Contact Your Senator to Save Transportation Enhancement Money!

from American Trails and other sources

Although the North Country Trail seeks to be mostly single-track woods trail, there are many places where our uses overlap with trails which are aided by these funds. One critical area is adding pedestrian walkways to bridges.

If you care about the NCT, please contact your Senator today! Voting could occur as early as Monday.

Last week, the House of Representatives dealt non-motorized transportation a serious blow by passing a bill that would eliminate Transportation Enhancements. This funding helps pay for things like multi-use trails, and the Safe Routes to School program.

Highway proponents have always complained about the requirement to cover other forms of transportation, other than powered vehicles. Media coverage of projects that seem frivolous hasn't helped.

Now, it's the Senate's turn. If you care about getting around for transportation and/or recreation without burning gas, please send an email today! Links below should make it as easy as possible.

The Senate's version of the transportation bill (MAP-21) does NOT include dedicated funding for the Recreational Trails Program. However, Senator Klobuchar (D-MN) will present an amendment to restore dedicated funding to RTP at the appropriate time. (The amendment could be offered as early as next week.) This would restore RTP authorization as a stand-alone program, as well as fund it at 2009 levels.

ACTION NEEDED: PLEASE CALL and ask your Senators to support Senator Klobuchar's amendment to restore dedicated funding for the Recreational Trails Program in the Senate transportation bill (MAP-21).

"ASK" FOR SENATORS:

As a user-pay/user-benefit program, dedicated funding for the RTP should be included in the Senate transportation bill (MAP-21). Will you support the Klobuchar amendment to MAP-21, which restores dedicated funding for the Recreational Trails Program? This amendment makes the Senate bill consistent with language that is already in the House bill.

There is a similar campaign to support an amendment to protect Enhancements and Safe Routes to School sponsored by Senator Cardin (D-MD) and Senator Cochran (R-MS) in the Senate transportation bill


See Talking Points
See Find Your Senator
See read more at American Hiking

Continuing Mineral Extraction Controversy in the Allegheny National Forest

Allegheny National Forest Hills in autumn (photo by jhy)

based on news articles in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: In Rebuttal / Two different standards and Stand up for states' rights

The problems of mineral and timber extraction in the Allegheny National Forest of Pennsylvania are an old and bitter news item. For the issues of oil and gas drilling the problem is intensified by the fact that the Forest does not own the sub-surface rights. Thus, the government has no legal right to prevent the industry from taking what is legally theirs.

Problems arise, however, due to the fact that oil wells, tanks, roads and pipelines have to be built on the surface in order to extract the minerals. This infrastructure does intrude on the landscape that belongs to the National Forest. Many law suits over these issues have been brought over the years. With the recent hoopla about the potential for the development of the Marcellus Shale, and hydrofracturing processes, the issue is hot once again.

Because there are nearly 100 miles of North Country Trail within the Allegheny National Forest, the trail is often impacted.

The legal issues surrounding the Allegheny battles are much more complex than recreation vs industry. Two-century-old laws concerning the acquisition and uses of federal land come into play. Recently the U.S. Third Circuit Court of Appeals held that the Allegheny National Forest has almost no authority to permit (or not) the surface infrastructure needed to extract sub-surface minerals.

Those who feel that the modern recreational uses of National Forests is paramount in importance are outraged.

The battle goes on. Meanwhile, be prepared to see plenty of oil and gas rigs in Pennsylvania and Ohio along the trail.

This segment is on NCTA map PA-01

See Allegheny National Forest Chapter of the NCTA

Transportation Enhancements Still Under Fire

a news release of Rails-to-Trails Conservancy

Transportation Enhancement Funds are meant to be applied to other forms of transportation than highways. These funds have benefited the North Country Trail in certain places where we follow urban pathways, or to provide pedestrian walkways on bridges. Although TE funds will never be a big portion of North Country Trail funding, this source of cash had been critical in building the country's multi-use trail system.

In his Senate Amendment 821, Senator Rand Paul (Ky.) is trying to force us to choose between safe bridges and safe places to walk and bike in our communities.

See RTC Vice President of Program Kevin Mills discussing in the video why we need your support:

Choosing between bridges and safe walking and bicycling is a false choice.

In truth, most states already have funds that they could use for bridge repair, but that instead go for new roadways. Further, last year, states sent back $530 million in unspent bridge funds.

It’s shameful and disingenuous to claim to be promoting safety by pushing to cut funds for trails, walking and bicycling when 47,000 cyclists and pedestrians have died during the past decade.

Sen. Paul’s is the third attack on TE in a single month.

In late September, Senator Tom Coburn (Okla.) attempted to eliminate dedicated funding for this crucial program. Working through a broad coalition, supported of trails joined together to send more than 50,000 messages to your senators, asking them to support TE.

Unfortunately, some in Congress believe that if they keep hammering away at a wildly popular, low-cost, highly efficient program, we’ll finally get tired and let them destroy a 20-year legacy of building a balanced transportation system.



See Rails to Trails

Opinions on Taconite Mining in Wisconsin

{EAV_BLOG_VER:dd07b9f10488db83} just ignore this verification code for Empire Avenue, please

taconite mine tailings in Minnesota (photo by jhy)

received from Mike Stafford, President, Heritage Chapter of the NCTA

The proposed mine along the Heritage section of the North Country Trail appeared to be on hold a few weeks ago when GTAC stopped public-view pursuit of it. Now that the recall elections are mostly complete it appears that the state senate is again ready to consider relaxing current environmental protection laws to shorten and hasten the regulatory approval (per Senator Fitzgerald in an interview this morning). The North Country Trail Association does not take a position on whether the mine should or should not be approved. However, as individual volunteers, I ask that you consider joining me in asking your legislator to at least respect the environmental and regulatory laws that are currently on the books. These laws and regulations were a long time in development. Certainly laws can and should be changed with careful and thoughtful consideration, but it seems inappropriate to quickly and drastically change laws to relax regulations at the request of one special interest.


You may have already seen this, but below is a letter from a former mine supporter describing how and why he changed his mind regarding the mine. Charles Ortman runs a business in the area and was willing to step forward and make the statements below:

I don't take pleasure in delivering the following news. I was initially a strong
advocate of the Gogebic Taconite (GTAC) mine.

Fortunately I don't like to make decisions before informing myself. So after three months of digging I sadly report the following to you. If you are skeptical of my data I encourage you to go to the Iron Range and check for yourself every one of my claims. I would be happy to be wrong.

GTAC will make our fish inedible (fisherman take heed), kill our wild rice (duck hunters and ricers take heed), sterilize our rivers and lakes (water enthusiasts take heed). Have I got your attention? Good because its all true.

Even though taconite mining is not sulfide mining it still creates a sulfide and mercury pollution cycle. This cycle is unequivocally incompatible with fresh water. When sulfates enter the water they are acted on by a sulfide eating bacteria that turns mercury into methyl-mercury. This is the kind of mercury that gets transferred up the food chain and accumulates in the tissue of fish. It is the kind of mercury that turns into "do not eat fish from this body of water" warnings.

"Do not eat fish from this body of water" are the warnings you will be seeing on fish in the Chequamegon Bay and rivers affected by the GTAC pit mine. High sulfate levels and mercury is what killed over 100 miles of the St. Louis River to wild rice and is responsible for the inedibly high levels of mercury in the fish. High sulfate levels are slowly poisoning lakes and waterways throughout the Iron Range and it is caused by taconite mining.

Taconite tailings ponds on the Iron Range that are leaking (and they all leak, even the best of them) have been draining into the Partridge River for years. There are sulfates and mercury in this leakage. Once a river's sulfate level reaches a certain point, somewhere around 10 parts per million, the sulfate-eating bacteria get going and part of this byproduct is the methyl-mercury that gets into the fish and hydrogen sulfide which prevents wild rice from growing.

What we have now in the Penokees is a fish and wildlife factory as well as a water purification system that you couldn't buy for any amount of precious
metals under it.

Citizens of Ashland and the surrounding community, don't trade the golden goose for a mercury egg! Demand your local and state politicians put an end to this
water killer right now. Demand that GTAC pack up the boring equipment and move along. We prefer our clean water.

Signed,
Charles Ortman
Ashland

Can you help to join the fight to let the legislators know that the existing mining laws need to be enforced? A letter that you can use is attached. Please personalize the letter if you wish. If you don't know your Senator or Assembly person, use this link to find who they are: Wisconsin Legislators

Protecting the Northwoods is something we all need to participate in. Please take time to send your legislator an message via email, fax or hard copy. They need to hear from you.

Thank you in advance for helping to protect the Northwoods.

Michael J Stafford, President Heritage Chapter of the NCTA

This segment is on NCTA map WI-01

See Heritage Chapter of the NCTA

Arrowhead Reroute Needs Congressional Introduction Again

Royal River bluff from the Border Route on the Minnesota Arrowhead (photo by jhy)

from Call of the Wild, the newsletter of the Star of the North Chapter of the NCTA

A delegation from the North Country Trail Association— including past NCTA president John Leinen— traveled to Washington, DC in February as part of the Hike the Hill Trails Advocacy Week.

A significant component of NCTA’s message was the Arrowhead Re-route, the legislative effort to change the NCT’s official route in NE Minnesota to include the Superior Hiking Trail, Border Route Trail, and Kekekabic Trail. The trip was fruitful. There appears to be broad bi-partisan support from across the NCT for the Reroute because it is well-supported here and doesn’t involve federal spending.

The NCTA; however, is still waiting for Rep. Chip Cravaack (R-8th District MN) to introduce the Arrowhead Re-route bill in the U.S. House. Senators Klobuchar and Franken have indicated that they will gladly co-introduce the corresponding bill in the U.S. Senate once Rep. Cravaack has taken action.

If you live in Minnesota's 8th District, we encourage you to contact Cravaack’s office in North Branch and to make it known that you support the Re-route and would like to see the Representative take the lead by introducing the bill.

Contact Rep. Cravaack at:
6448 Main Street, Suite 6
North Branch, MN 55056
(651) 237-8220 / 1-888-563-7390 / Fax: (651) 237-8225
https://cravaack.house.gov/contact-me/email-me

See Star of the North Chapter of the NCTA
See Update on Status of the Arrowhead Reroute

Do You Live in Northeastern Minnesota?

view of the Gooseberry River from the NCT/SHT (photo by jhy)

from Matt Davis, Regional Trail Coordinator for MN & ND, North Country Trail Association

The North Country Trail Association is looking for hikers in Minnesota's 8th Congressional District to contact Rep. Chip Cravaack and ask him to support the North Country National Scenic Trail's (NCT) Arrowhead Re-route by introducing legislation in the U.S. House of Representatives.

The Arrowhead Re-route would change the official route of the NCT in northeastern Minnesota and make the Superior Hiking Trail, Border Route Trail, and Kekekabic Trails official components of the NCT - the nation's longest hiking trail.

A small group of NCTA folks met with a staff member from Rep. Cravaack's Minnesota office on Wednesday to introduce the issue and a team will visit his Washington, DC office next month as part of Hike the Hill Trails Advocacy Week. We are hoping that some constituents will contact his office before then and let him know that this issue is important to them and that they'd like him to act.

If you should have any questions about this issue, feel free to contact Bruce Matthews at NCTA HQ at bmatthews@northcountrytrail.org / 1-866-HIKE-NCT.

If you don't live in the 8th District, don't worry. You can help later once the House bill is introduced when we will try to get all of Minnesota's House delegation to sign onto the bill as co-sponsors. Feel free to forward this message onto others who live in the 8th District and would consider making a contact.

Thanks for your support of the North Country Trail!

See Minnesota's 8th Congressional District
status of S553
Contact Matt Davis

Update on the Status of the Arrowhead Reroute

Lyle Bialk taking in the view from the BRT (photo by JHY)

from Matt Davis, Regional Trail Coordinator, NCTA

I wanted to share the latest on the Arrowhead Re-route legislation's status since it was recently discussed on the post...

We (the NCTA) are hoping that the Senate Bill (S.553, introduced by Sen. Klobuchar) will advance out of the Senate's Energy & Natural Resources Committee early this summer. They should be having a committee markup session in May at which time the bill will be tweaked (to make a necessary change in the language that would not strip the recently obtained wiling seller authority) while amendments *could* be added. Our hope is that no amendments that could have negative impacts to the National Trails System will be added like those added to the House bill (H.R. 481) in Committee markup. We will be watching it closely and we do have an ally sitting on the Committee in Senator Stabenow from Michigan. So, we're hopeful the political shenanigans won't strike again.

Eventually, S. 553 and H.R. 481 would either need to be reconciled in conference committee (if passed by their respective full chambers) where the negative amendments could be stripped out *OR* the Arrowhead Re-route legislation could be included in another piece of omnibus legislation like 2009's omnibus public lands bill.

At this point, it's important to get U.S. Senators from other North Country Trail states (Wisconsin, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and New York) to sign on as co-sponsors. So far, we only have Minnesota's two Senators, Wisconsin's Feingold, and Michigan's two Senators on board. We've been told that having a Republican on board will help greatly so we're targeting Sen. Voinovich of Ohio and hoping that our Buckeye Trail folks will help us out with him. If there are any Hiker members from these states please help us. If you are from MN or MI and know of hikers and/or NCT supporters in WI, OH, PA, or NY please ask them to make some contacts.

We are hoping that this will FINALLY happen in 2010 and that we will be able to celebrate with a big, public ceremony on the SHT in Duluth...complete with a ribbon cutting by Senator Klobuchar and Rep. Oberstar.

See NCTA Arrowhead info

Will the NCT Finally Be Funded at $1 Million?

if you like this article, click the Blip chiclet!
by Joan H. Young with materials from the North Country Trail Associaton

You might wonder how National Trails get their money. National Trails receive federal dollars. But not all trails are created equal. Although the North Country Trail is the longest of the trails, its current funding level of $928,000 is the highest it has ever been. On this budget the National Park Service supports 3.5 employees and shares the balance with the North Country Trail Association. The NCTA (with membership and grant monies added) has 5 full-time and 3 part-time staff.

You might indeed wonder how they manage to accomplish as much as they do! Whenever I hear of a million dollars wasted on this or lost on that it just makes my blood boil.

But there is some good news this week. Our trail champion in Congress, Senator Carl Levin, is circulating a Dear Colleague letter with a request to increase the base funding for the NCT to $1.323 million!

Part of this money would be used to establish a National Park Service office for the NCT in Michigan. Currently the NCT shares a Superintendant and an office with the Ice Age Trail, in Madison, Wisconsin.

Another portion of the money would help to implement the Willing Seller Authority which was granted last year after more than a decade of legislative meandering.

MI Senator, Debbie Stabenow, has already signed on. Please encourage your Senators to do likewise.

See the Dear Colleague Letter

Al Franken Signs on to Arrowhead Reroute

if you like this article, click the Blip chiclet!
from a news article at BigNews.biz

“The North Country National Scenic Trail is one of this country’s greatest assets,” said Sen. Franken. “It’s time we include Minnesota’s Arrowhead officially as part of its authorized route.”

Senator Al Franken, Minnesota, has officially become a co-sponsor of the bill to make the "Arrowhead Reroute" an actual part of the North Country Trail. The North Country National Scenic Trail (NCNST) Route Adjustment Act of 2009 (S. 553) was introduced by Senator Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota. This action is needed since this route is considered a significant deviation from the original Minnesota route of the trail.

The Arrowhead Route follows the Superior Hiking Trail up the north shore of Lake Superior, crosses near the Canadian border on the Border Route and Kekekabic Trails, and then will return to Grand Rapids, Minnesota and the Chippewa National Forest.

See Support the Arrowhead Reroute

Superior Days Presents Issues to Madison, WI

NCT in Brule State Forest (photo by JHY)

if you like this article, click the Blip chiclet!
based on a news article in the Superior Telegram

Superior Days is an event when representatives from northern Wisconsin take issues important to them to the state legislators in Madison. This is a 25-year tradition. Issues this year include funding the Lake Superior National Estuarine Research Reserve, the Superior Research Institute, and tax reciprocity between Wisconsin and Minnesota.

But also on the list of topics this year is non-motorized trails. A bill already in the legislature would provide nearly $10 million for footpaths.

Peter Nordgren, of the Brule-St. Croix chapter of the North Country Trail Association, says that the group hopes the current bill will move through the legislature and pass. Trails that could benefit include Superior Municipal Forest trails, hiking trails at Pattison and Amnicon state parks, ski trails in the Brule River State Forest and the North Country National Trail.

In 2008, a legislative study committee found a lack of consistent funding and maintenance for non-motorized trails, with many being poorly maintained. The bill was introduced as a result of that report.

Nordgren continues, "Foot-powered recreation is popular, with surveys pointing out that it is one of the most popular ways of getting outdoors for exercise." He also hopes to emphasize to the legislators that infrastructure such as bridges and signs must be maintained, and new trails added to connect pathways.

These segments are on NCTA map WI-01, 02, and 03

See Brule St. Croix Chapter of the NCTA

Support the Arrowhead Reroute

Royal River bluff on the MN Arrowhead (photo by JHY)

if you like this article, click the Blip chiclet!
from Bruce Matthews, NCTA Executive Director

We've got some movement in Congress on the Arrowhead re-route legislation--please help us get this over the top in 2010! Find out how below....

Support S. 553--Need YOUR Senators to co-sponsor!

The members of our North Country Trail community- our red plaid nation- have long cherished the notion that the world class hiking in northeastern Minnesota on the Superior Hiking Trail along the north shore, and on the Border Route and Kekekabic Trails through the Boundary Waters (together known as the Arrowhead Route) was worthy of inclusion as part of the North Country National Scenic Trail. However this requires an act of Congress- literally- to make it so.

Currently two bills are pending in this Congress, HR 481 and S. 553. Both would authorize the Arrowhead as part of the NCNST. HR 481 has been reported out of committee, but with two amendments that could be problematic. Consequently our efforts are now focused on getting a clean Senate version through the Environment and Natural Resources Committee in hopes this will be the version eventually passed and signed into law.

What we need you to do:
S.553 was introduced by Minnesota Senator Amy Klobuchar and is currently co-sponsored by Senators Levin and Stabenow (both MI) and Senator Feingold (WI). We need all 14 Senators from our North Country Trail states to sign on as co-sponsors. Please contact your Senator(s) and request their support of S.553, the North Country National Scenic Trail Route Adjustment Act of 2009.

Fax, e-mail or phone call works best. Simply support their joining the rest of their NCNST Senate colleagues in signing onto S. 553 as a co-sponsor.

Next steps will be getting the bill through the Energy and Natural Resources Committee, which we hope will be scheduled in early 2010. We'll keep you posted.

See the Senate Bill Find your Senator

Farmers May Be Surprise Ally for Hikers in Pennsylvania

if you like this article, click the Blip chiclet!

based on a news article in the Patriot News

Pennsylvania, for years has had a "no Sunday hunting" law. In March 2009 State Representative Ed Staback introduced HB 779. This law would not of itself allow Sunday hunting, but it would give the Pennsylvania Game Commission the authority to decide whether it wants to allow Sunday hunting.

Proponents say that Pennsylvania loses revenue to neighboring states which allow hunting. They argue that hunters leave the state on Thursday for hunting weekends, so more than just one day of hunter spending is lost. Sales of hunting licenses in Pennsylvania have declined steadily in recent years.

Most landowners, farmers in particular, oppose the bill. The Pennsylvania Farm Bureau, the largest farm organization in the state says they have 46,000 families that oppose the bill. Their largest concern is that they will need to spend the time policing their farms the extra day. Individuals have mentioned several reasons for maintaining the status quo. Examples include wanting to have a day they can ride their horses without concerns about people in the woods with rifles, and wanting to continue to have one day a week when they could relax slightly from concerns for livestock.

Fish and Wildlife services report that Pennsylvania Wildlife Watchers spent a Total of $955,903,000 last year and hunters Spent a Total of $936,459,000. The number of resident and non-resident wildlife watchers was reported as 4,688,000, while 926,892 hunting licenses were sold.

See PA HR 779 official information

Transportation Amendments Defeated!

from the American Hiking Society

American Hiking Society and other trail organizations asked you to call your Senator and respectfully request that they vote NO on two amendments that would have threatened significant funding for trails and the hiking experience. Moments ago, the entire Senate voted against these amendments. More than 500 people took action on short notice, and thanks to your voice, these damaging amendments were roundly defeated!

To view video of the recent votes, visit C-Span.org
See How your Senator voted

Make a Call or eMail To Save Transporation Enhancements

from American Trails and the Rails-to-Trails Conservancy

Tomorrow, Sept 16, the US Senate will vote on the FY10 Transportation, Housing and Urban Development appropriations bill. Senators Coburn and McCain have teamed up to write an amendment which will gut the Transportaion Enhancement Fund that pays for many bicycle paths and paved pedestrian walkways. In an effort to bail out the Highway Trust Fund, they are seeking to eliminate funding for anything other than motorized transportation.

Despite the fact that some of these are required by law, the amendment calls non-motorized pathways "some of the many examples of extraneous expenditures." They are calling for the Transportation Department to set new priorities. Of course, if the Highway Trust Fund had been managed properly there would be no need to raid the enhancements.

McCain and Coburn state that the new priorities must be set because of the "realities of a collapsing transportation infrastructure." It seems as if they have forgotten that all the bike paths funded by enhancement dollars had to meet the criteria of "alternate transportation routes." Because of pedestrian and bicycle paths many people choose to stay off the roads, thus relieving some of the stress and congestion. The Safe Routes to School program has used these funds to make it possible for children to ride bikes or walk to school rather than being driven by parents.

If you think that, despite some highly publicized examples of misuse of Transportation Enhancement Funds, rails-to-trails, urban pathways, pedestrian walkways on bridges, and bicycle lanes on streets and highways have values, please contact your senator and ask him or her to vote against Amendments 2370 and 2371 to H.R. 3288.

Amendment 2370 would prohibit the use of federal funds for pedestrian or bicycle facilities, efforts to reduce vehicle collisions with wildlife, or other specified Transportation Enhancement (TE) projects if the Highway Trust Fund cannot cover unfunded highway authorizations.

Amendment 2371 would allow states to eliminate spending on TE, the nation’s largest funding source for trails, walking and bicycling. Congress currently sets aside a portion of federal funds for TE to support these projects in all states.

Read the Coburn- McCain amendment

America's Great Trails Act Needs Support

from the American Hiking Society

American Hiking Society urges you to TAKE ACTION to contact your Representative and encourage them to support HR 1912, the Complete America's Great Trails Act, a bill introduced by Rep. Connolly (D-VA) and Rep. Lummis (R-WY) designed to protect some of the most special trails in America.

America's longest and most protected trails, iconic footpaths like the Appalachian, Pacific Crest, Continental Divide, and brand-new Arizona National Scenic Trail, all cross private lands. Many landholders graciously allow hikers to cross their lands - but each acre of private land represents a potential break in the continuity of these great trails.

The Complete America's Great Trails Act is a bill that provides a tax credit to private landowners who grant conservation easements to National Scenic Trails. This means that private landowners have a new incentive to allow hikers to pass through their property, and trails get a guaranteed corridor that protects the connectivity and continuity of the hiking experience for years to come!

This tax credit is an important tool that provides a fiscally responsible incentive for private landowners to allow access for hikers. During these challenging financial times, it is important to consider that HR 1912 requires no direct spending from the federal government, provides a significant tax break to hard-working landowners, and helps ensure that America continues to benefit from our incredible trail resources.

Follow the link below to customize a brief e-mail, and click to send it to your Representative

See American Hiking Society

North Country Trail Gains Willing Seller Authority!

compiled from various sources

After more than a dozen years of disappointment, it seems that dreams really do come true. Year after year a bill has been introduced in one house of Congress to authorize the National Park Service to buy land for the North Country Trail. Year after year, one house has passed the bill while the other has allowed it to languish until Congress adjourned. In one year, both houses passed a "Willing Seller" bill, but the language did not match, so the bill could not become law.

Today, in a vote of 77 to 20, under rules where only a majority was required, the Omnibus Public Lands bill passed the House of Representatives. It was passed by the Senate on January 15, 2009.

Of course, the bill as a whole contains wide-sweeping measures that affect outdoor recreation, wilderness, and the environment, but none of these are so directly important to the NCT.

The New York Times, in an editorial, said "This would be the largest addition to the nation’s store of protected wilderness — now about 107 million acres — since 1994. The bill has broad bipartisan support in Congress and the country at large. Every single provision in the bill is the product of long and intense negotiations stretching back years on the state and local level — the product, that is, of consensus."

A few small amendments were added which do not affect any major provisions of the bill.

This is surely a day for the North Country Trail to Celebrate! Finally, in locations where there is a reasonable trail corridor and the landowner wishes to sell that land to be permanently protected for the trail, the landowner may do so. This will not immediately result in huge land purchases. No one is rash enough to think that people are lining up to sell their property to the National Park Service, nor does the NPS have piles of money which it can spend on land. However, from now on, where those two options meet, the trail will be able to be extended.

See A Bill Whose Time Has Come from the New York Times
See the roll call vote
See Senate Passes Omnibus Public Lands Bill

Wednesday May Be The Day For Willing Seller Success - Please Call Your Representative!

from the American Hiking Society

American Hiking Society constantly monitors Congress to influence legislation that impacts hikers, and provides Action Alerts as a service to our members, who support our mission to protect trails and the hiking experience. Tomorrow, Congress will consider two bills that will significantly benefit trails and the hiking experience.

Most important to the North Country Trail is H.R. 146 the "Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009." Tomorrow afternoon the House will consider this bill. It has been considered in several forms over the past year, and contains more beneficial language for conservation, recreation and historic preservation than any other legislation in many years. It contains provisions that will recognize the National Landscape Conservation System, benefit the National Trails System, add millions of acres to the wilderness preservation system, diversify the economies of small communities and enhance opportunities to get outside.

At 10 AM EST, the House will hear H.R. 1404, the Federal Land Assistance, Management and Enhancement (FLAME) Act. For years the Forest Service has "robbed from Peter to pay Paul," failing to budget adequate sums to fight increasingly severe fire seasons, and then transferring money from vital agency programs (like recreation management and trail construction) to fund the increasing cost of fire suppression. The FLAME Act will address this problem by creating a separate fund for suppressing large-scale wildfires, enabling the Forest Service to use appropriated funds to maintain trails and the hiking experience on our National Forests. The Forest Service is the largest landowner along the length of the NCT.

Please CALL YOUR REPRESENTATIVE and ask him or her to support these bills.

Suggestions for making a successful call:
1. Identify yourself as a hiker and outdoor enthusiast.
2. Ask them to support H.R. 1404, the FLAME Act, to give wild-land firefighters the resources they need, and protect funding for other vital Forest Service Programs that benefit ordinary Americans, like hiking trails.
3. Ask them to support H.R. 146, the Omnibus Public Land Management Act, to protect recreational opportunities, diversify the economies of small communities and help Americans get outside and healthy.
4. Thank them for their time and leadership.

Go to Congress.org to find your Representative.
Go to C-SPAN to watch these votes, live.
See Omnibus Public Lands Bill Fails in House by 2 Votes

HR 146 - New Attempt to Pass the Omnibus Public Lands Act

based on information provided by a coalition of organizations that support the Public Lands Bill

On March 11 the House defeated S.22, the Omnibus Public Land Management Act, under Suspension of the Rules by a vote of 282 to 144, 2 votes short of a two-thirds majority. A new bill, HR 146, is being presented for a vote.

The critical portion of the bill for the North Country Trail is the passage, after a dozen years of effort, of the Willing Seller legislation.

Positive points being circulated in a floor handout by supporters include:

• the legislation is bipartisan
• it protects public lands, rural communities, and local economies
• it includes provisions to ensure access for recreation, including hunting and fishing, and is supported by the NRA
• many of the bills have gone through lengthy collaborative processes and have the support of local and national stakeholders and elected officials
• the legislation is revenue neutral (passage will have no net effect on direct spending over 2009-2013)

Two amendments by Senator Coburn (R)OK, would not affect the issues in this bill which are critical to the North Country Trail. The amendments deal with California water rights. The coalition of organizations that support the bill are opposing the amendments.

It was expected that HR 146 would come to a vote on Wednesday, March 18. However, that has not yet occurred.

See Hike the Hill Advocated for the Big Three
See Omnibus Public Lands Bill Fails in House by 2 Votes
See Senate Passes Omnibus Public Lands Act
See Willing Seller Needs Your Help NOW

Hike the Hill 2009 Advocated for the Big Three

Hike the Hill attendees 2008 (photo from the American Hiking Society)

from the North Country Trail Association and the American Hiking Society

Each year in February the American Hiking Society hosts a week in Washington, DC called "Hike the Hill." This year the Partnership for the National Trails System co-hosted the Trails Advocacy Week.

Trail advocates from the four corners of the country meet to pool their experiences, learn strategies for lobbying and then to advocate with legislators for increased funding, promotion and protection of trails.

Specific issues that were important to the North Country Trail delegation this year include the Arrowhead Reroute, the Land and Water Conservation Fund, and Willing Seller. These are all topics that just don't seem to go away, but we keep pressing for action.

The priority for NCTA's advocacy has for some time been focused on obtaining the Congressional approval required for the North Country Trail re-route in northeastern Minnesota. The re-route proposes to substitute the original 80 miles of bog walk from Remer to Jay Cook State Park with 500 miles of premier hiking and backpacking through the Boundary Waters and along the north shore of Lake Superior, using the existing Border Route, Kekekabic and Superior Hiking Trails. Congressman Oberstar has reintroduced his bill to re-route the NCNST in his district as HR 481. Minnesota Senator Amy Klobuchar introduced the Senate companion bill as S.553. Critical right now is obtaining as many co-sponsors for these bills as possible. Without this demonstration of broader interest these bills will stagnate in committee. As of this date there are no co-sponsors. Please contact your legislators!

The NCNST is one of only 9 trails in the National Trails System lacking the authority for its managing agency (National Park Service in NCNST's case) to purchase private lands from willing sellers. Legislation to correct this was introduced in both House and Senate in this 111th Congress. It passed the Senate, but was defeated (as reported earlier) in the House under a suspension of the rules. It may yet be brought to a vote in the House a second time

Since 1965 the Land and Water Conservation Fund has enabled federal and state governments to acquire lands for recreation and conserve critical habitats and wild areas. Funding comes from offshore oil and gas leases. The LWCF has had a huge impact on conservation and recreation in the U.S. But it is not reaching its potential, either for the North Country Trail or in general. Current law only permits the National Park Service to use LWCF funds, channeled through the state, in Wisconsin, to acquire ownership or easement of lands for the North Country Trail. We've asked Congress to include language in the Department of the Interior appropriations that expands this authority to all 7 of the NCNST's states. And we've asked for an allocation of $2 million for that purpose.

Of course, an increase in general funding for the trail is always an issue. In these days of millions here and there for all kinds of projects, this 4600 mile national trail continues to limp along with under $750,000 a year in federal funding.

See American Hiking Society Hike the Hill 2009
See Willing Seller Fact Sheet
See LWCF Fact Sheet
See Arrowhead Reroute Info

Omnibus Public Lands Bill Fails in House by 2 Votes

compiled from various sources

The House of Representatives voted today on S22, the Omnibus Public Lands Bill which would have given the North Country Trail the authority to purchase land from willing sellers. The bill failed to meet the 2/3 majority required by two votes. The roll call tally was 282 to 144.

As expected the Republicans are being blamed for the failure, but if it had been left up to the seven states of the North Country Trail, the bill would have passed with many Republicans voting for the measure.

One large concern by hunters was addressed at the final moment by a suspension of the rules proposed by Altmire (D)PA. This added language to preserve the rights of states to allow hunting, trapping and fishing, and to not limit access for those activities. It also blocked opposition leaders from adding amendments. The effort, however, was not enough to carry the vote. Altmire's language was approved by the NRA, but Gun Owners of America sent out a letter this week still expressing displeasure.

Overall the bill was comprised of 164 bi-partisan, largely non-controversial bills which would have designated more than 2 million acres of wilderness in nine states and established three new national park units, a new national monument, four new national conservation areas, more than 1,000 miles of national wild and scenic rivers, four new national trails and more.

Three Democrats voted no, 34 Republicans voted yes, and there were six members not voting. John Boehner (R) OH, the House minority leader, said, "The legislation Democrats attempted to force through the House today would have made matters even worse by blocking environmentally safe energy production, increasing gasoline and other energy costs, and costing American jobs we cannot afford to lose."

According to the New York Times, a "senior Democratic aide in the House said the best option under consideration would be to have the Senate shoehorn it onto another bill and ship it back. House Democratic leaders have not definitively ruled out a floor vote using a simpler rule, needing only a majority for passage, but that move would leave the measure wide open for amendments."

The North Country Trail, and eight other national trails, have been seeking Willing Seller authority for over 10 years. Until it is passed by Congress the National Park Service is not allowed to buy land to complete the trail.

Following is a list of how all Representatives from North Country Trail States voted:
NY
Ackerman (D) Y, Arcuri (D) Y, Bishop (D) Y, Clarke (D) Y, Crowley (D) Y, Engel (D) Y, Hall (D) no vote, Higgins (D) Y, Hinchey (D) Y, Israel (D) Y, King (R) N, Lee (R) N, Lowey (D) Y, Maffei (D) Y, Maloney (D) Y, Massa (D) Y, McCarthy (D) Y, McHugh (R) N, McMahon (D) Y, Meeks (D) Y, Nadler (D) Y, Rangel (D) Y, Serrano (D) Y, Slaughter (D) Y, Tonko (D) Y, Towns (D) Y, Velázquez (D) Y, Weiner (D) Y

PA
Altmire (D) Y, Brady (D) Y, Carney (D) Y, Dahlkemper (D) Y, Dent (R) Y, Doyle (D) Y, Fattah (D) Y, Gerlach (R) Y, Holden (D) Y, Kanjorski (D) Y, Murphy, Patrick (D) Y, Murphy, Tim (R) N, Murtha (D) Y, Pitts (R) N, Platts (R) Y, Schwartz (D) Y, Sestak (D) Y, Shuster (R) N, Thompson (R) N

OH
Austria (R) N, Boccieri (D) Y, Boehner (R) N, Driehaus (D) Y, Fudge (D) Y, Jordan (R) N, Kaptur D) Y, Kilroy (D) Y, Kucinich (D) Y, LaTourette (R) Y, Latta (R) N, Ryan (D) Y, Schmidt (R) N, Space (D) Y, Sutton (D) Y, Tiberi (R) N, Turner (R) Y, Wilson (D) Y

MI, Conyers (D) Y, Dingell (D) Y, Ehlers (R) Y, Hoekstra (R) N, Kildee (D) Y, Kilpatrick (D) Y, Levin, Sander (D) Y, McCotter (R) N, Miller (R) Y, Peters (D) Y, Rogers (R) N, Schauer (D) Y, Stupak (D) Y, Upton (R) Y

WI
Baldwin (D) Y, Kagan (D) Y, Kind (D) Y, Moore (D) Y, Obey (D) Y, Petri (R) Y, Ryan (R) N, Sensenbrenner (R) N

MN
Bachman (R) N, Ellison (D) Y, Kline (R) N, McCollum (D) Y, Oberstar (D) Y, Paulsen (R) Y, Peterson (D) N, Walz (D) Y

ND
Pomeroy (D) Y

See Update on Omnibus Public Lands Bill
See Senate Passes Omnibus Public Lands Act
See Willing Seller Needs Your Help Now
See the New York Times, "Public Lands Bill Defeated in House", by Kate Phillips, Mar 11, 2009
See Minnesotans- Support the Arrowhead