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Yesterday was National Hiking Day, an excellent reminder to appreciate the value of America's National Trails System. The system encompasses more than 88,000 miles, and is divided into National Scenic Trails, National Historic Trails, and National Recreation Trails.
For more than 50 years, America’s National Trail system has protected our natural and cultural heritage and provided access for people to spend time outdoors. From the Pacific Crest Trail to a neighborhood bikeway, trails are cornerstones of Western communities and local economies.
National Trail designations help land managers acquire land to connect these iconic pathways and ensure the public can have greater access. These trails provide a range of benefits, boosting economies, improving physical and mental health, and connecting communities. These landscapes also face a range of threats, from overcrowding to development. You can make a difference by using, volunteering, and supporting your local trails.
You can also explore the history and benefits of the many types of trails by checking out this interactive storymap and listening to stories from people who enjoy using the different trails in the system and volunteer to maintain them. The storymap is part of the Center for Western Priorities' Road to 30: Postcards campaign, a multimedia series telling the stories of everyday Americans and the places they want to conserve for future generations. You can watch the trailer for the series, and visit www.RoadTo30.org/postcards to learn more.
Oil companies bid on 1.7 million acres—an area larger than Delaware
The Biden administration offered more than 80 million acres for offshore drilling to oil companies in yesterday's lease sale. ExxonMobil, BP, Chevron, and others purchased the rights to drill on some 1.7 million acres—an area larger than the state of Delaware. Center for Western Priorities Policy Director Jesse-Prentice-Dunn said in response to the sale, “After President Biden and Secretary Haaland traveled to Glasgow to assert America’s leadership on climate, they have now released a carbon bomb in the Gulf of Mexico. Right now, companies are still producing oil offshore on leases granted in the 1940’s. That means the impacts of this lease sale will be measured not in years, but in generations."
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For tribal nations, having a voice as the federal government manages public lands—places where tribes have deep roots—is a sign of respect that is long overdue. In many cases, these lands have significance not just to tribes and the United States, but to the world. Chaco is a UNESCO World Heritage Site."
