[at-l] trail history

[sloetoe@yahoo.com (Sloetoe)]

--- Bob Cummings <ellen@clinic.net> wrote:
> SoSloetow writes that "trailway protection efforts were authorized by
> Nixon, programmed by Carter, but not funded until Reagan, ..."
> 
> The National Trails Act was signed into law by President Lyndon Johnson
> in 1968. 
### I looked it up. Johnson signed it into law in the beginning of
October, at least a month before TrickyDick was elected, and *months*
before he took office. And this was based (PR-wise)on a speach given in
1965.... Dang. Nixon's been cemented into my little brain for so long.....
I know we can thank him for the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA),
but I *reallllllyyyyyy* thought he signed the National Trails System Act,
as well......

> The next critical development came in 1978 during President Jimmy
> Carter's administration.
> Amendments approved then fleshed out the earlier law and approved
> significant funding. 
> Sadly, money to finally complete the acquisition had to wait until 1999
> during the term of President Bill Clinton. 
> Obviously, given the nature of the political process things happened
> under all administrations, but
> in my mind the "heroes" of the trail from a national political
> perspective are Johnson and Carter.
> YMMV.
### Yah, it do vary. The way you've outlined it above, you imply that
Reagan's administration (and Bush's) played no role, when in fact the
greater number of miles were protected between 1981 and 1993.
### But *both* of us underplay the role of the holder of the purse:
Congress. At least *you* wrote "...given the nature of the political
process things happened under all administrations..." That was Congress at
work. The executives we've named signed the laws, but truly, Congress has
seen fit to rank the Trails System, and the AT's Trailway protection, as a
hugely non-partisan, pro-people (and CHEAP) thing on which to spend money.
Hopefully, these people feel good about their votes in these years after.
Toe

=====
Spatior, Nitor, Nitor, In Nitor!

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