What a Newly Introduced Transportation Bill Means for the Appalachian Trail
May 28, 2026
Advocating for the Appalachian National Scenic Trail is one of the three pillars of the Appalachian Trail Conservancy’s mission. Each year we identify federal legislative priorities that affect the A.T. as well as recreation, conservation, local economies, and community resilience in the A.T. landscape.
The BUILD America 250 Act
The bipartisan BUILD America 250 Act (Building Unrivaled Infrastructure and Long-term Development of America’s 250th, H.R. 8870) was introduced earlier this month and is a bill the ATC is playing close attention to.
While surface transportation legislation might on the surface (pun intended!) seem disconnected to the A.T. and public lands, transportation policy directly shapes how people access, experience, and steward these places. The BUILD America 250 Act will provide annual funding to a wide range of programs that steward the nation’s transportation assets, such as highways, bridges, and even trails.
Overall, the House’s bill is a strong step in funding our nation’s transportation systems, and the ATC appreciates that all programs listed in our Surface Transportation priorities were retained with either current or increased funding. However, there are updates to the bill that could strengthen this legislation to benefit the A.T.
Dan Innamorato
Why Transportation Matters on Public Lands
Transportation infrastructure on public lands is important for more than just recreational access and stewardship. Outdoor recreation is a $1.3 trillion industry, supporting economic health across the country. Lands productive for outdoor recreation also provide critical ecosystem services, including clean water, diverse habitats, and connectivity for wildlife.
The Forest Transportation System contributes an estimated $45 billion to the U.S. economy and supports more than 410,000 jobs, while National Park Service visitation supported approximately 415,000 jobs and contributed $56 billion to the economy in 2023.
Cassandra Kuhn
While surface transportation reauthorization provides critical support for public lands transportation systems, additional funding sources, including annual appropriations and programs such as the Legacy Restoration Fund, also play important roles in fixing the roads, bridges, trails, and other infrastructure across public lands.
In addition, the FY27 Presidential budget proposals for the National Park Service (NPS) and USDA Forest Service USFS (both too low in ATC’s opinion) also impact the ability of agencies to maintain and steward these transportation assets. For continued success of the Appalachian Trail, the transportation systems of the NPS and USFS must be funded appropriately.
Annual Investments in Access and Infrastructure in the Bill
Annual allocation programs make up the backbone of federal lands transportation funding by providing recurring funding that agencies and states can plan around each year.
Among the most significant are the Federal Lands Transportation Program (FLTP, which is for federal land managers) and the Federal Lands Access Program (FLAP, which is for state roads that provide access to federal lands). Together, these programs support transportation systems within and providing access to federal lands, helping connect visitors and communities across the Appalachian Trail landscape.
Under BUILD America 250, total FLTP funding would increase 6.89% to $496 million by FY31, with National Park Service funding increasing 6.16% to $387.5 million and U.S. Forest Service funding increasing 20.33% to $35.5 million over the same period. The bill would also increase FLAP funding by 7.64% to $338 million by FY31.
Within this legislation, the NPS would receive some $28,709/mile of road and the USFS would receive $500/mile of road. The ATC will continue to advocate for continued support for the NPS and a larger, more appropriate, annual distribution to the USFS as well as that the allocations be made directly to the federal land managers, rather than held at the Department of Transportation, cutting down on red tape.
Horizonline Pictures
Supporting Major Public Lands Projects
Beyond annual funding streams in the bill, the BUILD America 250 Act would also continue support for large-scale transportation projects through the Nationally Significant Federal Lands and Tribal Projects Program (NSFLTP). Unlike annual allocation programs, the NSFLTP provides competitive funding for major transportation projects on federal and tribal lands that may be too costly for agencies to address through their regular budgets.
The proposal would continue authorizing the program at $55 million annually through FY31 while making one significant change: lowering the minimum project cost threshold from $12.5 million to $5 million. By reducing this threshold, the bill could make the program available to a broader range of projects.
The bill also maintains an existing requirement that at least one project each year be awarded to a NPS unit receiving more than three million annual visitors. The ATC would like to see an identical requirement for the USFS. Each of the A.T.’s eight national forests sees over three million visits.
Investing in Wildlife and Recreation
Beyond roads and bridges, the BUILD America 250 Act also includes programs supporting ecological connectivity and recreation infrastructure. The bill would continue authorization of the Wildlife Crossings Pilot Program increasing its annual distribution by 12.5% to $80 million annually and keep the National Culvert Removal, Replacement, and Restoration Grant Program funded at $200 million annually.
These programs help reduce barriers created by transportation infrastructure by improving wildlife movement, reducing vehicle-wildlife collisions, and restoring aquatic organism passage. For the Appalachian Trail landscape, which serves as one of the most significant connected landscapes in the eastern United States, these investments can improve both transportation safety and ecological function.
Looking Ahead for the Appalachian Trail
Surface transportation legislation directly shapes how people access, experience, and steward the Appalachian Trail and its broader landscape.
The roads leading to trailheads, bridges carrying visitors and local traffic, stream crossings affecting aquatic ecosystems, wildlife corridors reducing habitat fragmentation, and emergency repairs reconnecting communities after disasters all exist within the same transportation network.
The ATC will continue to engage with the House as it works towards final passage and will educate the Senate on the importance of these funds and suggested updates.
