Today Gregory Miller, President of the American Hiking Society and Vice Chairman of the Outdoor Alliance delivered testimony before the House of Representatives Committee on Appropriations, Subcommittee on Interior, Environment and Related Agencies with budget recommendations for the Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, National Park Service, and Fish and Wildlife Service.

To millions of Americans, sustainable recreation on federal lands and waters is a central part of their lives. These lands and waters are integral to our national identity and all require adequate funding. Our members believe that outdoor recreation must coexist with the nation’s landscapes, waters and healthy ecosystems. The Outdoor Alliance recognizes the need for active and immediate efforts to bring our public lands infrastructure and in some cases the lands themselves up to standards. We believe that doing so would create an array of economic benefits across multiple sectors of the United States economy immediately and for decades to come. With this in mind, we offer the budget recommendations set forth below:

United States Department of Agriculture Forest Service
Recreation Management, Heritage and Wilderness: $377.1 million;
Capital Improvements & Maintenance/Trails: $136 million; and
Legacy Roads and Trails Remediation Program: $100 million.

Department of the Interior
Bureau of Land ManagementNational Landscape Conservation System: $75 million.

Department of the Interior National Park Service
Support President’s proposed funding level for Park Operations;
Rivers, Trails and Conservation Assistance program: $12 million; and
Wild and Scenic Rivers program: $600,000.

Department of the Interior US Fish & Wildlife Service
National Wildlife Refuge System: $541million.

DOI and USDA Jointly
Stateside LWCF (NPS): $125 million; and
Federal LWCF (all fed agencies): $325 million.
New Rangers and Visitor Service Professionals: $50 million.

Read Complete Testimony

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