In September, Hurricane Helene wreaked havoc on western North Carolina and other parts of the southeast, damaging not just roads, communities, and residences, but also vast swaths of our public lands and waters, including big pieces of the Appalachian National Scenic Trail and the Blue Ridge Parkway. Since that time, federal land managers, with support from organizations including Outdoor Alliance member organizations and their local partners, have been working to understand the extent of the damage, including how much time, effort, and money it will cost to restore parks and outdoor recreation resources. The extent of the damage is vast, and restoring safe public access to the region’s federal public lands will be critical for the region’s economic recovery.

Congress is currently working on a disaster relief package that will direct funding toward recovery from this year’s hurricanes and other recent natural disasters including destructive wildfires in Hawaii and extreme flooding in Vermont. However, work is needed to ensure that the package includes funding for public lands that have been affected by natural disasters in recent years.

The Administration recently shared their funding requests for the National Park Service, the Forest Service, and other federal land management agencies, which total more than $9.6 billion in disaster needs. Outdoor Alliance recently shared a letter supporting the Administration’s request and urging lawmakers to include public lands and waters in the disaster relief bill.

Because of delays in the appropriations process and overall shortages in funding, land management agencies are already underfunded and under resourced. The increasing number and severity of natural disasters—made worse by climate change—including wildfires, flooding, mudslides, heavy snow, wind, rain, and hurricanes have strained public lands and waters even more.

Public lands and waters are not just a key part of the economy of these regions; access to outdoor recreation attracts employers and workers and creates a quality of life that draws businesses, visitors, and residents alike to the area. The Blue Ridge Parkway, large portions of which remain closed indefinitely due to Hurricane Helene, is the most visited unit of our National Park System that generated $1.4 billion in visitor spending. In wider Western North Carolina, outdoor recreation spending supports $4.9 billion and 48,000 full-time jobs.

Federal support is critical for addressing damage to public lands from Hurricane Helene. Roads throughout western North Carolina—critical for accessing outdoor recreation—need extensive repairs. Hundreds of miles (or more) of trail are currently blocked by fallen trees, and trails will need to be restored, re-signed, rebuilt, or rerouted. Outdoor infrastructure like campgrounds, kiosks, and viewing platforms need to be rebuilt or cleared of fallen trees. The region’s rivers, which support thriving whitewater guiding businesses, need to be cleared of trash and large debris and require restoration to allow for safe recreational use.

Hurricane Helene is a recent example, but of course there have been even more catastrophic weather events because of climate change over the last recent years, and these are adding to the strain on our land management agencies.

With Congress currently negotiating funding for natural disaster relief, it is a crucial time to join Outdoor Alliance and our partners in demanding that Congress include public lands and waters in their disaster relief funding. Moving ahead without accounting for the effects on public lands is unacceptable.

Sign your name to ask that lawmakers ensure public lands and waters are included in disaster relief spending:

Disaster Funding Must Include Public Lands and Waters