The U.S. General Accounting Office just released a discouraging report on the state of the Forest Service trail network. No surprise to anyone familiar with the North Folk’s trail inventory, only about a fourth of them receive adequate maintenance . . .
A new federal report says only one-quarter of U.S. Forest Service trails meet the agency’s own standards as it attempts to catch up with a $524 million maintenance deficit.
Volunteer groups like the Backcountry Horsemen of America and The Wilderness Society have stepped into that gap, but they worry the backlog will drive folks out of the woods.
“We found problems with trail maintenance was undermining support for wilderness and public land in general,” said Paul Spitler, director of wilderness campaigns for The Wilderness Society…
Additional material: GAO report on the state of Forest Service trails