This award is intended to engage volunteers, partners and youth organizations in preserving and protecting NPS resources along the appalachian national scenic trail (appa) through the completion of…

The National Park Service (NPS) awarded $624,000 to the Appalachian Trail Conservancy under the National Trails System Projects program (CFDA 15.935) through a Cooperative Agreement effective August 1, 2025, with completion targeted for December 31, 2027. The award funds deferred maintenance and rehabilitation projects on Appalachian National Scenic Trail (APPA) facilities across New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Virginia. Specific deliverables include rehabilitation of four privies, one shelter, one bridge, and one parking area, along with repair and erosion control improvements across several miles of degraded and eroded trail sections.

The project leverages volunteer engagement, partner organizations, and youth groups to execute the maintenance work while directly addressing the parks' deferred maintenance backlog. These facility improvements and trail stabilization efforts are designed to enhance visitor safety and accessibility for the trail's 1.25 million annual visitors while reducing environmental impacts to adjacent resources. The Appalachian Trail Conservancy will coordinate volunteer management and collaborative efforts with partner organizations to achieve these conservation and infrastructure objectives.

This award is intended to engage volunteers, partners and youth organizations in preserving and protecting NPS resources along the appalachian national scenic trail (appa) through the completion of deferred maintenance projects to ensure continued visitor safety, access and enjoyment. The recipient will execute deferred maintenance projects on appalachian trail facilities located in the states of new jersey, pennsylvania, maryland, and virginia. Work will rehabilitate critical facility assets including four privies, one shelter, one bridge, and one parking area. Project work will also rehabilitate several miles of heavily degraded and eroded trail by repairing or installing erosion controlling structures. Beneficiaries are visitors, hikers, volunteers, park staff, partners, youth organizations and US forest service. Facility improvements will directly contribute to the reduction of the parks deferred maintenance backlog, significantly reduce impacts to adjacent resources and improve the safety and hiking experience of over 1.25 million annual visitors.