As many of you are aware, we are currently in the midst of our Reimagine Recreation national strategy effort. The goal of Reimagine Recreation is to define a clear vision for recreation program delivery with clear goals and defined actions that outline our path to a better tomorrow. 

We are working to achieve this goal by harnessing the collective power of the recreation community, including our many external partners and user groups, along with potential audiences and user groups. Our goal is to position ourselves to meet the ever-changing needs of tomorrow and create a more welcoming and inclusive environment where all can connect with nature and enjoy the mental, spiritual, physical and economic benefits of outdoor experiences. 

With over 160,000 miles of motorized and non-motorized trails, the trails program is one of our most cherished programs and assets. I believe the trails program, through the National Strategy for a Sustainable Trail System and 10-Year Trail Shared Stewardship Challenge, can serve as a model for other programs in outlining an intentional road map to institute the changes we seek. 

I am proud to share this update with you outlining some of the many exciting developments in our trails program. 

The Forest Service manages the largest trail network in the world. End to end, the more than 160,000 miles of trails could circle the globe 6 1/2 times! These trails provide vast opportunities for visitors to connect with nature, hike, bike, ride ATVs, ride horseback, snowmobile, snowshoe and more. Recent data shows increasing numbers of people are seeking out National Forest System trails. These trails are managed and maintained through the efforts of agency employees, tribes, partners, volunteers, contractors, permittees and communities—collectively known as the “Trail Community.”

As part of the trail community, the National Trail Program—comprised of Forest Service field, regional and national employees—is working hard to deliver recreation opportunities to visitors by supporting those working on and managing trails. The program strives to promote open and transparent communication, think big and try new things, listen, learn and serve, and embody the principle that “teamwork truly makes the dream work.” This year, the National Trail Program continues to focus on supporting field operations by taking strategic actions that leverage resources and develop program efficiencies. This work is rooted in the 10-Year Trail Shared Stewardship Challenge, which is a framework to carry out the Forest Service's National Trail Strategy and the National Forest System Trails Stewardship Act of 2016.   

Many actions are underway to increase trail workforce capacity, increase trail sustainability and support the trail community. The Trail Challenge Guidebook contains a complete list of actions. Here are a few highlights: 

Training

• Participated in an interagency public-private partnership to develop Trail Professional Core Competencies. Interagency and private trail trainers are encouraged to adopt and apply the core competencies to develop consistent training and increase recognition of trail management, construction, and maintenance skills. 
• Supported development of a partner-led centralized website for trail training opportunities: Trailskills.org. 

Agency processes 

• Developed the National Trail Program SharePoint, an internal clearinghouse of trail-related information for Forest Service trail managers. The site includes best practice documents, regional accomplishment reports, reporting deadlines, contacts and more. 
• Developed a document with ideas and opportunities to support the Wildfire Crisis Strategy. 
• Planned to host bi-annual listening sessions (April and October) for Washington Office trail program managers to hear directly from field staff. 
• Simplified grants and agreements administration for local units through two national keystone agreements: Trail Stewardship Grant Program and Legacy Roads and Trails Trail Grant Program. 

Workforce 

• Implementing a Trail Workforce Analysis, a systematic unit-by-unit approach to articulate capacity gaps and needs in trail programs nationwide. Results are expected late winter 2023.
• Working to raise awareness of the use of Federal Wage System position descriptions to provide a field-based career ladder for technical trail professionals.

Trail sustainability 

• Developing a GIS tool to analyze and visualize trail physical sustainability. National results are expected soon and will be available for local refinement by the end of the year.  
• Developing a Mobile Data Collection tool using Survey123 to collect trail data that can be automatically loaded into Infra trails. 

Data 

• Working to fully redesign and modernize the Natural Resources Manager Infra trails, trail bridges, and access and travel management data modules to provide a user-friendly interface and modern mobile data collection and sharing
• Participating in an interagency public-private working group (Trails Stewardship Working Group) to improve how third-party trail apps display official versus user-created routes on their maps.  

Please share this information with staff on your unit so more people are aware of the work the National Trail Program is doing to support the trail community. Your voice matters! I encourage you to connect with your regional Trails Advisory Group representative, regional trail program manager, email the Washington Office Trail Program or attend a bi-annual listening session (the next one is in October) to continue to help shape the future of National Forest System trails.

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