by Kevin Keeler, Acting Program Lead for the National Scenic and Historic Trails, Bureau of Land Management
The Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) National Trails Program released two companion Technical References on Inventory, Assessment, and Monitoring Methodology (IAM) for National Scenic and Historic Trails in January 2020. The Methodology (Volume 1) and Field Guide (Volume 2) provide a detailed, consistent, and repeatable approach for the collection of baseline data to fulfill the management needs of the National Trails System Act.
The standardized process is aimed to be useful for all Federal, State, or locally managed segments of national trails. Supporting components, such as model data standards and mobile field data gathering applications, are also being developed and will be available in the future. Development of the technical references was supported through an interagency agreement between the BLM and Federal Highway Administration.
Download the technical references for national trails:
https://www.blm.gov/programs/national-conservation-lands/national-scenic-and-historic-trails