Release Date: January 26, 2012
Contacts: Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Kathy Kupper, 202-208-6843, Kathy_Kupper@nps.gov
Steve Elkinton, 202-354-6938, Steve_Elkinton@nps.gov
National Park Service Funds Trail Projects in 22 States and DC
 WASHINGTON – You’ve heard of taking a walk in a park, it will now be easier to take a walk to a park because of nearly one million dollars in trail grants announced today by the National Park Service.
The 2012 Connect Trails to Parks Awards will provide a total of $934,000 to 14 projects where national historic and scenic trails intersect with national parks and other federal facilities. The projects will restore or improve existing trails and trailhead connections, provide better wayside and interpretive services, encourage innovative educational services, support bridge and trailhead designs, and provide planning services for important trail gateways.
“We really want people to get up, get out, and enjoy the outdoors,†said National Park Service Director Jonathan B. Jarvis. “It is vital for physical and mental well-being. These trail projects will provide additional places to recreate and improve access to existing parks and other green spaces.â€
Many of the projects reflect National Park Service priorities such as expanding outreach, connecting to youth, enhancing urban recreation, promoting healthy lifestyles, and upgrading interpretive materials as outlined in the agency’s A Call to Action: Preparing for a Second Century of Stewardship and Engagement.
In addition to operating 397 parks across the United States and its territories, the National Park Service plays a vital role in overseeing the 52,000-mile National Trails System. The trails system dates from 1968 legislation that created the Appalachian and Pacific Crest national scenic trails. Today, the National Trails System includes 11 national scenic trails (NSTs), 19 national historic trails (NHTs), and more than 1,150 national recreation trails (NRTs).
The Connect Trails to Parks program is designed to increase awareness, appreciation, and use of the nation’s federally-designated system of trails. The years from 2008 to 2018 have been declared “A Decade for the National Trails” ramping up to the trails system’s 50th anniversary in 2018. Many of these projects will help specific trails and their related federal facilities to achieve goals associated with this commemorative decade. At the same time, the National Park Service, as an agency, is preparing to celebrate its 100th anniversary in August, 2016.
2012 Connect Trails to Parks Project Awards
States | Award Amount | Project Title | Trail(s) | Park or Other Federal Area |
AlabamaMississippi
Tennessee |
$100,000 | Develop Natchez Trace NST Education Program | Natchez Trace NST | Natchez Trace Parkway |
ConnecticutMassachusetts
Vermont |
$83,200 | Landscape Painting on the New England NST | New England NST | Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller NHP, Weir Farm NHS, and Thomas Cole NHS |
ConnecticutGeorgia
Maine Maryland Massachusetts New Hampshire New Jersey New York North Carolina Pennsylvania Tennessee Vermont Virginia West Virginia |
$64,200 | Implement Appalachian Trail Leave No Trace Initiative | Appalachian NST | 6 NPS park units8 national forests |
North DakotaBroadcast network + Amtrak programs | $64,500 | Distance Learning Along the Lewis & Clark NHT | Lewis & Clark NHT | Ft. Union Trading Post NHSKnife River Indian Villages NHS |
MassachusettsConnecticut | $49,920 | Creative Youth Engagement on the New England NST | New England NST | Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller NHP + 3 other NPS sites |
Minnesota | $99,840 | Shingobee Connection Trail/Pumphouse Bay Bridge | North Country NST | Chippewa National Forest |
MontanaNorth Dakota
South Dakota |
$19,552 | Interpreting Indian Language & Culture on the Lewis & Clark Trail | Lewis & Clark NHT | Ft. Union Trading Post NHSKnife River Indian Villages NHS |
Utah | $99,996 | Interpretation at Lions Park Transit and Trail Hub | Old Spanish NHT | Arches National Park |
Utah | $36,644 | Non-Motorized Pathway Along the Old Spanish NHT at Moab | Old Spanish NHT | Arches National Park |
Virginia | $43,543 | Capt. John Smith Chesapeake NHT/James River Assets | Capt. John Smith NHT | Presquile NWR, Colonial NHP, Petersburg NB, Richmond NB, and James River NWR |
VirginiaWashington, DC | $98,800 | Implement Signage Program in Virginia and DC | Potomac Heritage NSTStar-Spangled Banner NHT | National Mall and MonumentsRock Creek Park
Nat. Capital Parks-East |
Washington, DC | $84,760 | DC Park Prescriptions Initiative | Potomac Heritage NST,Star-Spangled Banner      NHT, and
Capt. John Smith Chesapeake NHT |
DC Area Parks, including Chesapeake and Ohio Canal NHP |
Wisconsin | $57,200 | Children’s TV Program About the Ice Age Trail | Ice Age NST | Ice Age Reserve Units |
Wisconsin | $31,845 | Trail Construction and Upgrades – Ice Age NST | Ice Age NST | Ice Age Reserve Units |
About the National Park Service. More than 20,000 National Park Service employees care for America’s 397 national parks and work with communities across the nation to help preserve local history and create close-to-home recreational opportunities. Learn more at www.nps.gov.