because our Forest Service simply lacks the resources to keep up," said Rep. Walz, Chairman of the Congressional Sportsmen's Caucus. "I am proud the legislation Representative Lummis and I have worked on passed out of the Agriculture Committee today. Protecting our public lands for future generations while increasing access to the great outdoors is our responsibility, and this bill is a step in the right direction."

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