THE NATIONAL TRAILS SYSTEM:  PART II

This is the second installment of a two-part interview with Steve Elkinton, Program Leader for the National Trails System. In Part I of the interview, we covered the background and history of our national trails system, how they are managed, and some of the unique maintenance challenges they present. In Part II, Steve explains how the trails are promoted, describes some of the unique trails being built across the country, and shares information on some of his favorite trails.

Q. Steve, some of the national parks seem to garner a lot of attention and tend to be well known -- places like Yellowstone, Grand Canyon, Yosemite, and Great Smoky Mountains, and so on -- but with the possible exception of the Appalachian Trail, I would guess that the average person might not be able to name a single national trail. What is being done to build an awareness of our national trail system?

National park areas are well-known for a variety of reasons, including "marketing" in its broadest sense, be it word-of-mouth (the most effective), books and articles, or promotion campaigns. The best marketing is satisfied customers (just as in business). National park areas are popular because many people have been to them and enjoyed then so much they came back and brought their friends and families. National trails are new -- the first ones were only established in 1968. No one has yet promoted them nationally. Only now are books beginning to come out about the whole system (Art and Marge Miller's trails Across America" and Kathleen Cordes' "America's National Historic Trails"). And because many are nowhere near "complete" or even largely usable, there are few satisfied customers. But that is changing.

A lot is happening to bring national trails to the public's attention: books and videos on the trails, trail events (such as the current California NHT Sesquicentennial or the upcoming Lewis and Clark Bicentennial), inclusion in Federal agency promotional materials, websites, and through-hikers, such as Ed Talone's and Sue Lockwoods current coast-to-coast walk.

Q. Hiking and walking are always cited among the favorite activities of the American public, but many of the national scenic and historic trails are located in areas that may not be easily accessible. What interest has the NPS taken in helping to develop trails at the state or local levels?

The NPS is very active encouraging trails for local use. Many national park areas have fine path systems, even if recreation is not part of a park's mandate (say it's a battlefield). Our Rivers, Trails, and Conservation Assistance Program (RTCA) works with hundreds of groups each year across the country to plan and develop trails of all kinds -- often tied to more comprehensive greenway and waterfront projects.

Q. Could you briefly explain the goals behind a new category of trail that is being developed - the discovery trail - and more specifically, could you talk about the purpose and current status of the American Discovery Trail.

The "ADT" was conceived in 1990 as a way to form a backbone trail across America. It was scouted by an exploratory team in 1991-2 to find a route acceptable to each state crossed. Intentionally it linked to 9 of the 20 NSTs and NHTs. As the feasibility study for the trail was conducted in 1994-1995, it was felt that this trail had unique attributes -- perhaps enough to create a fifth category of national trail. If created by Congress, National Discovery Trails would be multi-modal, inter-urban, and protection of their route would lie primarily with state and local jurisdictions, not the Federal Government.

Q. We hear the word "greenway" being used more and more these days. What exactly is a greenway and how does it fit into the concept of a national trail system?

Greenways are generally linear corridors of open land, often available to compatible types of recreation. Books have been written about them by such groups as the Conservation Fund. They have captured the popular imagination because they are flexible and can be an umbrella concept which aids in river protection, waterfront restoration, rails-to-trails conversion, streamshed protection, steep slope protection, wildlife linkages, historic linkages, and almost any other purpose where undeveloped connections need to be made across the landscape. Generally greenways serve several purposes (forest preservation, waterway renewal, recreation, wildlife linkages, etc.) rather than being just single purpose.

Some national trails are in effect greenways. When Benton Mackaye first described his concept of the Appalachian Trail in 1921, what he was describing was a greenway before the term had been coined. Many of the national scenic trails will be greenways when they are fully operational -- and parts of the historic trails will also be greenways, even though they are discontinuous. In many parts of the country there is plenty of open space, so linear open space corridors are not needed, but ion developed and urbanizing areas, these linear resource corridors can be invaluable.

Q. When a new trail is proposed or is in the development stages, how is the decision made as to whether a trail will be limited to foot traffic or might be opened to bicycling, horseback riding, cross-country skiing, etc?

Generally the uses of a national trail are scoped out and decided on during the comprehensive management plan, just after the trail is established. This would be determined after a series of public meetings and discussions with all trail partners. Sometimes the uses of a trail are included in its establishment language in the National Trails System Act.

El Camino Real de Tierra Adentro  courtesy of the National Park Service

Q. What, if any, involvement does NPS have in the Rails-to-Trails Program, in which thousands of miles of abandoned railway lines have been converted to trails?

The NPS has been a partner with the Rails-to-Trails Conservancy on several initiatives of mutual interest -- in fact, at one time NPS even had authority to offer grants for rail-to-trail conversions! Our RTCA field staff are often involved in helping local or state groups bring forth an abandoned rail line into a top-quality trail. In or near national park areas, a fair number of former railway corridors have opened up new opportunities for recreational and alternative transportation connections.

Q. Recently, I read part of a speech that the First Lady gave earlier this year which briefly described the Millennium Trails Program. What is this program about and how does it fit into NPS?

The Millennium Trails Program is an initiative which grew out of the White House Millennium Council. It is striving to give recognition to many trails at the national, state, and local level as part of the effort to mark the passing of the 2nd Millennium and prepare for the future. Trails connect people to their pasts and their surroundings -- and may be an ideal way to link them to the future, too. Among Federal agencies, the U.S. Department of Transportation has taken the lead on this program, contracting with the Rails-to-Trails Conservancy to provide support services.

Q. In an article you wrote for Pathways Across America last year, you cited that one of the strengths of the national trails system was that it "relied on a minimum of regulation while fostering voluntary cooperation." Why do you consider minimum regulation do be a strength in this type of program?

Minimum regulation may not be a strength, but it has been a preference of many members of Congress and the public in getting away from top-heavy bureaucratic government programs.

Q. You mentioned earlier in the interview that before taking a job with NPS, you had hiked portions of the Appalachian and Pacific Crest National Scenic Trails. Since joining NPS, have you had the opportunity to spend time hiking some of the other national trails, and if so, do you have some favorite spots you'd like to share?

In this job it is one of my great pleasures to visit portions of these trails with their devoted supporters. I do not play favorites, but can certainly list a few:

• The Chesapeake and Ohio Canal opposite Harpers Ferry National Historical Park, where the Appalachian and Potomac Heritage National Scenic Trails overlap for a few miles. 
• The portion of the Juan Bautista de Anza NHT now set aside for public enjoyment between Tubac and Tumacacori in southern Arizona.
• Mountain passes in Colorado where the Continental Divide NST comes down "into civilization" for a few brief moments. 
• South Pass, Wyoming, where the overland trails (Oregon, Mormon Pioneer, California, and Pony Express NHTs) crossed the Continental Divide without even noticing, it is such a huge and sky-filled landscape.
• The levee around Lake Okeechobee in Florida carrying the Florida NST, scene each Thanksgiving of the Big-O hike.
• Missouri's Katy Trail along the Missouri River, giving modern-day cyclists and hikers an overview of waters plied by Lewis and Clark almost 200 years ago.
• The Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, AL, where Civil Rights marchers were beaten in 1965.
• The lonely Iditarod NHT in the mountains behind Anchorage, Alaska.
• The remote Lolo Trail in Idaho's Bitterroot Mountains where sacred sites are still honored by the Nez Perce People and Lewis and Clark encountered their severest trials.

The list could go on and on. Such places are what attract people to the trails -- but much of what we get out of these experiences is what we bring in the way of expectations, attitudes, and prejudices. The trails are life-transforming if we give them time to work their magic.

Q. Volunteers play a very important role in our national and state park systems. Are there opportunities for people to volunteer on National Trails Program? If so, how should they go about it?

Volunteers are the life blood of the National Trails System. Without them none of these trails would function. The Partnership for the National Trails System has documented that in 1998 for the 20 NSTs and NHTs alone volunteers donated almost 500,000 hours (worth about $6 million) and contributed another $4.4 million in cash. the National Trails System Act recognizes the value of these contributions and encourages that volunteers get involved in all aspects of national trails operations, planning, and construction. To offer one's time, the best way is to contact the partner organization for a specific trail.

 

Q. How can people find out what trail programs or trail systems exist in their own state or community?

There are several ways to stay abreast of local and state trail activities. Contact your state trails council or trail coordinator (usually, but not always, in a department of state parks or natural resources). Contact a local chapter of Sierra Club or youth hostels. Contact local state park or national park staff and ask about local trails groups. Contact American Hiking Society which is trying to update a national directory of trail-related organizations, organized by state.

Q. Finally, Steve, if you could to look about 20 years into the future, what do you imagine will be some of the most significant differences between the National Trails System as it exists today and as it will exist then?

If we are lucky to get the necessary funding and staffing, here is my hope for the National Trails System in the year 2020:

• Experiencing national scenic and historic trails is something with which people are familiar, and the public turns to the trails to offer educational messages and life-transforming experiences .

• The trails are appropriately marked and easy to find on the ground.

• Key sites and segments (especially of historic ruts and trail-related structures and ruins) are permanently protected.

• Local communities appreciate the economic returns to their treasuries from people coming to visit these trails and their sites.

• There is a North American Trails System linking the U.S. to Canada and Mexico.

• There are some more trails in the system so that it reaches into every state and represents the broadest spectrum of American heritage from pre-history to the present -- but not so many more that earlier trails are neglected.

• National Trails are a recognized way to travel from one national park to another, from a national forest to a nearby town or city, from border to border, from coast-to-coast.

• National trails are lucrative enough that outfitters can actually make a living helping people tour these travel corridors.

Part I of the Interview with Steve Elkinton

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