Appalachian Trail Resiliency Fund Launched to Accelerate Helene Recovery

HARPERS FERRY, W.Va.  – The Appalachian Trail Conservancy (ATC) announced today the establishment of the Appalachian Trail Resiliency Fund—our path forward to rebuild the Appalachian National Scenic Trail (A.T.) in the South, restore the surrounding landscape, support A.T. Communities impacted by Hurricane Helene, and to increase the resilience of the Trail against future disasters.

Helene was the largest natural disaster—in terms of geographic footprint—to impact the Trail in its 100-year history. The ATC estimates it will take months to fully assess the extent of the damage to the A.T. and its landscape in the hardest hit areas and potentially years to fully restore this world-class recreation experience that attracts millions of visitors to the A.T. each year.

Yet, the ATC is already at work organizing the resources and people needed to reconnect the A.T., rebuild visitor infrastructure and restore the surrounding landscape in North Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and Georgia, which will require significant and ongoing support for Trailside communities and robust volunteer recruitment and training.

Sandi Marra, ATC’s President and CEO said: “The road to recovery won’t be measured in weeks or months, but likely years in sections of the A.T. where Helene decimated trees and left the treadway impossible to find. The ATC is committed to providing support to our A.T. Communities and to rehabilitating the Trail and landscape—no matter how long it takes. Our goal for the Appalachian Trail Resiliency Fund is to support rebuilding efforts and, in time, ensure that we deliver on our promise of an open and continuous Trail.”

Donations to the Appalachian Trail Resiliency Fund will accelerate efforts to:

• Rebuild A.T. infrastructure
  Including damage assessment, storm clearing, planning, rebuilding, supporting Clubs and volunteers, and providing training, supplies, tools, and equipment.
• Restore the A.T. landscape and improve climate resilience
  Including damage assessment, climate resilience analysis and planning, habitat restoration, stream cleanup, tree replanting, and continued invasive species removal.
• Reconnect A.T. Communities and trail towns
  Including general support and long-term rebuilding of small businesses that support A.T. hikers in affected areas of North Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia and Georgia through staff resources and grants.

To kickstart the Resiliency Fund, members of the ATC’s Board of Directors have pledged $20,000. Companies like the outdoor app AllTrails and the Wise Pines Hiker Hostel in Vermont have also stepped up and made significant contributions to the ATC to support recovery. In addition, the ATC is directing all profits from its Ultimate Appalachian Trail Store sales to the A.T. Resiliency Fund through the end of 2024.

“Stewardship of our public lands is at the heart of our work at AllTrails,” says AllTrails Head of Public Lands Partnerships Pitt Grewe. “We’re committed to helping the Appalachian Trail and its communities recover from Hurricane Helene. Our pledge to the A.T. Resiliency Fund is a promise to support the ATC in getting people back to the trails they love.”

To support the Appalachian Trail Resiliency Fund, visit appalachiantrail.org/resilience.

About the Appalachian Trail Conservancy

Founded in 1925, the Appalachian Trail Conservancy works passionately to manage and protect the Appalachian National Scenic Trail. As the only non-profit devoted exclusively to the entirety of the Trail and its landscape, we endeavor to keep its vast natural and scenic beauty healthy, resilient, and connected, so that everyone can experience its transformative power for generations to come. Together with our supporters, partners, and thousands of volunteers, we keep the Trail alive. appalachiantrail.org

Media Contact:
Ann Simonelli, 304.885.0482‌, asimonelli@appalachiantrail.org