We are now five years past the start of the global pandemic that led to an incredible swell of people getting outside and enjoying our public lands. Trail traffic increased 79% year-over-year in the summer of 2020. And in many parts of Utah, trails have continued to see double-digit increases in use over the past three years.
Many have adapted to meet this new reality. Utah businesses and local economies have evolved to serve all these new adventurers: individuals, families and friends who are spending time in the outdoors together. People have moved their homes and lives to have better access to trails, mountains, lakes and rivers. But one sector — arguably the most important one — has fallen behind and lacks the supply needed to meet outdoor demand.
- Most public land agencies are underfunded and have large backlogs of deferred maintenance.
- Agencies are losing the staff and funding necessary to carry out the critical work of protecting and managing the places that many of us love.
- Nonprofit organizations are unable to keep up with the rapidly changing reduction of resources needed to support and protect our public lands from those that don’t understand their true value to our quality of life.
The saying goes, “it takes a village …” Supporting each other is key to quality of life, and everyone can play a role in making our communities better. But our communities don’t end at the boundaries of our schoolyards or church grounds. We need to be willing to pitch in to protect our trails and public lands. Working as a community has never been more important to the future of outdoor recreation. It will take all of us — citizens, businesses, lawmakers, non-profits and government — to ensure three critical actions are addressed in the management of our public lands:
- Protect the resources and the environment.
- Support a healthy and sustainable economy for the communities surrounding public lands.
- Provide access and pursuit of happiness for all to enjoy our favorite outdoor places with those we care about.
One successful example of this community mentality is the Utah Trails Forum, a coalition that successfully brings together the trails community to protect the one thing Utahns value the most: time on the trail. From the heavily used foothill trails of the Wasatch Front and our national parks to the remote trails of Boulder Mountain and the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, government employees, non-profit staffers, volunteers and local concerned citizens come together to find solutions and resources in the pursuit of protecting our trails on public lands. It is not an easy task.
There are powerful forces and individuals pushing to use our public lands for things that threaten the environment and our access to it. As with most issues, not everyone sees eye to eye; not everyone treasures our treasured places. But I take solace in knowing that many people are engaged in the cause of ensuring the trails where I learned to mountain bike, or where I take my kids when we need to connect with nature, will be protected and accessible for generations to come.
To learn more about the Utah Trails Forum, consider joining me at the Utah Trails Conference on April 23-24 in Kanab, Utah.