The weeklong effort started with a day of sharing issues and successes with leaders of human-powered rec groups from Utah, Idaho, Oregon, and Colorado.  Afterwards the leaders of The Wilderness Society, Defenders of Wildlife, National Parks Conservation Association, and the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Association joined us for a great round table discussion on how the futures of outdoor recreation and conservation are fundamentally linked to each other.

Of course the focus of the week was meetings with a number of Congress members, including Senator Patty Murray, Senator Maria Cantwell, and Representatives Suzan DelBene, Jaime Herrera-Beutler, David Reichert, and Derek Kilmer.  Other meetings were held with the U.S. Forest Service and BLM.

Several issues were discussed, including local trail projects, fire fighting funding, Federal Land Recreation Enhancement Act, Recreational Trails Program, and the importance of the outdoor recreation economy in Washington.  We’re very excited to have made this trip with our Washington outdoor recreation partners as part of Evergreen’s ongoing engagement at the federal level. 

As the popularity of mountain biking in the state grows, so does our need for sustainable, well-built trail to ride.  Evergreen is committed to working with land managers, fellow trail users, and lawmakers—both statewide and nationally—to ensure we get your voices heard.

Because Evergreen can only work with your support, please donate to the 2014 Trails Campaign today.  Your additional donation allows us to continue advocating for mountain bike trails state wide, and makes Washington state the best place to ride.