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| Sustainable Trails Coalition | |
|---|---|
| Name | Sustainable Trails Coalition |
| Formation | 2008 |
| Headquarters | Boulder, Colorado |
| Type | Nonprofit advocacy organization |
| Purpose | Trail sustainability, recreation management, environmental stewardship |
| Region served | United States |
| Leader title | Executive Director |
Sustainable Trails Coalition
The Sustainable Trails Coalition is a nonprofit advocacy organization focused on trail stewardship, recreation access, and infrastructure sustainability in the United States. Operating at the intersection of land management, outdoor recreation, and conservation policy, the Coalition engages with federal land agencies, state parks, municipal agencies, and private land trusts to promote durable trail design, multi-use access, and responsible recreation. Its activities span technical guidance, legislative advocacy, stakeholder convening, and on-the-ground projects with partners across the outdoor sector.
The Coalition was founded in 2008 amid debates following high-profile events such as the 2008 United States financial crisis and ongoing litigation involving recreation access on public lands such as issues seen around Appalachian Trail management and controversies tied to Bureau of Land Management travel plans. Early years involved collaboration with organizations like the Appalachian Mountain Club, Sierra Club, and regional land trusts, and engagement with federal agencies including the National Park Service and the United States Forest Service. The Coalition’s trajectory reflects shifts in outdoor recreation policy observed after publications by the Recreation Resource Management community and responses to funding changes in programs such as the Land and Water Conservation Fund and congressional acts affecting trail funding. Milestones include technical guidance releases, partnerships with the Rails-to-Trails Conservancy, and involvement in multi-stakeholder processes resembling those seen in Pacific Crest Trail stewardship efforts.
The Coalition’s mission emphasizes durable trail systems, equitable access, and reduced environmental impact in settings ranging from urban greenways to backcountry corridors. Goals align with priorities of federal programs like the Federal Highway Administration’s recreational trails initiatives, state-level departments such as the California Department of Parks and Recreation, and nonprofit funders including the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation. Core aims include advancing best practices used by groups like the International Mountain Bicycling Association, supporting policy frameworks similar to those advocated by the Outdoor Recreation Roundtable, and promoting standards consistent with technical manuals from agencies like the United States Army Corps of Engineers when relevant to trail infrastructure.
Programs encompass technical guidance, volunteer corps coordination, and applied demonstration projects. The Coalition produces trail design resources inspired by precedent documents from the Soil Conservation Service and training curricula used by the AmeriCorps Trail Maintenance programs. Initiatives include the Durable Trails Initiative partnering with municipal bodies such as the City of Boulder, Colorado, regional land managers like Colorado Parks and Wildlife, and national organizations including the National Park Foundation. Other programs mirror cooperative models seen with the Trust for Public Land and involve grantmaking strategies similar to those used by the Open Space Institute and The Conservation Fund.
Funding and partnerships draw from diverse sources: philanthropic foundations such as the Rockefeller Foundation and The Pew Charitable Trusts; corporate partners in the outdoor industry like Patagonia (company), REI, and The North Face; and government grants from agencies including the National Endowment for the Humanities when cultural landscape aspects apply, and the United States Department of Agriculture through Forest Service cooperative programs. The Coalition partners with research institutions such as University of Colorado Boulder, Oregon State University, and University of Minnesota for monitoring and evaluation, and coordinates with advocacy networks like the Backpacker Magazine community and the Outdoor Industry Association on communications and policy campaigns.
The Coalition is governed by a board composed of representatives from conservation NGOs, recreation groups, and municipal leaders with experience in arenas like Land Trust Alliance governance and commissions similar to those overseeing the National Scenic Trails. Staff roles reflect functions common to nonprofits: an executive director with prior roles at organizations such as American Hiking Society, program directors who have worked with the Rails-to-Trails Conservancy or International Mountain Bicycling Association, and partnerships staff experienced with state parks agencies. Volunteers and regional coordinators liaise with entities like the VolunteerMatch platform, local trail crews, and corps programs such as Conservation Corps Minnesota & Iowa.
Evaluation draws on methods used in environmental assessment literature and monitoring protocols from agencies like the United States Geological Survey and National Park Service inventory programs. Reported impacts include miles of trail restored in collaboration with groups such as the Appalachian Trail Conservancy and Pacific Crest Trail Association, reductions in erosion documented using techniques employed by the Natural Resources Conservation Service, and increased equitable access measured alongside community partners like Outdoor Afro and Latino Outdoors. The Coalition publishes annual impact summaries that reference metrics comparable to those used by the Trust for Public Land and national surveys by the Bureau of Labor Statistics and National Recreation and Park Association.
Critiques mirror debates within the outdoor sector: reconciling motorized and non-motorized uses similar to conflicts addressed in Ozark National Scenic Riverways management, balancing conservation with recreation like disputes in Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, and negotiating priorities between urban greenway development and rural habitat protection seen in controversies near Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Critics have questioned funding allocations and partnership choices, drawing comparisons to scrutiny faced by organizations such as the National Park Foundation and the Trust for Public Land when engaging corporate sponsors. The Coalition has responded through stakeholder convenings modeled after processes used in federal rulemaking and collaborative planning found in examples like the National Environmental Policy Act consultations.
Category:Non-profit organizations based in Colorado Category:Trail organizations