WANTED
DEDICATED EQUESTRIANS & ORGANIZATIONS TO BECOME
INVOLVED IN PRESERVING - MAINTAINING OR BUILDING TRAILS IN
CONNECTICUT
The CT Horse Council is willing to work with
equestrian organizations on their proposal of a project
involving maintaining or building trails on public
lands.
We encourage organizations to "adopt" a State Park or
Forest that they use and partner with the Department of
Environmental Protection while helping to secure equestrian
use for the present and future generations. If you
would like to be a volunteer or intern, please contact our
Trails Committee Chair for further information. The
following is an example of what your organization can do to
secure funding for your public riding trails. In 1998,
one horse organization, the Saddle Sores Riding Club took
advantage of the Recreational Trails Funding. They donated
their labor services to improve camping facilities at the
Nachaug State Forest, Eastford, CT. They constructed
picnic tables, replaced a protective fence around the well
site, and constructed a storage facility for horse manure at
the Lost Silver Mine Camp. This service was a great
example of what horse people can and should so for trails in
Connecticut, while promoting the equestrian community. Why
not consider volunteering yourself & organization to
improving existing trails (the ones you use) or building new
ones to connect to? The following is information on
how funding is available for such a project.
The National Recreational Trails Fund
The federal "Transportation Act for the 21st Century" is
known as TEA 21. Under this act that spans the federal
fiscal years of 1998 through 2003, several smaller programs
are funded. One such program is the "National
Recreational Trails Funding Program." (See bottom of article
for update - now called TE).
The Recreational Trails Program is an assistance program
of the U.S. Department of Transportation's Federal Highway
Administration. The program is administered through
the Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection
(DEP). This program provides funding for both motorized and
non-motorized recreational trail projects.
Recreational Trails Program funds may be used for:
- Maintenance and restoration of existing recreational
trails
- Access to trails by persons with disabilities
- Purchase and lease of trail construction and
maintenance equipment
- Acquisition of easements for a trail, or trail
corridors
- Construction of new trails
The DEP may award grants to private nonprofit
organizations (such as your Horse Organization,)
municipalities and state agencies. Sponsors can submit
trail project proposals for any of the permitted uses.
Grant amounts vary, but historically have ranged from $1,000
to $20,000 for local projects, with projects have a
statewide significance receiving a greater amount.
These are reimbursement grants, with a federal share limited
at 80% of the total project cost. The other 20% may be
monetary or in-kind services from your organization in the
form of donated labor or material. Project sponsors
must incur cost for work actually completed, and then submit
vouchers to DEP for payment. A project sponsor should
tailor the project so that the project moves quickly into
implementation after project approval. A proposed
trail project must have funding available; be located on
public land; and must be opens to the public.
Approximately $500,00.00 is available every fiscal
year. The CT DEP Trails Advisory Board, of which Diane
Ciano, Trails Chairperson for the CT Horse Council, is a
member reviews Grant proposals. For a list of the
projects approved for funding or additional information, you
may contact Diane at (H) 203-757-1904
TRAILS - LEGISLATIVE NEWS 9/2003
Transportation Enhancements (TE)
program
(Information taken from the American Trails &
Rails-to-Trails Conservancy)
Trail advocates and supporters faced a major hurdle on
the floor of the House of Representatives when Congress
returned from its August recess after Labor Day.
On July 24, the House Appropriations Committee voted to
eliminate funding for the popular Transportation
Enhancements (TE) program. The Appropriations Bill
(H.R. 2989) approved by the Committee was to be voted on by
the full House of Representatives in early September.
Section 114 of H.R. 2989 eliminated theset-aside for the TE
program. This means there was no dedicated funds for
TE.
Representative Thomas E. Petri (R-WI) agreed to sponsor,
along with other House members, an amendment to strike
Section 114 from the transportation appropriations bill
(H.R.2989) when it came to the House floor in early
September. The effect of this amendment, was to
restore full funding for Transportation Enhancements
activities.
Congress established the TE program in 1991 as a
guarantee to their constituents that a small percentage of
their gas tax dollars would be targeted tosmall-scale,
community-initiated, locally selected transportation
projects. H.R. 2989 breaks that promise, and contradicts the
intent of ISTEA and TEA-21 to provide balanced, intermodal
transportation networks.
Congress created the program because state departments of
transportation were simply not investing in projects
supporting bicycling, walking, trails, scenic or historic
preservation, and other enhancements to the transportation
system.
Core elements of the Administration's new six-year
transportation reauthorization proposal &endash; SAFETEA
&endash; address mobility, access, safety and personal
choice of travel modes (including equestrian use).
President Bush'sHealthier US Initiative recognizes the
importance of creating, enhancing and promoting environments
that make it easy for people to be physically active in
their daily lives through changes in community design,
transportation and architectural policies, and programs.
The long-term impact of the TE program has already
resulted in more transportation options that allow for
incorporating active living into daily activities and
routines; and changes in local community design,
transportation, and architecture make it easier and more
inviting for people to be physically active. Just think
what another 6 years will bring!
Since 1991, the TE program has provided $6 billion for
state and local transportation projects. Fifty-five
percent ($3.3 billion) has gone for bicycle and pedestrian
projects. However, this still represents less than one
percent of all federal transportation funding. The TE
program has been the funding source for three-quarters of
all bicycle and pedestrian projects implemented under ISTEA
and TEA-21.
Under H.R. 2989, absent Sec. 114, Transportation
Enhancements would receive approximately $812 million per
year. (In the last year of TEA-21, the TE share was
about $600 million.)
The TE program has supported more than 16,000 local
transportation projects in almost every county and
Congressional District in the country. These projects have
made American communities better places to live by:
1. Inspiring community
revitalization,
2. Creating safe places to
walk and bicycle,
3. Improving the health of
families and communities through increased access to and
use of trails and bikeways,
4. Restoring historic
transportation infrastructure, and
5. Sparking hometown
pride.
Nationally, 13% of traffic fatalities are bicyclists and
pedestrians, while receiving less than one percent of
federal transportation funds. Not only does TE address
the "safety" issue by providing safe places to walk and
bike, but studies show that increasing bicycle and
pedestrian trips can decrease the danger by making these
modes more visible and more a part of the normal traffic
flow.
The RESOURCES
Pam Gluck, Executive Director
American Trails
P.O. Box 491797
Redding, CA 96049-1797
530-547-2412
Support the work American Trails does to serve the trails
community: http://www.americantrails.org/JOINAMTR.html
Thanks to the efforts of the Transportation Enhancements
Coalition
Visit the Transportation Enhancements
Clearinghouse: www.enhancements.org
TRANSPORTATION ENHANCEMENTS UPDATE
September 4, 2003
GREAT NEWS!
The U.S. House of Representatives voted 327 - 90 in favor
of an amendment to preserve Transportation Enhancements
(TE), the largest source of federal funding for trails. The
vote was in response to an unpopular July 24 House
Appropriations Committee decision to eliminate funding for
TE while increasing highway spending by $4.5 billion, a
potentially disastrous outcome for projects supported by TE
funds. This triumph comes after an intense battle waged by
Rails-to-Trails Conservancy (RTC) and its partners to
persuade Congressional members to continue their investment
in American communities by supporting efforts that balance
transportation systems at a local level. This is the first
floor vote on Transportation Enhancements; there are many to
follow in this appropriations and reauthorization process.
Trail advocates must remain vigilant as opponents of the
program will take any opportunity in the current legislative
session to undermine this important program.
For more details from Rails-to-Trails Conservancy,
www.railtrails.org
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