Our Stories

Hike the Hill 2015 – Day 1 Update

Each February the National Trails community converges on Washington DC for a series of meetings on Capitol Hill with Members of Congress, and with the federal agencies that administer the trails. For our North Country National Scenic Trail community, that means meetings with as many of the 46 Senators and Representatives, in the states and Congressional Districts through which we pass, that we can arrange, as well as meetings with the National Park Service as well as the US Forest Service and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. We call it Hike the Hill.

The National Park Service administers the North Country National Scenic Trail (NCNST), but the trail passes through 10 National Forests and two National Wildlife Refuges as well. Our trails community (11 National Scenic Trails and 19 National Historic Trails) is united as the Partnership for the National Trails System (PNTS) and partners with the American Hiking Society in sponsoring Hike the Hill (http://www.americanhiking.org/hike-the-hill/ ) I’ve been here in Washington since Saturday, attending meetings and carrying out the NCTA’s legislative agenda.

Our trails community collaborates on a number of issues related to trails, which we describe here: https://northcountrytrail.org/get-involved/advocacy/ . But the primary focus of my efforts is to get the NCT’s Route Adjustment Act finally passed—the bill that officially adds the Minnesota Arrowhead (Superior Hiking Trail, Border Route Trail and Kekekabic Trail) to the NCNST, as well as extending the NCNST to meet the Appalachian NST in Vermont. Last Thursday HR. 799 and S. 403 were introduced by Congressman Nolan ( and 9 bipartisan co-sponsors) and Senator Klobuchar (and 7 co-sponsors) in the 114^th Congress. And, by damn, we’re leaving no stone unturned to finally get this bill through this Congress!

Go here for HR 799: https://www.congress.gov/bill/114th-congress/house-bill/799 and the Senate version S. 403: https://www.congress.gov/bill/114th-congress/senate-bill/403 .

It’ll be a tall order in a Congress in which the majority party typically does not favor public lands projects. This is a simple bill—two sentences, actually, changing the original “3200 miles” to the actual 4600; and referencing a new National Park Service map substituting for the original route. But, nothing’s simple with Congress. There’s a little thing called politics at work. Its my job to cut through all that and get this bill done. I’ll keep you posted on how successful I am as the week progresses.

But, don’t hold your breath. The Minnesota Arrowhead Re-Route part of the bill has been around since 2005, and this is now the second Congress with the Vermont extension included. Hope springs eternal, and we will fight hard.  Stay tuned….