Appalachian Trail Conservancy urges Congress to consider Trailside communities in stimulus packages

In mid-March, the Appalachian Trail Conservancy submitted a letter to the Appropriations Committees in the U.S. Senate and U.S. House of Representatives asking them to take special consideration of the Trailside communities that rely on outdoor recreation dollars in upcoming stimulus packages. The closure of the AT is likely to have deep economic impacts on these rural Trailside communities.

“Many of these communities are in the early stages of building small businesses focused on serving the outdoor recreation community,” the ATC wrote in the letter. “Many Trail-related businesses will not survive the impact of travel restrictions and attempts to limit the spread of COVID-19. Economic stimulus legislation under development now in Congress needs to generate the necessary income and workforce development for rural communities to recover quickly.”

Georgia DNR announces 12 grants through the Recreational Trails Program