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  National Park Service: new Mississippi office in Ocean Springs
  The Rivers, Trails & Conservation Assistance (RTCA) program of the National Park Service (NPS) has opened a new Mississippi office in Ocean Springs. The office will provide technical assistance to communities working to conserve rivers and open space, and to establish trails and greenways. The local RTCA contact, Liz Smith-Incer, would enjoy the opportunity to discuss project proposal ideas. Please contact her at 228-875-9057 x120 or email to Liz_smith-incer@nps.gov.

  National Trails Day
  Now in its 15th year, National Trails Day (NTD) continues to inspire the public to flock to their favorite trails to discover, learn about and celebrate trails while participating in educational exhibits, trail dedications, gear demonstrations, instructional workshops and trail work projects. NTD Provides a perfect opportunity to thank volunteers, land managing agencies, and outdoor minded businesses for their support in developing and maintaining trails. Events take place in all 50 states, Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico, Guam, the U.S. Virgin Islands and Canada. In 2006, a record 1,210 events registered with American Hiking Society for national sanctioning. The official date of National Trails Day is always the first Saturday in June; however, NTD events can also take place at other times during the year. The American Hiking Society will always support NTD hosts every step of the way regardless of when your NTD event takes place. You can get more information and register your event at: http://www.americanhiking.org/.

  Quinebaug River Canoe Trail
  Quinebaug River Canoe Trail at East Brimfield Lake in Massachusetts has received designation as a National Recreation Trail. More info about National Recreation Trails is available at American Trails and more info about East Brimfield is available through the Corps Lakes Gateway.

  Recommendations for the Future of Trails and Greenways in America
  This past fall, at the Opening Plenary Session of the 18th National Trails Symposium in the Quad Cities of Illinois and Iowa, the membership of American Trails (over 550 trail advocates and professionals) met and thoughtfully crafted a list of recommendations for the future of trails and greenways in America. This compilation has been forwarded to the Members of the 110th Congress, the White House, key agency heads and leaders in the trails community, and the national news media.

  10 Steps to Help Save Our Outdoors

  1. Promote Connections In Our Communities - Trail and greenway infrastructure that connects people and places in our neighborhoods, towns, cities and regions readily accessible within 15 minutes walking distance of every American.
  2. Create a National Trails Network/System - An integrated trails network at all levels: linking cities, states, and regions of the United States and North America, as well as trails accessing National Parks, National Forests and other public lands.
  3. Commit Sustainable Funding - Ongoing, sustainable revenue stream to fund and offer incentives to create trails and greenways. Includes federal funds & programs: Transportation Enhancements, Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality (CMAQ), National Park Service Rivers, Trails and Conservation Assistance (RTCA) program, The Recreational Trails Program, U.S. Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management (BLM) programs, Land & Water Conservation Fund (LWCF), Safe Routes to School, and Complete Streets.
  4. Expand Environmental Education - Environmental education an integral part of a national and local school curricula at every level.
  5. Associate Trails with Health and Fitness - Trails are, and should be, a significant part of community health and fitness programs.
  6. Encourage All Americans to Participate - Opportunities for the American People to give backhelping to plan, fund and work on trails in our neighborhoods, parks, as well as on state and federal lands.
  7. Promote Sustainable Transportation - Alternative modes of travel that lessen dependence on foreign oil and reduce CO2 emissions contributing to climate change.
  8. Engage, Motivate Youth - Promote stewardship with youth conservation/trail building corps.
  9. Promote Access and Accessibility - An accessible, safe system for all abilities within easy reach of all homes and places of employment.
  10. Build Trail and Greenway Partnerships - Trails and greenways created as vital infrastructure; working with homebuilders and developers, transportation, utility, flood and fire control agencies and others with mutual benefit.

  The American Canoe Association (ACA) has designated recommended water trails and developed an online database of water trails
  The National Park Service has been working with the American Canoe Association and through ACA's website, there is now has a database of 400 water trails throughout the U.S. and parts of Canada. This database provides users with information on each trail and tells them how to get maps. The ACA will be continually expanding and refining this database so that paddlers everywhere will have easy access to information on local and nationwide paddling opportunities.