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The Florida Trail Association’s Florida National Scenic Trail
FY 2012 Appropriations Request  The Florida Trail Association respectfully requests that the members of Florida’s Congressional Delegation support the following FY 2012 appropriations in the USDA Forest Service’s budget to construct, administer and manage the Florida National Scenic Trail:
$2,500,000 for base budget funds for trail construction, administration and management of land acquired for the Florida National Scenic Trail within the USDA Forest Service’s Trail Construction/Reconstruction and Trail Maintenance budget. The USDA Forest Service’s existing base funding for the trail does not allow the agency to effectively protect, manage and restore the lands it has acquired for the FNST. This appropriation is critical to managing those trail lands, completing "shovel-ready" projects making the trail more user friendly, opening new trail segments for the public, and providing the public with information about the FNST. $1,500,000 line item from the Land and Water Conservation Fund for a ninth year of funding to close gaps in the FNST along the Suwannee River by protecting 25 tracts (3 miles on 525.4 acres). The focused acquisition plan will strategically protect lands providing for the greatest recreational opportunity. Twenty-five individual tracts are needed to complete the FNST along this section of the Suwannee Wilderness Trail. Past funding has resulted in acquisition of 33 individual tracts for $2.9 million. Some of these properties are facing immediate threat from rural residential and agricultural conversion. Florida's Congressional Districts Map 2011
FY 2012 Funding Justification Statement for The Florida National Scenic Trail Description
The route of the Florida National Scenic Trail (FNST) extends from Gulf Islands National Seashore near Pensacola to Big Cypress National Preserve west of Miami. Congress has charged the USDA Forest Service, National Forests in Florida with the responsibility to administer the FNST in cooperation with the dozens of land managers along its route. Their major private partner is the Florida Trail Association, Inc., a volunteer-based 501(c)(3) not-for-profit corporation. This past year, FTA volunteers contributed an estimated 68,600 hours building and maintaining the FNST. The USDA Forest Service values this donated labor (equal to 33 full-time laborers) at over $1,430,000. Since 1994, the volunteer trail maintainers and builders of the FTA have donated over $3.2 million in cash plus 902,000 hours valued over $14.2 million. Status Approximately 956 miles (67 percent) of the planned 1,424-mile long trail have been certified and opened for public use as FNST. An additional 75 miles of the existing footpath are planned for official certification as FNST, and 74 miles of trail are proposed for construction on existing public land. The remaining 319 miles of the continuous footpath require land acquisition to secure a route for public use. Of this mileage for acquisition, an estimated 103 miles may be eligible to be acquired in partnership with the state lands acquisition program. In addition to the continuous FNST, 291 miles of certified side, connector and alternate trail routes are also open to the public. Completing the Florida National Scenic Trail provides one of the nation’s best opportunities to marry recreation and conservation. It is estimated that the FNST hosted 352,218 total visits in 2009-2010, a 2% increase from 2007-2008 in estimated visits. Florida is one of the nation’s most important tourist destinations, accommodating nearly 80 million tourists annually. The state’s Visitor Centers report that information about hiking is among their top requests. The State Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan estimates that over 8.4 million people hike Florida’s trails annually, with projected use increasing to over 9.5 million users in 2015. The Trail acquisition program has supported national defense and preparedness in the Panhandle by protecting part of the Northwest Florida Greenway through a partnership with the State of Florida, the Department of Defense, The Nature Conservancy and many others. This Greenway will protect the flight path between Eglin and Tyndall Air Force bases that is essential to their training and testing missions. FY 2012 Funding Needs for FNST Construction and Management: $2,500,000 Trail Construction, Reconstruction, Maintenance and Land Management: $2,000,000
 The Florida Trail Association requests in FY 2012 that $2,000,000 be allocated by the USDA Forest Service to manage and construct the FNST on USFS-acquired trail lands and on existing publicly-owned lands. "Shovel-ready" projects in FY 2012 include managing exotic species on 48 FNST tracts, training 100 volunteers in First Aid and CPR, installing FNST signage along the trail, and constructing nine short-span bridges, fourteen miles of new trail and three boardwalks. Trailheads, kiosks and registration boxes will be installed the length of the trail to enhance emergency response and public visibility of the trail. These kiosks will also educate hikers about the trail, Leave no Trace outdoor ethics and trail regulations. Funding will help the F-Troop Volunteer Trail Crew Program to recruit new trail volunteers, to accommodate those additional volunteers and to complete volunteer trail projects. Funding will also enhance the safety of hikers by providing county emergency staff and local law enforcement up-to-date information about the trail in their jurisdictions. A comprehensive training program will be continued to help a new generation of volunteer trail leaders develop the skills to ensure that the trail is maintained and expanded in the future. Funding is also needed in FY 2012 to equip volunteers with tools, materials, and equipment, including personal safety equipment and training necessary to maintain 1,322 miles of hiking trails. In addition to Forest Service lands, the FNST passes through land managed by four other federal agencies, twelve state agencies, seven local agencies, and six private/corporate owners. These partners sometimes provide materials to repair boardwalks and bridges, but frequently do not have the resources to build new trail and trailheads or provide trail maintenance tools, equipment or signs. FNST funding complements these partners’ contributions of land for the trail, staff and program support, and funding for projects. While the work on the trail is performed by volunteers, FNST funding supports and creates jobs for surveyors, appraisers, manufacturers and suppliers of tools, equipment, and raw materials such as timber, steel, aluminum and fiberglass. The FNST program also employs staff who manage land, organize and coordinate dozens of trail projects with hundreds of volunteers, and provide information about the FNST to the public. The USDA Forest Service is responsible for managing the 4,662 acres in 48 tracts it has acquired on behalf of the FNST. The USDA Forest Service’s existing base funding for the trail does not allow the agency to effectively protect, manage and restore all the lands it has acquired for the FNST. Funding is needed for the USDA Forest Service to continue to restore 320 acres of FNST land in Washington County and complete environmental assessments necessary to begin exotic species management on its FNST lands. This appropriation is critical to mitigating environmental and social threats degrading natural resources and hikers’ enjoyment of the trail. Without additional funds in FY 2012, trail development will be deferred, including "shovel-ready" projects which make the trail more user-friendly, open new trail segments for the public, and provide the public with information about the FNST. In addition to maintaining the FNST in 2010, Florida Trail volunteers completed trail projects in Big Cypress National Preserve, Ocala and Apalachicola National Forests, Pinelog State Forest, Seminole County, St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge, and the Aucilla River and Econfina Creek Conservation Areas. Also in 2010, the USDA Forest Service designed prototypes for critically needed trailheads and kiosks the length of the trail. FNST land managers and volunteers are engaging in a strategic planning process designed to further the management and completion of the trail. Trail Administration - $500,000
 The Florida Trail Association (FTA) requests that in FY 2012 the USDA Forest Service allocate $500,000 from its appropriation to carry out existing administrative responsibilities and meet additional demands associated with enhancing the FNST. In FY 2012, it is anticipated the USDA Forest Service will enter into new FNST management agreements with over two dozen public agencies and private landowners to protect and enhance the trail’s recreational experience. There will be an increased emphasis on improving the recreational experience of trail users, enhancing outreach and education about the FNST to the public, partners and Florida Trail Association members. Trail certification, development, management and land acquisition will continue to improve through the use of the FNST geographic information system and INFRA database. In 2011, the FTA and the National Forests in Florida will manage the FNST through a partnership agreement that is valued at $1,170,000. The FTA is committed to providing $600,000 of this amount in-kind and cash match. Federal funds also leverage tens of thousands of dollars of contributions from partner agencies through whose lands the FNST passes. In 2011, training will be provided to volunteers, trail land acquisition projects will be developed and updated information will be provided to the public about the trail. In addition, over 100 miles of the FNST will be inventoried, and the FNST geographic database within the Forest Service’s INFRA database will be updated and maintained. As part of an on-going effort to strengthen collaboration along the FNST, the Forest Service in partnership with 14 other land managers and user groups, created the Florida National Scenic Trail Coalition to support the completion, development, maintenance and promotion of the Trail. FY2012 will see the drafting of a Strategic Implementation Plan to further the desired recreation experience and management goals outlined in the FNST Comprehensive Plan. FY 2012 Funding Needs for FNST Land Acquisition: $1,500,000
Trail Land Acquisition: $1,500,000
The Florida Trail Association requests that in FY 2012, the USDA Forest Service be appropriated $1,500,000 to protect 25 critical segments (3 miles on 525.4 acres) of Florida National Scenic Trail. Some of these properties are facing immediate threat from rural residential development and agricultural conversion.  A comprehensive inventory of parcels needed to secure protection of the FNST Suwannee River Corridor was completed in 2010 and identified 25 critical parcels. The focused acquisition plan is designed to complete a contiguous corridor of publicly owned and protected Florida National Scenic Trail along a 70-mile section of the Suwannee River. These proposed acquisitions will enhance hiker safety by moving the trail away from nearby highways and will protect a greenway for recreationists and wildlife along the scenic Suwannee River. Land management efficiency will be improved through the consolidation of public lands into a continuous trail management corridor.
Florida’s economy has been harshly affected by the current recession, and the rapid rate of land development has sharply decreased. With this slowdown in growth comes a rare opportunity to acquire essential parcels for the FNST if money is appropriated. Now that the cost of land has decreased, it is a "buyer’s market" and landowners have renewed motivation to sell lands for conservation and recreation. Past appropriations of $2.9 million have helped to acquire and protect 25 individual tracts for the FNST along the Suwannee River (including 0.6 miles on 37 acres in 6 tracts in 2010), but those appropriations have been exhausted, leaving gaps where the public can not hike. The window of opportunity is open; the time to protect segments of the Florida National Scenic Trail is now.  Closing the gaps in the Florida Trail creates more than just a hiking trail. It protects the endangered scenic beauty of Florida, provides healthful recreation opportunities, creates and protects wildlife corridors, supports local nature based tourism and new jobs, and offers educational opportunities for families.
Now is the time for Congress to protect the Florida National Scenic Trail by appropriating $1,500,000 in Land and Water Conservation Funds. Closing the gaps in this 1,424-mile long Florida Trail is a story of partnerships between Federal, State, regional and local agencies, private landowners, and non-profits. One entity alone cannot complete the Trail. The USDA Forest Service has been acquiring land for the trail so successfully that there are virtually no funds left to buy land now that it is cheaper and landowners are motivated to sell. Multiple opportunities exist for immediate purchase of properties that are strategically located to close gaps in the trail, some of which are facing immediate threat from rural residential and industrial development. The acquisition of land puts dollars to work in the local economy; creates immediate job opportunities for appraisers, surveyors, field scientists, and other professionals, provides trail building jobs for trail crews, and the resulting new trail increases eco-tourism. This is the best time in years to appropriate LWCF funding and close gaps in the Florida Trail. Tracts Acquired for FNST 2002-2010 Lands to be Acquired with FY 2012 Appropriations Request 2010 Construction & Maintenance Highlights Mills Creek Woodlands - One 400 foot boardwalk was constructed by volunteer trail crews. Northwest Florida Water Management District - A 32 foot-long foot bridge was built by a volunteer trail crew along Econfina Creek. This volunteer and staff-led project completely restored over 30 miles of National Scenic Trail.  St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge - Three hundred feet of boardwalk and a trailhead kiosk were constructed by a volunteer trail crew.
Ocala National Forest - Construction continued on a 1,000-foot elevated boardwalk through the Hull’s Creek area. Juniper Creek Wilderness Area - Fourteen miles of wilderness trail were restored and downed trees across the trail were removed by two F-Troop volunteer trail crews using hand tools. Pine Log State Forest - Six boardwalks totaling 800 feet were built by Southwest Airlines employee volunteers, Florida Trail volunteers, F-Troop Trail Crews and the Student Conservation Association. Apalachicola National Forest - A 100 foot-long elevated boardwalk was constructed to eliminate a half-mile section following a road. This large scale volunteer maintenance project also installed new signage and restored trail in the National Forest. Big Cypress National Preserve - Eight miles of trail maintenance was performed - blazes re-painted, GPS waypoints recorded, and signs installed where necessary to mark the trail corridor through the wetlands of Big Cypress. Volunteer Trail Construction Program In 2010, 102 volunteers in six F-Troop crews donated 4,752 hours completing six projects from the Panhandle to the Everglades. A strategic plan for the F-Troop program was developed in the summer of 2010 and implemented in the fall. The F-Troop program provides a quality trail experience both for the novice and the veteran trail volunteer by creating positive and meaningful volunteer opportunities. Young Adult Trail Crews  In 2010, young adult trail crews donated over 6,128 volunteer hours on the Florida Trail. These volunteers flagged and built new trail, performed trail restoration in challenging wilderness area settings and maintained boardwalks and bridges to protect natural waterways and provide a safe hiking experience. The Florida Trail’s young adult trail crews’ focus on constructing and maintaining bridges and boardwalks connects our current technology-obsessed generation with the great outdoors, fostering the next generation of land stewards.
The Florida Trail hosted Student Conservation Association crews of six members for twelve weeks in the fall and again in the spring. They contributed 4,294 hours. These crews are integral to our complex construction projects such as bridges and boardwalks and challenging backcountry trail maintenance projects. They participated in projects in the Ocala and Apalachicola National Forests and Econfina Creek Conservation Area. In March 2010, 26 students from the University of Texas and Drexel University each volunteered a week of public service, donating 1,248 hours. These two Alternative Spring Break crews worked together to maintain the FNST in the St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge and Apalachicola National Forest. In March 2011, students from Cornell University and University of Wisconsin-Stephens Point will be maintaining the FNST in the Ocala National Forest. 2010 Training Highlights The Florida Trail Training Program provides trail volunteers and FNST land managers with skills and chainsaw and crosscut sawyer certifications necessary to safely maintain and build the Florida Trail. These two-day training courses utilize Forest Service instructors and are facilitated by the Florida Trail Association. This training is necessary to protect our most valuable resource, Florida Trail volunteers, who are held to the same standard as USDA Forest Service employees with regards to their sawyer skills. Training is also offered in maintaining hand and power tools. A Florida Trail volunteer taught 850 persons and trained 21 new volunteer trainers how to "Leave No Trace" as they camp and hike on the trail. This  volunteer was awarded the National Leave No Trace Award as State Advocate of the Year for Florida. In 2011, multiple weekend-long events will train volunteers to be trail crew and activity leaders, ensuring the FNST program has trained volunteer leaders for the future. Sawyer Certification
Thirty-one Florida Trail volunteers were certified or recertified for chain saw use on the FNST, and eight volunteers and FNST land managers were certified in crosscut saw and axe use. Certification classes were held on the Osceola National Forest in Baker County, the Blackwater River State Forest in Santa Rosa/Okaloosa Counties, Avon Park Air Force Range in Okeechobee/Osceola Counties, and the Ocala National Forest in Marion/Lake/Putnam Counties. The Florida National Scenic Trail’s unique public outdoor recreation and volunteer service opportunities are the foundation of our public outreach initiatives. In 2010, volunteers led over 600 hikes and other activities throughout the state, enabling the public to enjoy and learn about the trail. The signature event was the Florida Trail Conference held March 26-28.  Florida Trail Website
The Florida Trail interactive website (www.floridatrail.org) has been redesigned. Current information and activities are regularly posted to the website, keeping the public informed of trail news, activities, volunteer opportunities, and special events. A Florida Trail Association Facebook page was created in 2010 to provide another avenue for pertinent announcements about the trail. Additionally, the website offers many downloadable documents, promotional photographs, educational youth activity sheets, grab-and-go maps of popular sections of the trail, as well as partner and supporter links. Up-to-date information is posted about Florida Trail Gateway Communities as the program expands. The website continues to be the Florida Trail’s most prominent public outreach tool.
Florida Trail Annual Conference
The annual conference attracted over 200 hikers and outdoor enthusiasts who enjoyed educational seminars, interpretive hikes, and activities for youth. This event celebrated Florida Trail volunteers who annually contribute approximately 70,000 hours on behalf of the Florida Trail.  Florida Trail Signature Hikes
Annual and special hikes are sponsored during the hiking season along the length of the trail to introduce the public to the Florida Trail. These signature hikes accommodate a wide variety of hiking interests and abilities. Annual hikes include the Big O Hike, the Bradwell Bay Swamp Stomp, the "Only Ankle Deep" Backpacking Hike, the Ocean to Lake Backpacking Hike, the Panhandle Trace, and the I-Did-A-Hike. Other popular hikes include Winter Wednesdays and historical hikes in central Florida and the annual Walk Across Marion County. Weekly hikes are scheduled in the North Central Florida area, and monthly hikes are led by volunteers in John Prince Park and Jonathan Dickinson State Park in south Florida.
Community Outreach
 Florida Trail volunteers and representatives participated in and supported public outreach events at more than a dozen major venues including wildlife festivals and the annual Florida Folk Festival. Outreach initiatives in 2010 included exhibits at large expositions, college environmental and health forums, and presentations to Scout groups. From national events such as the National Scenic Trails Workshop and the National Trails Symposium to multi-day outdoor festivals and day-long educational and environmental fairs across the state, the Florida Trail was represented and promoted to diverse audiences. The Florida Trail hosted many hikes for the public in February 2010 in celebration of Governor Crist proclaiming it as Florida Hiking Trails Month. Lastly, three additional towns and two counties were designated as Florida Trail Gateway Communities. Swamp Slugging and Scrub Busting on the Florida Trail |
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