MARQUETTE, MI— The North Country National Scenic Trail has become an official unit of the National Park Service.
Unit status gives the trail official recognition within the NPS and access to additional resources and funding opportunities. It also provides equal legal standing with the other trails and parks the National Park Service administers.
When six of the 11 trails administered by the Park Service were designated National Scenic Trails, three—including the North Country—were not given unit status for an unknown reason. The change in status means the North Country Trail, Ice Age Trail, and New England Trail will be promoted to the American public.
Brad Slagle is president of the Marquette area chapter of the North Country Trail Association. He said, “This has been a long time coming for the North Country Trail, the Ice Age Trail, and the New England Trail. Many people, over many years, with the support of the entire trail community, have been working hard to achieve this. Unit status elevates the NCNST and recognizes all the volunteers and supporters of the premier long-distance trail that traverses the northern United States.”
