The Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) is accepting applications for the 2024 Virginia Recreational Trails Program (RTP).
Donor Name: Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation
State: Virginia
County: All Counties
Type of Grant: Grant | Reimbursement
Deadline: 05/07/2024
Size of the Grant: $500,000 to $1 million
Grant Duration: Grant Duration Not Mentioned
Details:
The Recreational Trails Program (RTP) is a federal 80-20 matching reimbursement program for building and rehabilitating trails and trail-related facilities. The Federal Highway Administration and the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act funds make the program possible and mandate allocations to non-motorized, diversified and motorized trail categories.
Funding may be awarded to city, county, town, tribal or other government entities. Registered nonprofit groups partnered with a government body are also eligible. The Recreational Trails Program and Virginia Recreational Trails Program Advisory Committee steer project selections after a competitive call for applications.
The program currently accepts applications for new trail construction in even-year grant rounds (2022, 2024, etc.). Existing trail maintenance and amenity project applications are accepted every grant round but are most competitive in odd-year grant rounds.
Programmatic Changes for 2024
Applicants should familiarize themselves with this manual in its entirety, however the following list outlines the most significant changes to the RTP program from the 2023 RTP grant round. Each of these points is discussed in further detail within this manual:
- Both construction of new trails and water trail access points and maintenance and amenity projects on existing trails are eligible for funding this year.
- Most projects will qualify for exemption of Buy America requirements for iron, steel, construction materials, and manufactured products. This makes equipment purchases now eligible for funding.
- Updated guidance documents on procurement and environmental review procedures.
- Changes have been made to the application questions and scoring criteria.
Project Categories
RTP Legislation (23 U.S.C. 206) dictates categorical requirements for the use of each state’s RTP apportionment: 40 percent of funds apportioned be used for diverse recreational trail use, 30 percent for motorized recreation, and 30 percent for non-motorized recreation.
- Diversified use project: A project primarily intended to benefit more than one mode of recreational use such as: walking, bicycling, and skating; or both pedestrian and equestrian use; or pedestrian and mountain biking. A diverse use project may also include both motorized and non-motorized uses where motorized use is not the predominant use or when the motorized and non-motorized uses are separated by season, such as equestrian use in summer and snow sports use in winter.
- Non-motorized project for a single use: A project primarily intended to benefit only one mode of non-motorized recreational trail use, such as pedestrian only, or equestrian only, or mountain biking only. RTP projects serving various pedestrian uses (such as walking, hiking, running, bird-watching, nature interpretation, backpacking, etc.) constitute a single use for the purposes of this category.
- Motorized use project: A project primarily intended to benefit motorized use. A project may be classified in this category if the project serves only one mode of motorized recreational use or more than one mode of motorized recreational use. A project may be classified in this category if the project also benefits some non-motorized uses (it is not necessary to exclude non-motorized uses), but the primary intent must be for the benefit of motorized use.
Funding Information
The approximate funds available for the 2024 grant round as per the fiscal year 2024 FHWA apportionment and remaining funds from completed project underruns are as follows:
Approximately $1.9 million in RTP funding is available. This year, both new trail construction and improvements to existing trails are eligible for funding.
- Diversified category – $945,000 available
- Minimum request – $50,000, maximum request – $350,000.
- Non-motorized single use category – $435,000 available
- Minimum request – $50,000, maximum request – $250,000.
- Motorized category – $630,000 available
- Minimum request – $50,000, maximum request – $630,000.
There is no maximum request in the motorized category due to historically few applications being received. However if multiple competitive applications are received, award amounts may be less than requested. Note grant awards of $500,000.00 and up do not qualify for the Build America, Buy America materials waiver discussed in under procurement heading.
Eligible Projects
- Construction of new recreational trails and trail linkages;
- Maintenance and restoration of existing recreational trails;
- Development and rehabilitation of trailside and trailhead facilities and/or amenities on land and water trails;
- Provision of features that facilitate access and use of trails by persons with disabilities;
- Lease or purchase of recreational trail construction and maintenance equipment;
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- Applicants should discuss proposed equipment purchases with DCR Recreation Grants staff to verify eligibility prior to application submission.
- Acquisition of easements and fee simple title to property for recreational trails or recreational trail corridors; and
- Assessment of trail conditions for accessibility and maintenance.
Recreational trails are defined in the RTP regulations as a thoroughfare or track across land or snow used for recreational purposes. These recreational purposes can include:
- traditional pedestrian-oriented activities such as hiking and jogging;
- skating and skateboarding;
- equestrian activities;
- bicycling and mountain biking;
- activities on water trails such as kayaking and canoeing; and
- motorized recreational activities such as all-terrain, utility-terrain, or other off-road vehicle riding, motorcycling, motor boating on water trails, and electric biking.
Eligibility Criteria
- Municipalities (cities, towns, counties, etc.);
- Tribes;
- State agencies (Dept. of Forestry, Wildlife Resources, etc.);
- Federal government agencies (combined total of RTP funds and matching federal agency funds cannot exceed 95% of project cost in certain circumstances);
- Other government entities (regional park authorities, etc.);
- Non-profit organizations [requires letters of support from landowner (if property not owned by applicant) and local government body].
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- If selected, non-profit organizations may be asked to provide additional financial records and documentation on land use agreements.
For more information, visit DCR.
