As the recent federal government shutdown stretched on to a record-breaking 43 days, the ATC’s volunteer team sought to better understand how A.T. Maintaining Clubs’ stewardship efforts were affected by the lapse in appropriations. A survey of A.T. Club leaders revealed that some Clubs faced wide-ranging disruptions: halted or postponed Trail projects, limited access to agency partners, uncertainty around funding, and growing concern about the condition of Trail sections left without regular oversight. At the same time, other Clubs were minimally affected, due to differences in land manager decisions on return-to-work permission for volunteers, or the timing of their project cycles. From Trail projects put at risk to maintenance deferred into future seasons, many Club leaders report that the shutdown not only delayed essential work but also threatened the long-term stewardship needed to maintain and protect the Trail. 

In the recent survey, Club leaders were asked, “What impact is (the Shutdown) having on your Club and your activities related to the Appalachian Trail?” Here’s what Club leaders shared, in their own words, about how their work within the Cooperative Management System was affected.  

Interruption to planned or future work

We are prohibited from doing any work on the Trail during the shutdown in Georgia.

Uncertainty about staff reduction in USFS and possible prevention of volunteer trail work; also uncertainty about funds for projects – short and long-term. With USFS staffing uncertain, there is an impact on cooperative projects like Visitor Use Management (VUM).

Unable to work on Blue Ridge Parkway sections – about eight miles of trail. Unable to work with or get information from USFS partners.

We were about to start two trail maintenance projects and those got impacted, so that only one was partially completed. We are anticipating those projects to resume in 2026.

Access to USFS personnel is limited for planning purposes.

For our Club, the impacts were to projects that were on the books for a bit, so the delay is unfortunate but tolerable. That said, the Trail upgrades will not be in place before the 2026 thru-hiking season, which is unfortunate.

Funding

Project funds are in jeopardy of being lost.

Loss of funding/NPS staff for upcoming capital projects could have significant impacts in a few months.

Damage to the Trail

Trail(s) are being abused and degraded because of lack of boots on the ground and supporting administrative support.

The experiences shared by A.T. Club leaders underscore the important balance of all three legs of the Cooperative Management System: when agency partners are sidelined, the ripple effects come quickly. As we look ahead to restoring momentum on delayed projects and safeguarding critical investments, the ATC will continue advocating for stable federal support. To learn more about how the shutdown affected the Trail, visit appalachiantrail.org/news-stories/government-shutdown-impacts/.