When Trail hiking you needs to make sure you have the right gear. You need to make sure that the trails you go on are the right trails for your hiking ability and maps and a compass incase you get lost. We recommend A Falcon guide series of books; they offer a great line of birding trails ranging in hiking abilities.

1) FEDERAL FUNDING FOR TRAILS AND RECREATION – Urge Congress to support increased funding for trails and recreation in the upcoming fiscal year (FY 2005). Years of inadequate funding hinder the federal agencies’ ability to protect natural and cultural resources, provide visitor services and educational experiences to millions of people, and support volunteers.

2) WILLING SELLER TRAILS BILL— Willing Seller land acquisition authority is critical to the completion and protection of our National Trails System. Urge your Representative to co-sponsor and support the National Trails System Willing Seller Act, a bill to provide willing seller authority for the nine national scenic and historic trails for which the federal agencies are prohibited from buying land to protect the trail corridors and historic sites.

LAND AND WATER CONSERVATION FUND
The Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) has been used to buy land to preserve wilderness, create parks, and protect trails for the last thirty years. For instance, LWCF has provided over $15 million for the purchase of unprotected land along the Appalachian Trail, bringing an eighty-year conservation effort to a happy conclusion. A strong LWCF could mean more of the same.

CURRENT STATUS — FY 2005 BUDGET CYCLE BEGINS
In early February, President Bush released his proposed budget request for Fiscal Year 2005 (Oct. 04 – Sept. 05) including the Interior budget which includes LWCF.

For the third consecutive year, the Bush Administration proposed full funding of $900 million to the Land and Water Conservation Fund, but the budget request actually diverts most LWCF money to non-traditional programs, leaving just $314 million for traditional LWCF uses such as land protection and recreation. The Urban Parks and Recreation Recovery program, an important source of recreation funding for economically distressed urban communities, receives zero funding.

Now Congress will prepare its own budget, which may or may not match the President's. Both the House and Senate prepare their own spending bills and then they "conference" later in the year to reconcile the differences and pass a final budget in the fall.