The South Carolina Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism (SCPRT) administers the Recreational Trails Program (RTP) under the approval of the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA). RTP, a federally funded program, receives its funding from a portion of federal gas taxes paid on fuel used in nonhighway recreational vehicles.
Donor Name: South Carolina Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism (SCPRT)
State: South Carolina
County: All Counties
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline (mm/dd/yyyy): 01/28/2022
Size of the Grant: $100,000
Details:
This federally funded program receives its funding from a portion of federal gas taxes paid on fuel used in non-highway recreational vehicles. Funds can be spent on both Motorized and Nonmotorized recreational trail projects to construct new recreational trails, improve/maintain existing trails, develop/improve trailhead or trailside facilities and acquire trail corridors.
Priorities for funding are based on the South Carolina State Trails Plan: Expanding the Experience, Trails for South Carolina (2002) and advice from South Carolina’s State Trails Advisory Committee. Projects will be evaluated in terms of their overall quality, need, public support, planning process; that adequate resources are available to execute the project; and that resources are available to adequately manage, maintain and operate the project after completion.
- Funding is provided by this program on a cost-reimbursement basis — the grant recipient must pay 100% of the cost of an item before submitting a reimbursement request for 80% of eligible costs.
- Funds can be spent on both Motorized and Nonmotorized recreational trail projects — to construct new recreational trails, improve/maintain existing trails, develop/improve trailhead or trailside facilities and acquire trail corridors.
- Eligible applicants include local, state and federal governmental agencies, qualified private organizations, and registered nonprofits.
- Individual trail grants can range from a minimum of $10,000 ($12,500 would be the total project cost) to $100,000 maximum ($125,000—total project cost), with the exception of Motorized projects.
- Motorized trail projects are not limited to $100,000 — these projects are eligible for the maximum amount of Motorized funding available.
Eligible Applicants/ Sponsors
- Eligible sponsors include state, federal, and municipal government agencies or qualified private organizations.
- Private organizations include for-profit or registered nonprofit organizations that operate recreational facilities open to the public. The trails program encourages community-based partnerships.
- Nonprofit organizations must meet all of the following requirements to be determined eligible to receive RTP grant funds:
- Nonprofit organizations that are registered at the time of application with the Secretary of State under South Carolina’s Solicitation of Charitable Funds Act are eligible. Nonprofit organizations need to include a copy of their confirmation letter of registration with their project application.
- Nonprofit organizations determined at the time of application by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to be a tax-exempt organization pursuant to Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code are eligible. All nonprofit organizations need to include a copy of their IRS tax-exempt letter with their project application.
- An organization described in section 501(c)(4) of the Internal Revenue Code which engages in lobbying activities is not eligible.
For-profit and Nonprofit applicants are required to have at least one full-time employee on their staff that can be reached during normal business hours. In addition, the organization’s personnel must demonstrate the financial ability to execute the project and maintain/operate a deed-restricted property for twenty-five years. (For-profit organizations approved for funding will have additional conditions in their Project Agreement.)
For more information, visit Recreational Trails Program.
