Recreational Trails Program Grant Applications for 2020 Available

04/15/2019

The New Hampshire Division of Parks and Recreation, Bureau of Trails announces the Recreational Trails Program (RTP) grant applications for 2020 are now available. RTP is a competitive grant program that offers funding for quality public trail projects throughout New Hampshire.

Grants are available for motorized, non-motorized, and diversified trails. Eligible projects include maintenance and restoration of existing trails, purchase and lease of trail construction and maintenance equipment, construction of new trails, development and rehabilitation of trailside and trailhead facilities, trail linkages, and acquisition of easements or property for trails. Applicants may be non-profit organizations, private groups or government entities.

The Bureau of Trails will be holding three informational workshops about the program. Starting this year, attendance to at least one of these workshops is mandatory to apply for RTP funds. The workshops will be held at the following dates, times and locations:

May 13, 2019, at 1:00 p.m., Department of Natural and Cultural Resources, 172 Pembroke Road, Concord, NH 03301.
May 13, 2019, at 6:00 p.m., Department of Natural and Cultural Resources, 172 Pembroke Road, Concord, NH 03301.
May 20, 2019, at 6:00 p.m., Department of Natural and Cultural Resources, 629 B Main St., Lancaster, NH 03584.

Applications are due June 21, 2019. For an application and more information, visit the Recreational Trails Program page at NH State Parks.Org.

More than $20 million has been invested in NH trails since 1993. “There would not be a public trail system in NH without these funds being available for new trail construction and maintenance of existing trails.” Said Chris Gamache, chief of the NH Bureau of Trails. “It is one of the only public sources of trail funding available in the State.”

Funding for the Recreational Trail Program is generated from federal gas tax dollars paid on fuel purchases for off-highway recreational vehicles and snowmobiles. These funds are appropriated to the states by the Federal Highway Administration as authorized through the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation Act (FAST) of 2015. The program in New Hampshire is administered by the Division of Parks & Recreation’s Bureau of Trails.