Defend the Appalachian Trail
New threats to the Trail arise every day. These are threats to a hiking experience and the fragile web of life found on the A.T.
ATC and its members have the opportunity to defend the Trail by working to resolve issues such as eminent domain for National Interest Electric Transmission Corridors, the expansion of highways and roads, and planning for appropriate development around the Trail corridor. ATC and its members can also protect the Trail by voicing support for state and federal conservation funding, and other legislation to protect the Trail.
We often need to mobilize our membership and the public to come to the aid of the Trail through letter-writing campaigns and by spreading the word. Additionally, defending the Trail from these numerous diverse threats is very expensive, so continued financial support is crucial to our continued success. On this page you will find a variety of issues in which the ATC is engaged.
Your help is needed in defending America’s greatest Trail. Start by making a donation to support our efforts.
Proposed Rule to Allow Firearms in Parks
Department of the Interior (DOI) proposed allowing possession of loaded, concealed firearms in national parks and wildlife refuges if the particular state allows them in its park and wildlife-refuge areas. About 40 percent of the Appalachian Trail crosses national-park lands, and the whole footpath is a national scenic trail primarily administered by the DOI National Park Service. More about proposed rule.
Act Could Open A.T. to ATVs
The U.S. Department of Justice, proposing to expand beyond wheelchairs the definition of “mobility device” under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), could be opening the door to requiring Appalachian Trail managers to allow all-terrain vehicles (ATVs), Segways, and other motorized devices, devastating the silent, challenging and primitive values of backcountry areas. More about the DOJ proposed rulemaking.
Proposed Communications Tower Threatens Trail
Washington County, Maryland, is planning to build a 190-foot communications tower near the Appalachian Trail that would impact the Trail. It will also impact the C&O Canal National Historical Park, Harpers Ferry National Historical Park, and Maryland’s South Mountain State Park.
More about how to defend the A.T. from this tower.
Help Us Protect A.T. Lands
ATC is requesting Fiscal Year 2009 funding from the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF). These funds would be used for the acquisition of lands bordering the Appalachian National Scenic Trail in the states of Virginia, Tennessee, and North Carolina.
More on ATC's appropriations request.
ATC Requests Rehearing in National Interest Electric Transmission Corridor Decision
In November, ATC joined the Southern Environmental Law Center, Piedmont Environmental Council, the National Trust for Historic Preservation and more than a dozen other groups to petition for a rehearing before the Department of Energy regarding their designation of National Interest Electric Transmission Corridors.
More about National Interest Electric Transmission Corridors.
New Accessibility Guidelines Proposed
In October, The Appalachian Trail Conservancy submitted comments to the U.S. Access Board in response to proposed rules regarding accessibility guidelines for federally managed outdoor areas.
More on Access Board proposed accessibility guidelines.
Pennsylvania Bill to Protect A.T.
Pennsylvania State Rep. Bob Freeman introduced House Bill 1281 that would require municipalities that border the Appalachian Trail to enact zoning and other land use ordinances as part of their responsibility to protect the Trail.
More about the bill.
Support a Bill for Roadless Areas
In January 2007, six Congressmen began drumming up support for original co-sponsors of a bi-partisan conservation measure – the National Forest Roadless Area Conservation Act of 2007.
More on how to advocate for this protection.
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