National Park Service Funds Trail Projects in 22 States and DC

Release Date: January 26, 2012

Contacts:         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.”

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

 

www.nps.gov

 

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.

 

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