I need to take a few minutes and talk about a smaller issue that is dear and near to me. In Bush’s budget for next year, he wants to cut funding to the Rivers, Trails and Conservation Assistance Program (RTCA). This program is of vital importance to help protect our already endangered wild life.

The proposed funding cut of $500,000 might not seem like a lot, but to a program like the RTCA it could mean a great difference. The current funding is only $10.1 million, which makes it one of the smallest government programs.

Now to give you a little of what the RTCA actually does, I will present you with a copy and paste from the National Parks website:

The Rivers, Trails and Conservation Assistance Program, also known as Rivers & Trails or RTCA, works with community groups and local, State, and federal government agencies to conserve rivers, preserve open space, and develop trails and greenways. The RTCA program implements the natural resouce conservation and outdoor recreation mission of the the National Park Service in communities across America.

Rivers & Trails works in urban, rural, and suburban communities with the goal of helping communities achieve on-the-ground conservation successes for their projects. Our focus is on helping communities help themselves by providing expertise and experience from around the nation. From urban promenades to trails along abandoned railroad rights-of-way to wildlife corridors, our assistance in greenway efforts is wide ranging. Similarly, our assistance in river conservation spans downtown riverfronts to regional water trails to stream restoration.

Rivers & Trails has conservation professionals in communities nationwide. Everywhere we work, we stand alongside exceptional partners.

The RTCA is responsible for opening and operating scenic hiking trails in our communities. They also work to help conserve our rivers, which is the part I hold dearest.

Being a person who has a strong love for whitewater rafting, I have seen and know the impact the RTCA makes in providing great services to not only our communities, but our nation as a whole.

The American Whitewater Association has a drive going on to contact your senator and save that RTCA

Senator Carl Levin (D-MI) and Senator Susan Collins (R-ME) are circulating a “Dear Colleague” letter, an internal Senate petition to show support for funding RTCA at $10.1 million. AW is trying to get as many senators as possible to sign the letter by the end of the week – time is critical. We need at least 30 senators to have a chance to restore funding.

Times are tight for the federal budget, but our request represents a drop in the bucket compared to other programs. Better yet, RTCA is one of our government’s most efficient and effictive programs with a much greater impact than its current budget would suggest. It leverages an additional $50 million annually in local community investment to improve public access to rivers, expand trail networks, and conserve critical open space.

Communities depend on RTCA staff to continue to facilitate hundreds of programs and the proposed budget cuts would stop dozens of projects and lead to serious job losses. By calling your U.S. Senator, we can save RTCA and the valuable work it makes possible.

Please take a moment and help out. These rivers are of vital importance to us and provide an excellent form of recreation.

This is Lower Keeney rapid – a class IV rapid located on the New River in WV. This is nature’s rollercoaster in action.

This action is not just about saving our rivers but also hiking and biking trails as well as streams and about anything you can think of involving nature.