However, under the Symms Act formula up to 70 percent of the trail funding is usable for ORV multiple-use trail projects. Other states show similar patterns, polling and surveys show strong interest in non-motorized trail uses, but Symms Act funds promote increased construction of ORV trails. In addition, the Symms Act creates new levels of bureaucracy and duplicates other sources of trail funding. Although many of the trail projects funded through the Symms Act are on Forest Service and BLM lands, the funding flows through a maze of federal and state channels before getting to the ground. Both the BLM and the Forest Service receive their own budgets for trail construction and maintenance.
Many states also have programs and funding sources for trail construction and maintenance.
The Symms Act duplicates these programs while injecting a bias for ORV trails.