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Dear RPL Community: A Message From Kat Baker |
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Running has a way of bringing people together, and regardless of whether you’ve been running for decades or just discovered the magic of the sport, I’m thrilled that you found your way to Runners for Public Lands (RPL). I’m also honored to welcome the thousands of new RPL members to our community this month, and I’m grateful for the opportunity to thank our existing members for many years of support as we approach our 7th anniversary in April.
RPL works at the intersection of running and public lands advocacy—bringing together runners, run clubs, race directors, and nonprofit and run industry partners who believe public lands and universal accessibility to them are worth fighting for.
This is a pivotal year for public lands, and runners are showing up. We are actively advocating to keep trails open, safe, and well-resourced through community events, trail stewardship, educational resources, civic engagement, and policy efforts. Our voice matters, and we look forward to sharing more opportunities to work together to protect the places we love in the coming weeks. Thank you for being part of our community of runners working to protect public lands! Kat Baker Executive Director Runners for Public Lands |
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Join Us at Camp & Run in June |
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We are excited to announce that RPL’s signature Camp & Run is returning to Leadville, CO, for a third year in a row from June 5 - 7!
Please join RPL, the Cloud City Conservation Center, Friends of Lake County, and the Lake County Tourism Panel for an inspirational weekend that will include discussions with local experts and public lands advocates, hands-on community projects and advocacy actions, and time to connect with new friends. You will run, hike, swim, and explore the treasured landscapes of this iconic trail running town, try new products from our brand coalition partners, including title sponsor Teva, and visit Melanzana for a private tour and shopping experience.
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Public Land Policy Updates |
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Protecting Public Input on National Forest Projects |
Runners for Public Lands recently submitted comments opposing a U.S. Forest Service proposal that would dramatically shorten the public’s chance to weigh in on public-land projects. Under the proposal, people would have just 10 days to comment on environmental assessments and only 20 days to comment on environmental impact statements—the larger, more complicated projects—with similarly short timelines for formal objections. We argued that those deadlines are simply too short for runners, local communities, Tribes, scientists, trail groups, and other stakeholders to meaningfully review complex proposals before decisions are made
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Advocating for Public Lands in D.C. |
This month, RPL's executive director 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. |
Standing Up for Forested Trails and Landscapes in Oregon |
We also submitted a detailed comment letter to the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) opposing the agency’s proposal to increase commercial logging and timber production across western Oregon. In our comment letter, we highlighted the importance of trail running and outdoor recreation to local, rural economies, and how ramping up commercial logging in the region could have negative impacts. |
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Welcome New Team Members! |
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We are excited to welcome a new staff and board member to the RPL team! Aimee Kohler (she/her) has joined the RPL staff as our new Digital Content Manager, while Addie Thompson (she/her) is the newest addition to the Board of Directors. Both Aimee and Addie have spent years working at the intersection of climate advocacy in the outdoor industry. Most recently, Addie started Where The Climate Things Are, a media, events and storytelling platform to activate the outdoor community around climate, and co-hosts the The Trail Ahead media series, fostering interracial dialogue around equity, access and inclusion in the outdoor community. Similarly, Aimee has been building a Climate Neutral trail running community, The Running Kind, where the goal of connecting runners to the grounds they run is the underlying mission. Both of these women are sure to be great additions to the team!
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This Year's Trail Work Series Off to a Stellar Start |
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Several amazing trail work days have already been completed as part of this year's Trail Work Series (TWS), with dozens more coming up. We have events lined up across eight regions in seven states over the next few months. Volunteers have been brushing trails, repairing tread, and more. This year is shaping up to be our biggest yet for TWS, and we hope you join us on an upcoming work day! |
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Run For Public Lands Strava Challenge |
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Thank you to everyone who has already completed the challenge on Strava and to KEEN for funding this project! If you haven’t joined the challenge yet, all you have to do is log 3 hours of running on any public lands: national parks or forests, neighborhood parks, community paths, or local trails. You’ll receive a free 6-month membership to RPL, paid for by our brand coalition partner KEEN, plus a one-time code for 25% off KEEN trail runners and discounts to the RPL store. If you’ve already completed the challenge, be sure to redeem your reward!
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Runners for Public Lands
1680 Santa Ynez St
Ventura, CA 93001
United States
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