{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["http://walz.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/congress-passes-bill-to-improve-trail-maintenance-and-preservation", "Congress Passes Bill to Improve Trail Maintenance and Preservation", "2016-11-17", "2016", "2016-11", "Democrat", "House", "MN", "Tim Walz", "W000799", "walz.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington, D.C. \u2013 Congress sent a bill this week to President Obama that would improve access to America\u2019s National Forests through better trail maintenance and preservation.\nThe National Forest System Trails Stewardship Act would make better use of existing resources within the Forest Service to significantly increase the role of volunteers and partners in maintaining the usability and sustainability of the National Forest\u2019s trail system.\nSenators Mike Enzi, R-Wyo. And Michael Bennet, D-Colo. were the prime sponsors in the Senate and Representatives Cynthia Lummis, R-Wyo., and Tim Walz, D-Minn., in the House.\u00a0Legislators in both houses passed the bipartisan bill unanimously.\n\u201cWyoming is home to some stunning forests and they should be easily accessible,\u201d Enzi said. \u201cWith our country in tough fiscal times, it is important that we maintain access to our public land in a fiscally sound manner. This bill would make the most of our resources, maximize the use of volunteers and improve access to our National Forests for generations to come.\u201d\n\u201cMillions of people every year come to Colorado for some of the best hiking, scenery, and wildlife viewing that the country has to offer,\u201d Bennet said. \u201cOur tourism and outdoor recreation industries depend on a well-maintained trail system throughout our national forests. This bill will help the Forest Service do more with less by increasing the use of volunteers to ensure our trails are accessible and safe for all of us to use.\u201d\nThe Forest Service currently maintains only one-quarter of the 158,000 miles of National Forest trails that offer hiking, horseback riding, hunting, mountain bicycling, motorized vehicles, and other outdoor activities. The act would expand the number of trails that could be maintained by requiring a national strategy to maximize the use of volunteers and partners while addressing liability concerns that restrict outside groups and individuals working on the trails.\nThe bill also directs a study on utilizing fire crews for maintenance work during off-seasons and a study on permits for outfitters and guides to offset some fees through work on trail maintenance.\n\u201cThis is really a motherhood and apple pie kind of bill,\u201d Lummis said. \u201cThis legislation empowers volunteers in their desire and effort to restore our national trails system. It also explores utilizing fire crews during the off season and letting outfitters work off some of their fees in trail maintenance. By refocusing on volunteers and stretching existing resources, we will make real progress on the trail maintenance backlog, despite these tight fiscal times. It is very exciting to see this legislation, which will restore public access to beautiful trails, head to the White House for the President\u2019s signature.\u201d\n\u201cFrom hikers to bikers, outdoor enthusiasts across the country utilize 157,000 miles of National Forest System trails every day for exercise, relaxation, and exploration. Though public use remains high, close to two-thirds of these trails don\u2019t receive any maintenance whatsoever because our Forest Service simply lacks the resources to keep up,\u201d Walz said. \u201cI am proud the legislation Representative Lummis, Senator Enzi, Senator Bennet and I have worked on passed the Senate today and I look forward to it being signed into law. Protecting our public lands for future generations while increasing access to the great outdoors is our responsibility, and this bill is a step in the right direction.\u201d\nClick here for a copy of the bill.\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["http://walz.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/congress-passes-bill-to-improve-trail-maintenance-and-preservation"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.3441070914268494, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}