Current Status of Advocacy Efforts in 2025

Current Status of Advocacy Efforts in 2025

In the realm of conservation and public land management, the year 2025 holds high stakes for trails and public lands advocates. The National Parks and Public Lands Legacy Restoration Fund (LRF), set to expire on September 30, 2025, is a critical source of funding for deferred maintenance projects and infrastructure improvements on public lands and national parks. Efforts to extend the LRF, such as the America the Beautiful Act (S.1547), are gaining momentum [2][1].

However, the federal level is currently grappling with staffing shortages, proposed funding cuts, and attacks on critical conservation programs. The President's FY26 Budget proposal aims to eliminate all LWCF projects on public lands and undermine the Great American Outdoors Act, posing a significant threat to the ongoing progress [6].

Recent legislation, specifically a reconciliation package, has cut $267 million from the National Park Service’s funding originally allocated under the Inflation Reduction Act, impacting resources needed to rebuild and maintain staffing levels [2]. This cut, along with the elimination of dedicated trail positions and regional staffing reductions, has led to a critical staffing shortage across key federal agencies like the National Park Service, Bureau of Land Management, and U.S. Forest Service [5].

Organizations like American Hiking are actively mobilizing advocacy during congressional recess periods, encouraging constituents to engage with lawmakers through local events such as hikes or trail visits to demonstrate the importance of trails and funding. The focus is on urging Congress to extend the Legacy Restoration Fund and prioritize funding for deferred maintenance and staffing to sustain public lands infrastructure [2].

The LRF has already supported over 1,500 infrastructure projects nationwide, improving or replacing more than 11,000 public land assets. However, a significant backlog of deferred maintenance remains, requiring continued funding [2][3][4]. The blight of these firings and funding freezes is overshadowing opportunities for the extension of the Legacy Restoration Fund, the full funding of the Recreational Trails Program, implementing the EXPLORE Act, and supporting trails through annual appropriations.

Advocates are calling for Congress to ensure not only new FY26 projects move forward but that FY24 and FY25 projects are allowed to proceed without interference. The Hike the Hill event, kicked off at the start of the year, saw trail leaders call on Congress to reverse the firings of over 6,000 federal land management employees [7].

Further complicating matters is the recent law mandating expanded oil and gas leasing and increased logging in sensitive national forest lands, which pose ecological risks to trail corridors and complicate public land management efforts [2].

Despite these challenges, there is a glimmer of hope. Congress has begun deliberations on the Fiscal Year 2026 appropriations, and both the House and Senate have rejected many of the severe cuts proposed by the administration [8]. The Land and Water Conservation Fund, a key fund for recreation and conservation projects, is facing its most significant threat in years. However, the fact that both the House and Senate Interior Appropriations Committees have passed a bill rejecting these cuts to the LWCF offers a glimmer of hope [1].

As the future of trails and public lands hangs in the balance, advocates continue to push for extended funding, staffing rebuilding, and the protection of critical conservation programs. The August Recess provides an opportunity for direct engagement with lawmakers and their staff, inviting them on trails, organizing events, sharing success stories, and using advocacy tools to fund trails and extend the Legacy Restoration Fund.

1. The advocacy for trails and public lands continues in 2025, with the National Parks and Public Lands Legacy Restoration Fund (LRF) being a critical source for deferred maintenance projects and infrastructure improvements on public lands and national parks.
2. The ongoing struggle for funding is evident, as the federal level is grappling with staffing shortages, proposed funding cuts, and attacks on conservation programs, posing a significant threat to ongoing progress.
3. Organizations like American Hiking are actively mobilizing advocacy during congressional recess periods, urging Congress to extend the LRF and prioritize funding for deferred maintenance and staffing to sustain public lands infrastructure.
4. The future of trails and public lands is uncertain, with the Land and Water Conservation Fund facing its most significant threat in years. Yet, the fact that both the House and Senate Interior Appropriations Committees have passed a bill rejecting cuts to the LWCF offers a glimmer of hope.

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