Our 2021-2024 Strategic Plan

Our Strategy for A.T. Protection

September 15, 2020

As we approach 2021, we find ourselves coming to a pivotal moment in the Appalachian Trail’s (A.T.) and Appalachian Trail Conservancy’s (ATC) history.

Next year, we will celebrate the 100-year anniversary of the publication of An Appalachian Trail: A Project in Regional Planning — the visionary essay which spurred generations of dreamers and doers to make the A.T. a reality. Beyond laying out the vision for the A.T., the essay asked us to confront “the problem of living” by asking ourselves how we spend our time, how we distribute and share the results of our labor, and how we care for the land.

Those questions are just as relevant today and underscored the development of the ATC’s 2021 to 2024 Strategic Plan. As we reflect on the original vision for the A.T. and how far we’ve come in the past century, we asked ourselves:

How do we build the foundation for the next century of A.T. management and protection?

The 2021-2024 Strategic Plan addresses this question by focusing on how we will manage and protect key aspects of the Appalachian Trail in the future: the footpath, the landscape, the volunteers, and the vast community that connects with and supports the A.T. every day. As we look to the future, we’ve laid out a set of strategic priorities that will help us define the second century of A.T. management.

Click here for a larger view of the Strategic Plan Document

As with the first century, the A.T. will only remain the cherished resource it is through the coordinated and collective efforts of the Appalachian Trail Conservancy. We hope you will be with us as we look forward to that future.

In dedication to the future of A.T. conservation,

The Appalachian Trail Conservancy Team