Preparing to Hike Capitol Hill
By: Claire Cutler I CDTC Trail Policy Specialist
While winter may be a quiet season on the CDT, it’s the busiest time of the year for CDTC’s policy team! Preparations are in full swing for late February, when three CDTC staff members will head to Washington D.C. for a very different kind of hike–the annual Hike the Hill week of advocacy. CDTC staff are reaching out to Congressional offices, finalizing our annual Congressional Report, and learning how to collaborate with the new presidential administration.
CDTC staff and partners at Hike the Hill 2024.
Hike the Hill is an annual gathering of the trails community in Washington DC to advocate for issues that impact trails across the country. CDTC staff members will join partners to meet with federal agencies, the offices of Senators and Representatives, and other partners and stakeholders who are vital to the health of the Continental Divide. During last year’s Hike the Hill, CDTC staff members met with sixteen congressional offices, representing all five CDT states and both political parties.
This year, CDTC is excited to highlight major accomplishments from 2024, including our collaboration with partners to deliver over 19,000 hours of volunteer service to the CDT, progress on all of the major remaining gaps in the trail, and the many ways we’ve been able to collaborate with and elevate the rural communities that love and care for the CDT.
We’re also eager to work with agency partners and congressional offices on several important priorities for 2025:
- In the last congressional session, a bipartisan group of Senators, including Montana Senator Steve Daines, introduced the America the Beautiful Act, which would reauthorize the Legacy Restoration Fund (LRF) for an additional eight years, until FY 2033. The LRF is a crucial lifeline for addressing deferred maintenance on American public lands and CDTC hopes to work with legislators to ensure this essential funding is reauthorized.
- CDTC will also work with congressional champions for the trail to reintroduce the CDT Completion Act in the 119th Congress. The CDT Completion Act directs the US Departments of Agriculture and the Interior to complete the CDT, eliminating dangerous road walks and making the trail safer, more accessible, and more enjoyable.
- Congressionally appropriated funding is critical to the ability of federal agencies to steward our public lands, including the CDT. CDTC will advocate for strong funding for the US Forest Service and its CDT Team, as well as for the entire National Trails System, in the Congressional Appropriations Bills for FY 2025 and 2026. Critically, the US Forest Service CDT Team applied for $4.8 million in Great American Outdoors Act funding to improve the CDT in New Mexico, Colorado, and Wyoming, which can only be implemented pending passage of a Congressional Budget.
- The CDT is a point of pride, a crucial connection to public lands, and an economic boon for many rural communities. CDTC is excited to work with federal agencies and legislators to ensure that the CDT continues to support outdoor recreation economies in small communities, provide access for community members to hunt, fish, camp, horseback ride, and hike, and provide an avenue for rural landowners and community members to shape the future of our public lands.
CDTC staff meet with members of Wyoming Senator John Barrasso’s team.
The trail community’s efforts and celebrations at Hike the Hill are only possible because of the great work done in partnership with government agencies, sovereign nations, community members, recreationists, volunteers, and others who contribute to the grandeur of our nationwide network of trails.
As our policy team goes on our first “hike” of the year, we hope you’ll join us in celebrating and speaking up for the CDT! CDTC will host a Trail Advocacy Training later this spring and will continue to share opportunities for you to voice support for the CDT to your elected officials. Sign up for our Advocacy Alerts to receive all of our policy and advocacy news!
