We just got an alert from IMBA that a federal recreational trails program is facing cuts. This program is very important for mountain biking in Oregon. Neither of Oregon’s Senators (Gordon Smith & Ron Wyden) has yet signed the letter to save this trails program. Read on and call by Wednesday!
An important trails program, the Rivers, Trails and Conservation Assistance Program (RTCA), is facing significant funding cuts in next year’s federal budget. RTCA supports 300 projects around the country each year, helping create nearly 700 miles of trail and preserving more than 61,000 acres of open space. RTCA is very supportive of mountain biking and partnered specifically with IMBA on eight projects in 2005 in Alaska, Maine, Tennessee and Vermont.
Senator Carl Levin (D-MI) and Senator Susan Collins (R-ME) are circulating a “Dear Colleague” letter, an internal Senate petition to show support for funding RTCA at $10.1 million. IMBA is trying to get as many senators as possible to sign the letter by the end of the week – time is critical. We need at least 30 senators to have a chance to restore funding.
Times are tight for the federal budget, but we’re only asking for $2.4 million – a drop in the bucket compared to other programs.
Better yet, RTCA is an incredibly efficient program with a much greater impact than its current budget would suggest. It leverages an additional
$50 million annually from local communities to improve their trail and conservation systems.
To call your two U.S. Senators, use the U.S. Capitol Switchboard: 202-224-3121
Tell them who you are, your address, phone number and if you work with an affiliated bike club or trails organization. Leave a message if you
get voice mail.
Thank them for their time and tell them you are calling about increasing the budget for a program of the National Park Service called Rivers, Trails and Conservation Assistance.
Ask them to sign the “Dear Colleague” letter being circulated by Senators Levin (D-MI) and Collins (R-ME) to restore RTCA’s funding to $10.1 million in the Interior Appropriations bill.
Tell them this program has remained flat funded for several years, was cut by $200,000 last year and another cut will mean many more community
trails projects won’t get their assistance.
Here are the 2006 Oregon projects that have been funded by this program:
- Beaverton Creek Regional Trail, OR
- Corvallis-to-the-Sea Trail, OR
- Crown Zellerbach Multi-Use Trail, OR
- Five Rivers Estuary Water Trail, OR
- Keizer Regional Park, OR
- Lake Ewauna Trail, OR
- Mill Creek Greenway, OR
- NW Discovery Water Trail, WA, OR, ID
- Oakridge Area Trails and Open Space, OR
Ontario Pathways & Greenbelt, ID, OR - Oregon Basin and Range Birding Trail, OR
- Ridgeline Rec. and Wildlife Corridor, OR
- Siuslaw Estuary Water Trail, OR
- Upper Sandy Basin Conservation & Rec, OR
- Upper Willamette River Water Trail, OR
- Warrenton Multi-use Trail, OR
