Trails for America in the 21st Century

This executive order directs federal agencies to protect, connect, promote, and assist trails throughout the United States in cooperation with tribes, states, local governments, and citizen groups. It formally recognizes the Federal Interagency Council on Trails and mandates coordination on mapping, volunteer programs, National Trails Day participation, and development of an operating handbook for trail administrators.

Federal Register Open PDF 66 FR 7391

Impact dates

Date TBD
Annual National Trails Day participation (first Saturday of June)
Date TBD
Council leadership rotation decided among members

Key directives

Federal agencies shall protect, connect, promote, and assist trails of all types
Agencies shall participate in National Trails Day the first Saturday of June each year
Council leadership shall rotate among members at start of each fiscal year
Federal agencies shall together develop a process for resolving interagency trail issues
Participating agencies shall coordinate preparation of an operating handbook for Federal administrators of the National Trails System

Who is ordered

Timeline

Immediate

Federal agencies directed to begin cooperative trail protection and promotion
Federal Interagency Council on Trails formally recognized

Near term (90d)

Council to develop memorandum of understanding for interagency coordination
Agencies to begin developing issue resolution process and operating handbook

Long term

Annual National Trails Day participation each June
Ongoing integration of trails into national connected system
Periodic handbook updates

Risks & tensions

Soft obligation language ('to the extent permitted by law and where practicable') limits enforceability
No dedicated funding mechanism specified; implementation depends on existing budgets
Council leadership rotation could create coordination discontinuities
Section 5 explicitly denies judicial enforceability, making this purely administrative guidance