{"id":3675,"date":"2017-03-25T15:46:32","date_gmt":"2017-03-25T22:46:32","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/sbbch.org\/?p=3675"},"modified":"2025-04-26T16:31:25","modified_gmt":"2025-04-26T22:31:25","slug":"bcha-take-action-chiefs-strategy-selection-of-priority-areas","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sbbch.org\/?p=3675","title":{"rendered":"BCHA: Take Action – Chiefs Strategy & Selection of Priority Areas"},"content":{"rendered":"

Dear BCHI Member,
\nPlease funnel your input thru your Lands Liaisons and\/or State Directors to Rod Parks at public-lands-north@bchi.org<\/a>\u00a0 and Phil Ryan at public-lands-south@bchi.org<\/a>, as they are already in the middle of this issue.<\/p>\n

Thank,
\nBill Conger
\nChairman<\/p>\n

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Take Action <\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

BCHA encourages you to immediately reach out to your U.S. Forest Service regional trail coordinators. A contact list is provided below. The agency needs your help to identify priority areas for increased trail maintenance accomplishments.
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\nBackground<\/strong>
\nAs a result of BCHA\u2019s efforts to shape and promote the National Forest System Trails Stewardship Act, signed into law in November 2016, the U.S. Forest Service is required to identify 9 to 15 \u201cpriority areas for increased trail maintenance accomplishments\u201d (Section 5, Public Law 114-245). The Act specifies there must be at least one priority area in each of the nine U.S. Forest Service regions.<\/p>\n

A copy of Act can be found on BCHA\u2019s website. The Forest Service national office recently issued instructions to its nine regional offices to provide initial guidance for implementation of the Act. In it, they direct regional offices to work with the public to identify and rank recommended priority areas, which are to be submitted by Forest Service regional offices to the national office by April 15th, 2017. <\/strong>
\n<\/strong>
\nThus, time is of the essence.<\/p>\n

Reach out to USFS Regional Trail Coordinators<\/strong>
\nIf you have not done so already, we encourage BCH chapters to work with their Forest Service regional trail coordinators within the next few weeks to share input on the selection of priority areas. Contact information for each regional trail coordinator can be found at the end of this alert.
\nNational Board Members:<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n

Please be prepared to bring to next month\u2019s National Board Meeting an update on conversations your state is having with Forest Service regional trail coordinators.<\/p>\n

Chief\u2019s National Strategy for a Sustainable Trail System<\/strong>
\nThe Forest Service is excited about the timing of the passage of the National Forest System Trails Stewardship Act and the agency\u2019s completion this month of the Chief\u2019s National Strategy for a Sustainable Trail System<\/a><\/p>\n

The strategy outlines a series of strategic actions to move the agency toward attaining a more sustainable trail system, including:<\/p>\n