Secretary of the Interior Gale Norton announced the designation of 18 new National Recreation Trails (NRT) on National Wildlife Refuge and National Fish Hatchery lands in 12 states. These 18 trails join17 other NRTs on U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service lands, raising the number of NRTs administered by the Service to 35.
"These trails lead hikers through some of America?s most beautiful deserts, wetlands and prairies that make up our National Wildlife Refuge System and National Fish Hatcheries," saidSecretary Norton. "The National Recreation Trails designation will help more people discover the many recreational opportunities available on refuges and at hatcheries."
National Recreation Trails aredesignated by the Secretary of the Interior or the Secretary of Agriculture and recognize exemplary trails of local and regional significance in response to an application from the trail's managing agency or organization. These trails are now recognized as part of America's national system of trails and join over 900 other trails nationwide
The refuge and hatchery trails will benefit from the prestige and increased visibility of being a part of the National Trail System. New designations are announced annually by the Secretary of the Interior as part of the nationwide celebrationof National Trails Day the first Saturday in June, and recognized at the biannual National Trails Symposium.
National Recreation Trailsprovide for numerous outdoor recreation activities in a variety of urban, rural and remote areas, ranging from less than a mile to 485 miles in lengthon federal, state, municipal, and privately owned lands.
For more information on the National Recreation Trails program, visit the American Trails website at http://www.americantrails.org/nationalrecreationtrails/.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is the principal Federal agency responsible for conserving, protecting and enhancing fish, wildlife and plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. The Service manages the 95-million-acre National Wildlife Refuge System, which encompasses 544 national wildlife refuges, thousands of small wetlands and other special management areas. It also operates 69 national fish hatcheries, 64 fishery resources offices and 81 ecological services field stations. The agency enforces federal wildlife laws, administers the Endangered Species Act, manages migratory bird populations, restores nationally significant fisheries, conserves and restores wildlife habitat such as wetlands, and helps foreign and Native American tribal governments with their conservation efforts. It also oversees the Federal Assistance program, which distributes hundreds of millions of dollars in excise taxes on fishing and hunting equipment to state fish and wildlife agencies.
NRT Trails Designated on National Wildlife Refuges and Fish Hatcheries in 2005
