by Joe Neville, KTA Executive Director
Dear Friend of the Trails,
I just reached the 6-month mark on KTA’s staff. Looking back, it feels like longer, when so much has happened.
Thanks to your ongoing contributions, this past year, KTA
¨ Fought against a proposal by the Pennsylvania Game Commission (PGC) requiring that hikers have permits to enter state game lands
¨ Opposed Sunday hunting legislation and met with General Assembly members on this important issue
¨ Continued to work with DCNR on various trail issues, including fracking and other resource extraction, ATVs, maintenance concerns, and grants
¨ Continued to be a major player in the Save the Loyalsock Coalition
¨ Provided input into DCNR’s new State Forest Resource Management Plan on behalf of the hiking community
¨ Conducted tens of thousands of hours of trail care to maintain our trails
I like to look forward, thinking of new ways to get more people hiking and caring about our trails.
For 2016, and with you in mind, plans are in place to
¨ Offer winter day hikes
¨ Continue with the Super Hike, Spring Hiking, Prowl the Sproul, and Fall Hiking
weekends
¨ Create 2 new hiking weekends: Trek the Tiadaghton in May and the Quehanna Elk Quest in the fall
¨ Partner with Longwood Gardens to celebrate Ben Murphy’s book on Grandma Gatewood’s hike
¨ Participate in a scientific study assessing hiker opinions and impacts of potential permits, such as the above-mentioned PGC proposal
¨ Expand and focus our advocacy activities now that an experienced legislative liaison is on staff
I also want to highlight our plan to increase funding to our Trail Care program by 75%. The budget passed at our Fall Board and Council Meeting approved another $3,000 toward KTA’s trail care efforts. Today, I am asking for your support to help this growth.
We must recognize the importance of trail care. Maintenance provides your hiking opportunities and sustains trails for future use.
Thank you for your past contributions to KTA. And please consider giving another $75 toward the future of trails in Pennsylvania.
With gratitude,
Joe Neville
Executive Director