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July 21, 2026
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Download official Senate Record PDFReturn to issue contextMrs. SHAHEEN. Mr. President, I rise today to pay tribute to the Appalachian Mountain Club and recognize its 150 years of dedicated service in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic regions of our country. As the Nation's oldest continuously operating outdoor recreation and conservation organization, the Appalachian Mountain Club (AMC) has encouraged generations of Americans to venture outside and protect the region's most beautiful and prized mountain landscapes.
“those interested in mountain exploration” to attend a meeting in early January 1876 at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. According to news reports at the time, the meeting drew interest from 30 to 40 people. They gathered in an era when more Americans were beginning to appreciate mountains for their unparalleled beauty, their open space for recreation, and their considerable value for scientific study of the natural world. In the early years of the organization, members set their sights on New Hampshire's White Mountains to visit, create accurate maps, build accessible trails, and collect data in a variety of fields from botany to geology to meteorology. They published the first edition of Appalachia in 1876, which grew into the Nation's leading and longest running journal on outdoor exploration and conservation. In 1888, AMC opened its first backcountry hut in the Presidential Range and dramatically reshaped the culture of hiking in the region. The Madison Spring Hut has not only offered overnight shelter to exhausted hikers, but also contributed to scientific research, supported trail stewardship and visitor safety, and helped protect a fragile alpine environment. AMC still operates a network of eight huts in New Hampshire's White Mountains, and they epitomize the organization's founding philosophy of making mountain experiences more accessible while also promoting stewardship of the landscape.
example of its work at the intersection of conservation and recreation. Known as one of the most important conservation laws in American history, the Weeks Act authorized the Federal Government to purchase private land for the purpose of restoring and protecting forests and watersheds. It led directly to the establishment of the White Mountain National Forest in New Hampshire and later dozens of other national forests in the eastern United States. Today, nearly 20 million acres of forestland have been permanently protected through the Weeks Act. Thanks in large part to the public support AMC generated for its passage, Americans will enjoy the many environmental, economic and recreational benefits of these lands for generations to come.
it was far from its last. Throughout the next century, its members and volunteers would continue to advocate for smart,
scientific research, conservation, and public access to this valuable mountain environment. AMC launched the Maine Woods Initiative in 2003 to conserve land, support sustainable forestry, create new trails, and enhance climate resilience across Maine's 100-Mile Wilderness. It also championed the Highlands Conservation Act in 2004 that protected thousands of acres of forestlands and watersheds in Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. Most recently, AMC promoted the passage of the Great American Outdoors Act and the permanent reauthorization of the Land and Water Conservation Fund. This legislation is helping to tackle a substantial backlog of maintenance projects on Federal public lands.
never lost sight of one of its earliest objectives: to build and maintain public trails. It remains one of the Northeast's largest trail stewards. AMC crews care for more than 1,800 miles of trails across the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic, including many of New Hampshire's most popular routes. In 2021, I was proud to secure Federal funding used by AMC to restore and realign the Franconia Ridge Loop Trail, one of the Northeast's premier hikes. I was also pleased to see AMC open the Cardigan Mountain All-Persons Trail in 2023, a half-mile trail in Alexandria, NH, that allows people with wheelchairs and other mobility devices to take in a tranquil mountain setting.
celebration. It is an opportunity to reflect on a century-and-a-half of advocacy and hard work that has strengthened our connection with each other and the natural world. It is also a chance to look forward and recommit to the longstanding mission of this worthy organization: to foster the protection, enjoyment, and understanding of the outdoors. I ask all Americans to join me in recognizing these enduring contributions and saluting the next generation of AMC staff, volunteers, explorers, and stewards who will carry forth this legacy in the next 150 years and beyond.