Forest Service Trails: Long- and Short-Term Improvements Could Reduce Maintenance Backlog and Enhance System Sustainability
Highlights
What GAO Found
The Forest Service has more miles of trail than it has been able to maintain, resulting in a persistent maintenance backlog with a range of negative effects. In fiscal year 2012, the agency reported that it accomplished at least some maintenance on about 37 percent of its 158,000 trail miles and that about one-quarter of its trail miles met the agency's standards. The Forest Service estimated the value of its trail maintenance backlog to be $314 million in fiscal year 2012, with an additional $210 million for annual maintenance, capital improvement, and operations. Trails not maintained to quality standards have a range of negative effects, such as inhibiting trail use and harming natural resources, and deferring maintenance can add to maintenance costs.
The Forest Service relies on a combination of internal and external resources to help maintain its trail system. Internal resources include about $80 million allocated annually for trail maintenance activities plus funding for other agency programs that involve trails. External resources include volunteer labor, which the Forest Service valued at $26 million in fiscal year 2012, and funding from federal programs, states, and other sources.
Collectively, agency officials and stakeholders GAO spoke with identified a number of factors complicating the Forest Service's trail maintenance efforts, including (1) factors associated with the origin and location of trails, (2) some agency policies and procedures, and (3) factors associated with the management of volunteers and other external resources. For example, many trails were created for purposes other than recreation, such as access for timber harvesting or firefighting, and some were built on steep slopes, leaving unsustainable, erosion-prone trails that require continual maintenance. In addition, certain agency policies and procedures complicate trail maintenance efforts, such as the agency's lack of standardized training in trails field skills, which limits agency expertise. Further, while volunteers are important to the agency's trail maintenance efforts, managing volunteers can decrease the time officials can spend performing on-the-ground maintenance.
Agency officials and stakeholders GAO interviewed collectively identified numerous options to improve Forest Service trail maintenance, including (1) assessing the sustainability of the trail system, (2) improving agency policies and procedures, and (3) improving management of volunteers and other external resources. In a 2010 document titled A Framework for Sustainable Recreation, the Forest Service noted the importance of analyzing recreation program needs and available resources and assessing potential ways to narrow the gap between them, which the agency has not yet done for its trails. Many officials and stakeholders suggested that the agency systematically assess its trail system to identify ways to reduce the gap and improve trail system sustainability. They also identified other options for improving management of volunteers. For example, while the agency's goal in the Forest Service Manual is to use volunteers, the agency has not established collaboration with and management of volunteers who help maintain trails as clear expectations for trails staff responsible for working with volunteers, and training in this area is limited. Some agency officials and stakeholders stated that training on how to collaborate with and manage volunteers would enhance the agency's ability to capitalize on this resource.
Why GAO Did This Study
The Forest Service manages more than 158,000 miles of recreational trails offering hikers, horseback riders, cyclists, off-highway-vehicle drivers, and others access to national forests. To remain safe and usable, these trails need regular maintenance, such as removal of downed trees or bridge repairs. GAO was asked to review the agency's trail maintenance activities. This report examines (1) the extent to which the Forest Service is meeting trail maintenance needs, and effects associated with any maintenance not done; (2) resources, including funding and labor, that the agency employs to maintain its trails; (3) factors, if any, complicating agency efforts to maintain its trails; and (4) options, if any, that could improve the agency's trail maintenance efforts. GAO reviewed laws and agency documents; analyzed Forest Service budget data for fiscal years 2006-2012 and trails data for fiscal years 2008-2012; and interviewed agency officials and representatives of 16 stakeholder groups selected to represent trail users, conservation, and industry. Their views are not generalizable.
Recommendations
GAO recommends, among otheractions, that the Forest Service (1) analyze trails program needs and available resources and develop options for narrowing the gap between them and take steps to assess and improve the sustainability of its trails and (2) take steps to enhance training on collaborating with and managing volunteers who help maintain trails. In commenting on a draft of this report, the Forest Service generally agreed with GAO's findings and recommendations.
Recommendations for Executive Action
| Agency Affected | Recommendation | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Department of Agriculture | To enhance the overall sustainability of the Forest Service's trail system, consistent with the vision articulated in A Framework for Sustainable Recreation, and to reduce the trail maintenance backlog, the Secretary of Agriculture should direct the Chief of the Forest Service to take several actions to improve the agency's trail maintenance approach in both the short and long terms. To improve agency management of its trails program in the long term, particularly in light of the gap between program needs and available resources, the agency should take the following action consistent with the agency's Framework for Sustainable Recreation: in line with the Framework's emphasis on evaluating infrastructure investments and program costs, (1) ensure that the agency's management of its trails program includes an analysis of trails program needs and available resources and (2) develop options for narrowing the gap between program needs and resources. |
To determine trails program needs and available resources, the Forest Service analyzed estimated trail costs and available resources, including its appropriated trails budget and volunteer contributions, based on data from fiscal years 2010 through 2016. To develop options for narrowing the gap between needs and resources, the agency developed a National Strategy for a Sustainable Trail System, which it finalized in December 2016. The strategy provides a number of actions to help achieve a sustainable trail system and narrow the gap between needs and resources, such as advocating with partners to establish new funding sources and identifying and removing barriers to effective partnering and the use of nontraditional funding sources.
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| Department of Agriculture | To enhance the overall sustainability of the Forest Service's trail system, consistent with the vision articulated in A Framework for Sustainable Recreation, and to reduce the trail maintenance backlog, the Secretary of Agriculture should direct the Chief of the Forest Service to take several actions to improve the agency's trail maintenance approach in both the short and long terms. To improve agency management of its trails program in the long term, particularly in light of the gap between program needs and available resources, the agency should take the following action consistent with the agency's Framework for Sustainable Recreation: in line with the Framework's emphasis on sustainability, and to enhance trail sustainability over the long term, (1) improve guidance and increase training on sustainable trail design and (2) when appropriate, begin systematic, unit-level trail assessments that reevaluate trails with long-term sustainability as a goal. |
The Forest Service has implemented a variety of activities to address this recommendation. For example, in September 2016, the Forest Service issued national guidance on trail fundamentals that included information related to sustainable trail design. The Forest Service has also held in-person trainings and provided presentations that address sustainability. In addition, some units and regions have begun to conduct systematic trail assessments that reevaluate trails with long-term sustainability as a goal. For example, some units have developed trail strategies that examine the long-term sustainability of their trail systems, and one forest in the Southern Region developed a tool that provides rapid assessments of trail sustainability.
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| Department of Agriculture | To enhance the overall sustainability of the Forest Service's trail system, consistent with the vision articulated in A Framework for Sustainable Recreation, and to reduce the trail maintenance backlog, the Secretary of Agriculture should direct the Chief of the Forest Service to take several actions to improve the agency's trail maintenance approach in both the short and long terms. To improve the agency's ability to keep up with its maintenance goals in the short term and reduce its maintenance backlog, the agency should take steps to improve policies and procedures related to trail maintenance. Such steps should include implementing electronic collection of trail condition data and offering more standardized in-person training on trail skills and on-the-ground maintenance. They could also include, for example, changing policies and practices to improve recruitment and retention of employees with trail expertise. |
The Forest Service has taken a number of steps to improve policies and procedures related to trail maintenance. For example, the Forest Service continues to expand use of its mobile application, known as "eTRACS," and has added GPS functionality to it, according to a senior official. In addition, in September 2016, the Forest Service issued national guidance on trail fundamentals, as noted, and has provided in-person trainings and presentations related to trail design and maintenance at the regional and unit levels. The Forest Service has also taken steps to support youth and veteran programs to conduct trail maintenance projects and collect trail data. In addition, in 2017, the agency started a competitive grant program to fund additional trail maintenance projects.
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| Department of Agriculture | To enhance the overall sustainability of the Forest Service's trail system, consistent with the vision articulated in A Framework for Sustainable Recreation, and to reduce the trail maintenance backlog, the Secretary of Agriculture should direct the Chief of the Forest Service to take several actions to improve the agency's trail maintenance approach in both the short and long terms. To improve the agency's ability to keep up with its maintenance goals in the short term and reduce its maintenance backlog, the agency should, recognizing the importance of volunteers for trail maintenance, take steps to improve management of volunteers, including by ensuring that collaboration with and management of volunteers are clear expectations of trails staff and offering relevant training. |
The Forest Service reported that it has taken some steps to improve management of volunteers-for example, reducing barriers to volunteering, developing training, and identifying additional key actions to support volunteer partnering--but as of May 2019, the agency has not reported taking steps to ensure that collaboration with and management of volunteers are clear expectations of trails staff. As a result, we have closed this recommendation as not implemented.
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