On February 3, the PA Environmental Council released an updated report on trail use across the state and how it was affected by the pandemic and found a 17 percent increase in use during 2020 with individual trails recording over 150 percent increases.
PEC based the report on surveys of 67 trail managers with data from 38 different trail counties to get a more complete picture of trail use.
Pennsylvanians’ reconnection with the outdoors and trails became a bright spot in an otherwise bleak 2020.
By most trail manager accounts, this was a successful year for trails. Attracting new audiences to outdoor recreation is what trail advocates have always wanted.
With every success, however, comes challenges: increased littering, overuse, and backlogged maintenance, to name a few.
Incredibly, despite the challenges faced in this unprecedented year, three quarters of trail managers perceive the pandemic’s impact on the trail they manage to be “mostly positive” (up from 60 percent in the Spring).
This positive outlook is likely due to the new interest and attention brought upon trails.
PEC believes increased use and the impacts on trail resources is here to stay. This report serves as a call to all those who believe in trails – legislators, local officials, agencies, trail groups, and trail users – to double down on their support.
As the value and importance of this infrastructure becomes even clearer to Pennsylvanians, we need to ensure that the investments that have been made in our recreational infrastructure are maintained and supported.
Click Here for a copy of the full report.
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[Posted: February 3, 2021] PA Environment Digest
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