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Dear RPL Community: A Message From Jason Keith |
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The past year has been very consequential for public lands policy, and those decisions affect every runner who cares about clean air, safe trails, and healthy landscapes. We depend on public land agencies for access, maintenance, and stewardship—but we also have real influence when we show up, advocate for our interests, and improve how decisions get made. That’s why RPL tracks what’s happening in Washington and organizes our community to engage early and effectively.
This kind of work takes endurance. In running, we talk about the “psychobiological struggle”: the mental and physical grind of staying with it when the going gets gets hard. Public lands policy has its own version—slow timelines, technical details, shifting priorities, and moments when it would be easier to disengage. RPL’s advocacy is about staying steady and showing up repeatedly so runner values and on-the-ground experience are reflected in decisions that shape the places we run.
On January 21, 2026, we provided testimony to the House Natural Resources Subcommittee on Federal Lands about implementation of the EXPLORE Act’s SOAR provisions. We explained that special recreation permits are more than paperwork: they determine whether a race or trail run can happen safely and predictably. We told Congress that success depends on adequate agency staffing, clear guidance, workable pathways for low-impact events, and coordination across jurisdictions so runners and race directors aren’t navigating a patchwork of rules.
Over the past year, RPL also weighed in on major proposals that shape runner health and access. We urged EPA to retain the 2009 Endangerment Finding because runners are uniquely vulnerable to climate-driven air pollution and need clean air to train and recreate. We opposed proposed NEPA changes that would weaken public participation and long-term analysis affecting trails and watersheds. We fought to preserve the Public Land Rule because it strengthens conservation and restoration tools that protect ecological integrity and recreational access. We pushed back against rescinding the Roadless Rule because runners value wild, undeveloped places—not just for races, but for the quiet, intact landscapes that define trail running. And we challenged USDA’s reorganization plan because it would weaken local expertise and field capacity when wildfires and maintenance backlogs already strain the agencies we rely on.
Thank you to the running community for showing up, sharing your experience, and helping power RPL’s work. We're committed to continuing the fight for policies and legislation that protect the people and places we love.
Onward!
Jason Keith Policy Advisor Runners for Public Lands |
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Public Land Policy Updates |
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Modernizing Access for Trail Running |
In a recent Congressional oversight hearing on the EXPLORE Act, RPL underscored the critical need for permitting reform to protect the future of organized trail running. While the act aims to streamline outdoor access, RPL’s testimony highlighted that success depends on agency capacity and consistency. Special Recreation Permits (SRPs) are the backbone of community races, managing everything from safety and waste to rural economic boosts. However, organizers often face unpredictable delays and conflicting requirements across different jurisdictions.
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Important Climate Policy Rescinded |
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently repealed the 2009 Endangerment Finding, which was a landmark scientific and legal determination that greenhouse gases endanger public health and welfare. This finding was what gave the EPA the ability to act on climate pollution. We submitted formal comments supporting the Endangerment Finding last year, noting that a healthy climate is vital for the running community. Unfortunately, the current administration has ignored decades of climate science in making this decision.
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Major Land Management Agency Weakens Environmental Regulations |
The Interior Department, which houses the National Park Service, Bureau of Land Management, and several other agencies, just announced that they have removed 80% of the department's regulations that are crucial for implementing the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). Every federal agency must comply with NEPA, but each one implements this bedrock environmental law differently. This move is part of a larger, concerted effort across multiple agencies to weaken environmental regulations, which could have major consequences for federal public lands.
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RPL's Upcoming Trip to D.C. to Meet With Lawmakers |
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In March, RPL staff will travel to Washington, DC alongside Outdoor Alliance and Washington Trails Association to make sure trail runners have a seat at the table as Congress begins to consider FY27 funding for public lands. Trail running depends on safe, sustainable, and predictable access—well-maintained trails, functional trailheads, and enough on-the-ground staffing to manage high-use recreation areas—yet recreation demand has surged while agency capacity has lagged, showing up as erosion, unsafe parking, trash, unmanaged social trails, closures, delayed maintenance, and permit backlogs.
Our message is simple: fund the basics so public lands stay open, safe, and well-managed for the millions of Americans—including runners—who use them. We’re urging Congress to support $100 million for BLM Recreation Resources Management and $70 million for USFS Recreation, Heritage, and Wilderness, plus a commensurate increase to National Forest System Salaries & Expenses to rebuild recreation staffing—because without targeted FY27 increases, trail maintenance and permitting backlogs will deepen, EXPLORE Act implementation will stall, and gateway communities that rely on outdoor recreation (including trail running events) will feel the hit.
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Kicking Off Our 2026 Trail Work Series! |
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We're so excited to announce that registration is now open for several of our 2026 Trail Work Series events! Our Ambassadors and partners are organizing over 30 events across California, Arizona, Colorado, Indiana, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and New York as part of this year's Trail Work Series. You can go ahead and sign up for some of the events in California, including in the Bay Area, San Diego, Santa Barbara, and Ventura. Registration information for other areas is coming soon, so stay tuned!
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KEEN x RPL Strava Challenge |
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KEEN and RPL are teaming up to bring you an awesome Strava Challenge in March. If you're on Strava, keep an eye out for the "Run for Public Lands" Challenge coming soon! |
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Runners for Public Lands
1680 Santa Ynez St
Ventura, CA 93001
United States
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