BLM, Partners Launch #FindYourWay to Celebrate America's National Trails and Wild & Scenic Rivers Systems
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WASHINGTON – Today, several federal agencies and their nonprofit partners announced the launch of #FindYourWay to celebrate the upcoming 50th anniversary of the National Trails System and the Wild & Scenic Rivers acts in 2018. Over the next two years, #FindYourWay will invite visitors from all backgrounds to explore America’s trails and rivers. Through social media, local and national events, videos, and other programs, Find Your Way aims to build public awareness of the National Trails and Wild & Scenic Rivers Systems, and increase engagement and volunteerism to support them.
The National Park Service, the Bureau of Land Management, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the U.S. Forest Service, and the Army Corps of Engineers have stewardship roles in the trails and rivers systems, from the Appalachian, Lewis and Clark, and Ozark Highlands trails to the Delaware, Salmon, Snake, and Missouri rivers. State and local governments and nonprofit partners also provide stewardship support for the two systems through site management, volunteer service, philanthropic support, and community engagement.
Find Your Way expands on the National Park Service and National Park Foundation’s Find Your Park/Encuentra Tu Parque movement and invites the public to discover their own personal connections to thousands of trails across the U.S. and more than 12,000 miles of rivers protected by the Wild & Scenic Rivers System.
The launch of Find Your Way is accompanied by the first in a summer-long series of videos produced to depict the different ways in which people, families and communities connect to and experience public lands through trails and rivers. Partners across the country will invite the public to Find Your Way to celebrations on American Hiking Society’s National Trails Day on June 3, and the tourism industry will explore Find Your Way during the International Trade and Tourism trade show in Washington, DC in early June. Additional elements of the rivers and trails campaigns will roll out later in 2017.
“This celebration is another great way to improve access to recreation opportunities on public lands by sharing tips and ideas,” said Bureau of Land Management Acting Director Michael Nedd. “Our staff and volunteers are eager to help people discover new trails and rivers and the many kinds of experiences they have to offer.”
On October 2, 1968, President Lyndon Johnson signed the National Trails System Act and the Wild & Scenic Rivers Act, establishing the two systems. Legislation establishing National Historic Trails was enacted in 1978. Criteria for designation vary, and elements of the systems are stewarded by a variety of federal, state, and local agencies and nonprofit organizations. More information is available online about the National Trails System and the Wild & Scenic Rivers System.
About the 50th Anniversary Partners
The river and trail communities commemorating the 50th anniversary of their establishment include both federal government and non-profit partners. Federal agency partners include the National Park Service, the Bureau of Land Management, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the U.S. Forest Service, and the Army Corps of Engineers. River organizations American Rivers and American Whitewater, River Management Society and River Network join the federal agencies to build community around rivers in 2018. Trails nonprofit partners include American Hiking Society, American Trails, the Partnership for the National Trails System, and the Rails to Trails Conservancy.
The BLM manages more than 245 million acres of public land located primarily in 12 western states, including Alaska, on behalf of the American people. The BLM also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation. Our mission is to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of America’s public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations.