The U.S. Forest Service—along with the Bureau of Land Management, the National Park Service, and several other federal land-management agencies—plays a vital role in the conservation of public lands. The Forest Service alone oversees 193 million acres, most of which are available for recreation and healthy enjoyment by all Americans. But recently enacted staffing reductions, a relocation of the Forest Service’s headquarters, and looming budget cuts threaten federal agencies’ ability to protect and preserve America’s most cherished natural areas.
Leave No Trace stands with The Conservation Alliance, the Brands for Public Lands Coalition, and over 70 outdoor industry businesses that have called on Congress to reconsider these changes and to restore adequate funding so the U.S. Forest Service can uphold its legally mandated mission. Recreation on Forest Service lands drives $23.3 billion in annual economic output. That doesn’t happen without proper funding, staffing, and a commitment to science-backed management.
Leave No Trace’s leadership in protecting public lands has endured for more than 30 years. We protect public spaces by educating people on how to reduce their impacts. We also work with like-minded nonprofits, companies in the outdoor and other industries, and thousands of individual supporters to preserve America’s public lands for future generations to enjoy.
Leave No Trace provides vital resources for education, messaging, and on-the-ground support to the Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, National Park Service, and many other federal agencies. Those resources are put to work every day, and we’ll continue to directly support their efforts in these challenging times.
Last week, we signed on to an advocacy campaign led by Outdoor Alliance calling for $100 million for BLM Recreation Resources Management and $70 million for USFS Recreation, Heritage, and Wilderness funding. The campaign also addresses agency staff reductions and hiring barriers for permanent recreation staff, including those needed to implement the EXPLORE Act.
We’ll continue working with Outdoor Alliance, the Conservation Alliance, and other partners to secure adequate funding. And we’ll keep working directly with our federal partners to provide educational, messaging, and on-the-ground resources.
Public lands belong to all of us. Protecting them takes all of us. You can help by taking our Earth Month Pledge and consider making a donation to help us continue our mission.
