Image credit: The Linn Cove Viaduct in Pisgah National Forest, Photo by Ashley Knedler on Unsplash
On Monday, November 15, President Biden signed the Bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (BIF) into law, a $1 trillion package that includes provisions for repairing ports, bridges, and roads as well as other infrastructure components like high-speed internet and mass transit.
But beyond mega-highways, the BIF also provides funding to boost the resilience of a much broader swath of roads—those running through the country’s national forests.
According to a press release from WildEarth Guardians, the new legislation allocates $250 million over the next five years to address failing infrastructure managed by the U.S. Forest Service. This includes more than 370,000 miles of roads. That’s twice as many roads as managed by the national highway system.
“We are thrilled to have this authorization and investment in the Forest Service’s Legacy Roads and Trails Program,” said Thomas O’Keefe of American Whitewater, according to the press release. “For too long the transportation infrastructure on national forests has been neglected with crumbling roads limiting access for recreation and impacting water quality in streams. This program is especially important for climate resiliency and will improve river health while also ensuring access to public lands for all to enjoy.”
You can read the full press release here.