Mout Abrams, Maine ATC invested more than $1.5 million dollars to protect over 7,000 acres in collaboration with the Trust for Public Lands, the Maine Appalachian Land Trust, the Trust for Public Lands and the State of Maine.

This basic corridor is mostly complete however some critical sections are still missing. And, although the treadway is now mostly safe, landscapes that are essential to the Trail experience are not protected by this relatively narrow corridor.

The Appalachian Trail Conservancy continues to work with federal, state and multiple private partners to complete the protection of the corridor, and to safeguard the picturesque vistas, wildlife habitat, farmlands and valuable historic sites that are part of the Trail experience.

The Trail Corridor – A Work in Progress

Since 1978, over $180 million dollars of the federal Land and Water Conservation Fund have been spent to secure a land base for the Appalachian National Scenic Trail. This work has been achieved through partnerships with the U.S. Forest Service, the National Park Service and multiple state agencies. ATC's role was, and continues to be, to assist in designing the corridor, and to advocate for the funds to be allocated to our federal partners for trail protection. Despite this significant investment, a few important pieces are still missing: nearly 10 miles of Trail are still unprotected, and over 8,000 acres originally designated as part of the targeted corridor have not been acquired.

Advocate for A.T. Lands: The latest updates on ATC's efforts towards completing the corridor, and how you can help.

Protecting the Experience beyond the Corridor

In all 14 states, increasing development threatens lands that are essential to the Trail experience yet lie outside the corridor. The lands that buffer the Trail are being converted from pastoral, agricultural and forested uses to residential or commercial uses at an alarmingly pace, and rising land prices make it harder and harder to protect the remaining landscapes.

Partnerships from Maine to Georgia: ATC reaches out to other land trusts and conservation organizations to leverage multiple resources to conserve the Trail's most special places.

Regional Planning and Community Outreach: – ATC encourages pro-active community and regional planning to identify and conserve the resources that are important to communities neighboring the Trail, including open and forested spaces that ensure water supplies, critical natural resources and recreational opportunities that in turn play a role in local economies. This is as important as protecting Trail lands one property at a time. We refer to this type of integrated planning as green infrastructure planning.

Implementing good land use plans often involves zoning laws and regulations. ATC and the Trail clubs aim to have Trail values considered and integrated in local and regional land use plans and regulations. This is accomplished through submitting comments and input to planning authorities, including townships, states and National Forests, as well as responding to specific projects near the Trail.

The recent amendment to the Pennsylvania A.T. Act is a good example of ATC's advocacy for stronger protection of Trail values in legislation that impacts zoning laws and regulations.

Stewardship: Because without good stewardship, conserved lands are only protected on paper, ATC works to guard the Trailís lands from a variety of threats.

Partner and Landowner Resources: Discover the resources and assistance that ATC can provide to partner organizations in their efforts to protect landscapes important to the A.T. experience. Landowners and others interested in land conservation will also find useful links on conservation tools and options.

What You Can Do: Want to help? Here are some options!