Since Donald Trump took office in 2024, public lands and the agencies that support them have been the target of federal budget cuts, layoffs, and hiring freezes. Despite U.S. National Forests and Bureau of Land Management (BLM) land generating massive economic output and providing millions of American jobs, funding for these agencies and others continues to shrink. Visitor experiences are being affected as a result.
That’s why onX, All Trails, Patagonia, and 74 other outdoor brands and organizations signed a letter imploring Congress to fully fund the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) and BLM for 2027. The recreation resources these agencies sustain generate $1.3 trillion annually (or 2.4% of the U.S. GDP), the letter argues; funding them supports that revenue and creates opportunities to expand it. It asks Congress to provide $100 million to the BLM and $140 million to the USFS for fiscal year 2027.
It also calls for an end to the federally mandated hiring freeze, which it claims is hampering these agencies’ ability to implement the 2024 EXPLORE (Expanding Public Lands and Outdoor Recreation Experiences) Act.
“People are getting outside in record numbers, but the agencies that steward these places haven’t been given the resources to keep up,” Jamie Ervin, senior policy manager at Outdoor Alliance, said in a statement. “Investing in outdoor recreation is about taking care of the trails, rivers, and climbing areas people rely on — and making sure these experiences remain accessible.”
‘Support Sustainable Recreation Opportunities’
The letter, dated April 9, is addressed to Senators Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) and Jeff Merkley (D-OR), both members of the Subcommittee on Interior, Environment and Related Agencies. It outlines three specific requests that it claims are necessary to maintain the benefits our public lands provide — from local revenue to jobs, recreation opportunities, and more.
BLM Funding
First, the letter requests $100 million for “BLM Recreation Resources Management.” BLM manages over 245 million acres of public land — more than any other recreation management agency.
According to the U.S. Office of Personnel Management’s Federal Workforce Data, BLM lands generated $18.1 billion and supported 97,300 jobs across the U.S. in 2024 alone. This funding would support BLM planning, infrastructure, maintenance, and staff capacity for 2027, as well as trail maintenance and water-based recreation.
USFS Funding
Second, the letter requests $70 million for the USFS, recreation, heritage, and wilderness budget, which it calls “the foundation of the [agency’s] recreation program.” It also requests an additional $70 million to cover salary and expense increases.
USFS visitor spending contributes about $13.7 billion, and the agency supports roughly 161,000 jobs. These funds would allow it to better manage its massive network of protected wilderness areas and waterways and better support its employees.
End Federal Hiring Freeze
Finally, the letter implores Congress to end the hiring freeze that has left numerous critical positions at the USFS and BLM vacant. Without the ability to hire new staff to fill these positions, the letter argues that both agencies are being hampered from sufficiently implementing the EXPLORE Act.
This bipartisan legislation package was designed to improve outdoor access for veterans and service members, support public lands gateway communities, create long-distance bike trails, simplify outdoor permitting, and more.
“Agency staff are currently working hard to meet the bill’s early planning deadlines, but EXPLORE’s longer-term, tangible benefits — trails improved, partnerships signed, permits streamlined — cannot be realized without greater investments in agency staff, including at the national and regional levels,” the letter reads.
Signed by 77 Outdoor Brands, Organizations, and Partners
While this letter was written by Outdoor Alliance, 77 brands, organizations, and partners signed it in support. Beyond the direct revenue streams generated by BLM and USFS, most of the names on this letter represent other businesses and additional jobs that rely on public lands and the recreation opportunities they provide.
“Outdoor businesses depend on well-managed public lands,” Annie Nyborg, head of environmental and social impact at Peak Design, said in a statement. “When Congress invests in recreation infrastructure and staffing, it supports not just outdoor experiences, but also the entire outdoor economy.”
Who Signed?
- Carolina Climbers Coalition
- Chugach Mountain Bike Riders
- Colorado Mountain Club
- Conatus Counsel
- Concerned Off-Road Bicyclists Association
- Conservation Lands Foundation
- Duct Tape Then Beer
- Enchanted Circle Trails Association
- Evergreen Mountain Bike Alliance
- Friends of Joshua Tree
- Greater Boise Recreationists
- Greenbrier River Watershed Association
- Grove Institute
- Hipcamp, Inc.
- Inland Seas Education Association
- Latino Outdoors
- Leave No Trace
- Lowelifes Respectable Citizens’ Club
- Mat-Su Trails and Parks Foundation
- Methow Valley Trails Collaborative
- Mind & Mountain
- Mountain Bike the Tetons
- onX
- Oregon Trails Coalition
- Oregon-California Trails Association
- Outdoor Industry Association
- Patagonia
- Peak Design
- Pendergraft Outfitters
- PeopleForBikes
- Point to Point Photography
- Roaring Fork Mountain Bike Association
- Runners for Public Lands
- Salt Lake Climbers Alliance
- Snowshoe Highland Area Recreation Collaborative Trails
- Shenandoah Valley Bicycle Coalition
- Sierra Nevada Alliance
- Singletrack Advocates (Alaska)
- Southern Nevada Mountain Bike Association
- Southern Off-Road Bicycle Association
- Tahoe Area Mountain Biking Association
- Tahoe Backcountry Alliance
- Team Dirt
- The Mountaineers
- The Running Kind
- The Vermont Mountain Bike Association
- The Vermont Trails & Greenways Council
- The Wilderness Society
- Trailkeepers of Oregon
- Trans-Cascadia
- Triple Point Training
- Wasatch Backcountry Alliance
- Washington Trails Association
- WenatcheeOutdoors
- West Virginia Rivers Coalition
- West Virginia Trails & Recreation Advocacy & Information Link
- Wild Montana
- Winter Wildlands Alliance
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