This month, I traveled to Washington, D.C., to represent runners and race directors in meetings with policymakers by requesting support for public lands agency funding through the Fiscal Year 2027 (FY27) appropriations process. Alongside RPL partners from the Outdoor Alliance and Washington Trails Association, I carried the message that public land agencies need robust, dedicated recreation funding and staff to support increased visitation and demand for access to trails.
Recreation use has surged in recent years, but Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and U.S. Forest Service budgets and staffing haven’t kept pace. For trail runners, that manifests in real and immediate ways: damaged trails and extended closures, unmaintained facilities, deferred maintenance of campgrounds and roads, and a permitting environment where staff shortages can delay or derail the organized events our community loves. Recent hiring freezes and widespread layoffs have only deepened these challenges, leaving fewer people on the ground who ensure public safety and partner with the local organizations that have the skills and knowledge to help.
I had the privilege of joining several Hike the Hill events with the American Hiking Society and the greater National Trail System community. This included meeting with the Chief of the U.S. Forest Service, the Acting Director of the BLM, and several key members of the leadership teams from these agencies and the National Park Service. These were substantive conversations with the people responsible for managing the trails we run, and it was a critical opportunity to make clear that the trail running community is deeply engaged on issues affecting trails and public lands.
Our running community requires well-managed access to public lands. That means maintained trails and trailhead infrastructure, a functioning permitting process that supports responsible community-centered events, and dedicated staff to provide essential support and communications. When agencies have the resources to do their jobs, everyone wins: runners, race directors, local economies, and the landscapes themselves. The appropriations process is ongoing, and RPL will continue to play an important part alongside our outdoor recreation partners as the FY27 process moves forward.