Receive National Recognition For Your Trail Project!

Americantrails.org

Has your trail received funding through the Recreational Trails Program (RTP)?

Here is a great opportunity for national recognition that also advocates continued funding for trails! Learn more about the Coalition for Recreational Trails Annual Achievement Awards and download the nomination form… 

DEADLINE: MONDAY, APRIL 4, 2016 

Coalition for Recreational Trails Annual Achievement Awards


Awards for projects funded through the Federal Recreational Trails Program of the Federal Highway Administration
The Coalition for Recreational Trails, a federation of national and regional trail-related organizations, presents the Annual Achievement Awards to recognize outstanding trail projects funded by the national Recreational Trails Program (RTP).

The awards are presented in Washington, D.C. during Great Outdoors Month™ in June each year as part of the Coalition’s ongoing effort to build awareness and appreciation of this highly successful program, which has greatly enhanced the quantity and quality of trail experiences available to the public. We will be holding the awards ceremony on Capitol Hill and will encourage Members of Congress to join us in honoring the outstanding achievements of their constituents.

As an additional benefit, American Trails makes a web page for each winning project. See the over 100 award pages we have created since 2003. We hope you will join us in this important effort to recognize the significant contributions to our nationwide system of trails and greenways that the Recreational Trails Program is supporting all across the country.
 
Awards are given in several categories:
• Maintenance and Rehabilitation – maintaining, repairing damage to, or upgrading the quality of a trail to improve the trail experience, increase user safety, and/or enhance protection of the environment, including wildlife
• Construction and Design – planning and building a trail, portions of a trail (e.g., a bridge), or trail-related facilities (e.g., a trailhead, shelter, etc.)
• Public-Private Partnerships and Access to/Use of Public Lands – facilitating and/or encouraging cost-effective partnerships between public and private entities, especially to increase access to and use of federal, state and local public lands, including parks, forests and wildlife refuges
• Community Linkage – providing and/or enhancing opportunities for trail-based recreation and transportation within or near local communities
• Education and Communication – using a variety of established and/or technologically innovative communications tools (e.g., web sites, social media and peer-to-peer information sharing) to increase environmental awareness, promote trail-related safety, encourage trail-related outdoor recreation and, overall, enhance trail use and enjoyment
• Multiple-Use Management & Corridor Sharing – facilitating and/or encouraging the use of a trail corridor by more than one type of trail enthusiast, particularly those enthusiasts that do not ordinarily share trails or trail-related facilities
• Accessibility Enhancement – facilitating and/or encouraging increased access to trail-related recreation opportunities for people with disabilities
• Youth Conservation/Service Corps and Community Outreach – making effective use of the services and skills of qualified youth conservation or service corps and other community organizations as project partners and supporters
• Engaging Public-Sector Partners – engaging and garnering the support of public-sector officials including local, state and federal elected officials or agency personnel for RTP-funded projects or the overall continuation/advancement of the RTP


NOMINATING A PROJECT

Award winners will be selected from projects nominated by public agencies, trail administrators or other project sponsors. Projects must be completed in order to receive an award. In addition, projects completed after 2007 are eligible.

APPLICATION DEADLINE for 2016 is April 4, 2016.
Chair of the Coalition’s Awards Committee: Duane Taylor, Director of Federal Affairs, Motorcycle Industry Council, at coalitionforrectrails@gmail.com. If you have any questions, do not hesitate to call Duane at (703) 416-0444 or send him an e-mail.
 
Nomination materials are available around the first of each year. Then in the spring, award winners will be selected from projects nominated by public agencies, trail administrators or other project sponsors.  Projects must be completed in order to receive an award. See State by State listing of all RTP Awards.

You can check the online Recreational Trails Program Database to find projects and to be sure your project included RTP funding. Please note: Data collection is an ongoing effort and data is regularly being entered into the database as it is received from the States, District of Columbia, and other sources. Should you need assistance with the RTP Database, please contact support@recreationaltrailsinfo.org. 

We invite you to nominate an outstanding project and to encourage the sponsor(s) of an excellent project in your state to submit a nomination as well.  We are also again encouraging those making nominations to solicit support from their Members of Congress— both U.S. Representatives and U.S. Senators— to build awareness of excellent RTP-funded projects and the RTP program itself.

For more information and to download the nominations forms, see
http://www.americantrails.org/awards/CRTawards.html