Times Observer photo by Josh Cotton A group of legislators, Congressman Glenn Thompson includes, have called for the North Country Trail, which includes 100 miles through the Allegheny National Forest, to receive full National Park Service unit status.

The North Country Trail is one of six National Scenic Trails.

Three are managed as official units within the National Park Service.

The other three – the NCT and its 100 miles through Warren County and the Allegheny National Forest – are not.

A group of Congressional leaders would like to see something done to fix that.

Over 20 members of the House signed on to a letter earlier this year outlining the challenge that this “inconsistent management,” as Thompson called it, presents.

In addition to the NCT, the other trails without full NPS status are the Ice Age and New England National Scenic Trails.

Granting the full unit status would “provide much-needed clarity and ensure that all NSTs under National Park Service jurisdiction receive parity in management resources and agency status, to reflect and signal the role each of these trails plays in our nation’s proud commitment to public lands and access to recreation for all.”

“The 15th Congressional District is blessed with an abundance of beautiful recreational parks, trails, and waterways. As an avid outdoorsman, I enjoy visiting them,” Thompson wrote in one of his weekly updates. “This status change would improve management and protect the North Country National Scenic Trail for generations to come and ensure it will continue to be a place for people of all ages to enjoy the great outdoors.”

It’s a bipartisan group of legislators that have signed on to the letter – Thompson’s signature appears next to those of Democrats James McGovern and Ilhan Omar. New York Rep. Nick Langworthy also signed on.

One of the challenges to the inconsistent status is funding.

“There is no apparent reason for this disparity and inconsistency in the management of NTSs by the National Park Services,” the letter states, “which has created considerable obstacles for the trails that lack unit status to receive funding necessary for expansion and restoration efforts.”

The three trails not currently included span over 6,000 miles and the legislators note that is “nearly twice the length of the three trails in the National Park System that currently have unit status.”

Those three are the Appalachian Trail, Potomac Heritage Trail and Natchez Trace Trail.

“The North Country, Ice Age, and New England NSTs serve as a valuable resource for outdoor enthusiasts because they provide easily accessible recreation opportunities for millions of Americans, and they serve as a link between several national forests and national parks,” the legislators argue.

“Last year, thousands of volunteers from across the country contributed over 150,000 hours towards the completion, maintenance, and protection of these trails. The trails saw thousands of new visitors during the COVID-19 pandemic and provided invaluable opportunities for the public to connect with nature and get some fresh air.”

The North Country Trail, which cuts through Warren County, extends from Vermont to North Dakota and is the longest national scenic trail in the country.