PARTNERSHIP FOR THE NATIONAL TRAILS SYST SYSTEM
306 EAST WILSON STREET NO 2E, MADISON, WI 53703 www.pnts.org

---

Organizations Filed Purposes: OUR MISSION IS TO EMPOWER, INSPIRE, AND STRENGTHEN PUBLIC AND PRIVATE PARTNERS TO DEVELOP, PRESERVE, PROMOTE, AND SUSTAIN THE NATIONAL SCENIC AND HISTORIC TRAILS.

THE PARTNERSHIP STRENGTHENED THE CAPACITY OF THE MEMBER TRAIL ORGANIZATIONS BY FACILITATING COMMUNICATION AND INFORMATION EXCHANGE AMONG ORGANIZATION LEADERS AND FEDERAL AGENCY STAFF THROUGH A QUARTERLY PUBLICATION OF THE MAGAZINE "PATHWAYS ACROSS AMERICA", DISTRIBUTING A MONTHLY E-NEWS, AND HOSTING A WEBSITE WITH INFORMATIONAL AND EDUCATIONAL MATERIALS AND LINKS TO THE AGENCIES AND MEMBER ORGANIZATIONS. THE PARTNERSHIP PROVIDED EDUCATIONAL WEBINARS ON VARIOUS TOPICS PERTINENT TO PROTECTING, INTERPRETING, AND MAINTAINING NATIONAL TRAILS. THE PARTNERSHIP CONTINUED TO PROMOTE THE "DECADE FOR THE NATIONALTRAILS" BY PURSUING A NUMBER OF ACTIONS TO IMPLEMENT THE THREE DECADE GOALS AND A SERIES OF OBJECTIVES TO GREATLY INCREASE PUBLIC SUPPORT FOR THE NATIONAL TRAILS SYSTEM, TO COMPLETE MORE OF THE TRAILS, AND TO STRENGTHEN THE CAPACITY OF THE ORGANIZATIONS AND FEDERAL AGENCIES TO SUSTAIN THEM. THE PARTNERSHIP GUIDED PLANNING BY COMMITTEES OF TRAIL ORGANIZATION LEADERS AND FEDERAL TRAIL MANAGERS FOR TWO NATIONAL TRAILS TRAINING WORKSHOPS TO BE HELD IN 2020 FOR THE AGENCIES TRAIL STAFF AND NONPROFIT TRAIL ORGANIZATION LEADERS. THE PARTNERSHIP ALSO CONVENED TWO SPECIAL TASK FORCES. ONE REVISED AND UPDATED THE ORGANIZATION'S INCLUSION POLICY AND DEVELOPED BEST PRACTICE GUIDANCE TO FOSTER EQUITY, DIVERSITY, AND INCLUSION THROUGHOUT THE NATIONAL TRAILS SYSTEM AND THE ORGANIZATIONS THAT SUSTAIN IT. TWO WEBINARS WERE PROVIDED ON THE TOPIC OF EQUITY, DIVERSITY, AND INCLUSION. THE OTHER TASK FORCE DEVELOPED A MULTI-YEAR "NATIONAL TRAILS ACTION PLAN" TO GUIDE THE PARTNERSHIP'S WORK TO GARNER INCREASED PUBLIC AND PRIVATE RESOURCES TO CLOSE GAPS IN AND BETTER PRESERVE THE NATURAL, CULTURAL, HISTORIC, AND SCENIC RESOURCES OF THE NATIONAL SCENIC AND HISTORIC TRAILS.WITH FUNDING PROVIDED BY THE FEDERAL HIGHWAY ADMINISTRATION THE PARTNERSHIP COLLABORATED WITH THE TRUST FOR PUBLIC LAND TO BEGIN A TWO YEAR PROJECT TO PREPARE A GAP ANALYSIS OF ALL 30 NATIONAL SCENIC AND HISTORIC TRAILS. THIS PROJECT IS DEVELOPING AN INTERACTIVE GIS DATA BASE AND MAPPING OF THE GAPS IN THE TRAILS AND THE DEGREE OF PROTECTION AFFORDED TO THEIR CRITICAL RESOURCES. THIS INFORMATION WILL HELP DETERMINE FUTURE EFFORTS TO CLOSE THE TRAIL GAPS AND MORE FULLY PRESERVE THEIR RESOURCES.THE PARTNERSHIP ALSO ASSISTED THE BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT IN A PROJECT TO DEVELOP STANDARD PROCEDURES AND PROTOCOLS FOR INVENTORYING, ASSESSING, AND MONITORING THE NATURAL, CULTURAL, HISTORIC, AND SCENIC RESOURCES OF THE 30 NATIONAL SCENIC AND HISTORIC TRAILS. THE PARTNERSHIP HELPED EVALUATE THE PROTOCOLS DEVELOPED BY A BLM CONSULTANT TEAM AND TRAINING MATERIALS TO BE USED TO TRAIN AGENCY STAFF AND NONPROFIT STAFF AND VOLUNTEERS IN THE RECOMMENDED METHODS FOR ROUTINELY CONDUCTING THE RESOURCE SURVEYS.

THE PARTNERSHIP PROVIDED ANNUAL REPORTS AND INFORMATION TO CONGRESS AND FEDERAL TRAIL MANAGING AGENCIES ABOUT THE STATE OF THE TRAILS AND CONTRIBUTIONS, PROJECTS, AND ACTIVITIES OF OUR MEMBER ORGANIZATIONS TOWARDS SUSTAINING THE NATIONAL SCENIC AND HISTORIC TRAILS. THE PARTNERSHIP ALSO PROVIDED INFORMATION TO CONGRESS ABOUT THE FUNDING NEEDED TO SUSTAIN AND INCREASE ACTIVITIES UNDERWAY TO ACQUIRE LAND AND TO CONSTRUCT, MAINTAIN, INTERPRET, AND MANAGE THE SCENIC AND HISTORIC TRAILS THROUGH WRITTEN TESTIMONY PROVIDED TO THE HOUSE AND SENATE INTERIOR APPROPRIATIONS SUBCOMMITTEES. THE PARTNERSHIP PARTICIPATED WITH DOZENS OF OTHER CONSERVATION ORGANIZATIONS IN COALITIONS URGING CONGRESS TO PASS LEGISLATION TO REAUTHORIZE AND FULLY FUND THE LAND AND WATER CONSERVATION FUND, AND REAUTHORIZE THE FEDERAL TRANSPORTATION PROGRAM TO CONTINUE THE RECREATIONAL TRAILS FUNDING PROGRAM AND OTHER PROGRAMS FUNDING DEVELOPMENT AND MAINTENANCE OF LOCAL, REGIONAL, AND NATIONAL TRAILS. DURING 2019 THE PARTNERSHIP COMPILED AN ANNUAL "STATE OF THE TRAILS" REPORT WHICH IT SHARED WITH CONGRESS AND FEDERAL AGENCY STAFF AND A REPORT DOCUMENTING THAT DURING 2019 THE 35 MEMBER ORGANIZATIONS OF THE PARTNERSHIP HAD ORGANIZED AND GUIDED 23,964 CITIZEN VOLUNTEERS WHO CONTRIBUTED AT LEAST 1,010,962 HOURS OF LABOR TO HELP SUSTAIN THE 30 NATIONAL SCENIC AND HISTORIC TRAILS. THE VALUE OF THIS DONATED LABOR AND THE FINANCIAL CONTRIBUTIONS MADE BY THE NONPROFIT TRAIL ORGANIZATIONS TOTALED NEARLY $39 -- MORE THAN 1/3RD MORE THAN CONGRESS APPROPRIATED FOR THE NATIONAL PARK SERVICE, U.S. FOREST SERVICE, AND BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT TO MANAGE AND MAINTAIN THESE NATIONAL TRAILS.

THE PARTNERSHIP CONTINUED THE YOUTH OUTREACH AND ENGAGEMENT PROGRAM BEGUN IN 2009 WITH FEDERAL FUNDING BY PROVIDING GRANTS TO 16 OF THE NATIONAL TRAILS PUBLIC/PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS TO FUND YOUNG TRAIL INTERNS TO WORK ON PROJECTS, PROGRAMS, AND ACTIVITIES DETERMINED TO BE PRIORITIES BY EACH TRAIL PARTNERSHIP. THE PARTNERSHIP ALSO PREPARED A REPORT ON THE ACCOMPLISHMENTS FROM THE WORK OF THE 17 TRAIL INTERNS FUNDED DURING 2018 THROUGH SIMILAR GRANTS.

---

---

Data for this page was sourced from XML published by IRS (public 990 form dataset) from: https://s3.amazonaws.com/irs-form-990/202031919349301723_public.xml