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Are You Celebrating Washington Trails Day August 6?

Posted by Francakes at Aug 05, 2016 12:15 PM |

For the third year in a row, Governor Inslee has officially declared August 6 Washington Trails Day to recognize the importance trails and public lands play in our lives and to ensure we can preserve them for the future.

For the third year in a row, Governor Inslee has officially declared August 6 Washington Trails Day to recognize the importance trails and public lands play in our lives and to ensure we can preserve them for the future.

This has never been more important than it is right now.

54 percent of Washingtonians enjoy trails each year. The outdoor recreation industry directly supports more than 200,000 jobs in our state. Hiking isn't just a hobby in Washington, it's part of who we are culturally and economically. Yet while interest in outdoor recreation has increased, funding for public lands has diminished significantly over the last 20 years, resulting in a backlog of unmaintained trails and facilities. But we have an opportunity to reverse this trend.

We are asking Congress to help protect these special places, and we need your help to make sure hikers' voices are heard in Washington D.C.

When you go out this weekend, please take a few simple steps to show your support for trail funding:
  1. Act: Sign our petition to publicly declare your love for public lands. Use your voice so our elected leaders know Washingtonians want to see the outdoors cared for.
  2. Hike and share: Share your experience using #WaTrailsDay in trip reports and on social media, and be entered to win a prize. WTA's Instagram handle is @washingtontrails and we're @WTA_hikers on Twitter. Bonus points if your picture includes trail trash that you cleaned up along the way.
  3. Spread the word: Tell a friend about why they should care about funding for our trails.
  4. Learn more: Get more ideas for celebrating Washington Trails Day.

 

These special places belong to each and every one of us. We all have to take care of them so future generations will enjoy them.

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