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Recreational Trails Program

The Recreational Trails Program provides annual funding to Vermont communities for the development and restoration of public recreational trails.

  • Eligible applicants: Municipalities, non-profit organizations, and other governmental entities
  • Grant amounts: $50,000 maximum. Recommended $7,500 minimum – 20% match required
  • Current status: Accepting pre-applications for the 2025 round through December 6, 2024
  • Funding source: Federal Highway Administration funds

Recreational Trails Program (RTP) grants are federally funded on an annual basis through the United States Department of Transportation's Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and are administered at the State level in Vermont through the Department of Forests, Parks, and Recreation (FPR). FPR makes RTP funds available to Vermont communities for the development and maintenance of public recreational trails, for both motorized and non-motorized recreation. Federal rules and requirements apply. In the 2025 grant round, we anticipate awarding approximately $500,000 to maintain and build trails across the state of Vermont. 

Please use the links below to locate information on this page: 

2025 RTP Timeline

  • Pre-applications open and application materials released by October 14, 2024
  • Pre-application submission deadline: December 6, 2024
  • Full application submission deadline: January 31, 2025 
  • Grant application review and selection: February - March 2025 
    • This process requires multiple steps, including scoring and review by the Ranking Committee, FPR agency approval, and Federal Highway Administration authorization 
  • Compliance checks and grant agreement development: April - July 2025 
    • This process includes compliance reviews (Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act, National Environmental Policy Act, Endangered Species Act, state risk assessment, etc.), drafting, state contracting, legal reviews, and applicant review.  
    • Depending on the complexity of the project, how responsive applicants are to requests for additional information, and the results of any compliance reviews, grant agreements may be executed earlier or later during this timeframe. 
  • Grant implementation period: July 14, 2025 - December 31, 2026.  

Eligibility and Requirements  

All projects funded should help achieve the program’s goal of developing and maintaining trails in proximity to all who live in and visit Vermont. Furthermore, all projects are required to help achieve the goals, objectives, and priorities found in Vermont's Statewide Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan (SCORP). Federal legislation mandates that RTP funds be allocated across three categories: 30% for non-motorized trail uses, 30% for motorized trail uses, and 40% for multi-use/diversified trail uses.   

Applicant Eligibility 

Who is eligible to apply for RTP grants:  

  • Municipalities (cities, towns, counties, etc.)  
  • Non-profit organizations  
  • State or Federal government agencies, other governmental entities (district or local authorities), or tribal governments 

Project Eligibility 

This year, RTP will offer two tracks: a Standard RTP Track and a Flood Recovery Track.

For the Standard RTP Track, eligible projects include: 

  • Maintenance/restoration of existing trails 
  • Construction of new trails, with certain limitations for projects on federal lands 
  • Development and rehabilitation of trailside and trailhead amenities, facilities, and parking areas (i.e., signage, kiosks, composting toilets, recycling receptacles, or trail structures along the trail, directly associated with the trail) 
  • Land Acquisitions: Acquisition of trail easements or fee simple title to property with trails or recreational trail corridors 
  • Educational projects 
  • Projects that will be implemented July 14, 2025 - December 31, 2026. 

For the Flood Recovery Track, eligible projects include:

  • Construction projects directly related to addressing trail-related damage from the 2024 flooding. 
  • Projects must be completed July 10, 2024- January 31, 2025 

We anticipate funding 4-5 projects in the Flood Recovery Track at an average award of $15,000—with some proposals being higher or lower. Applicants may apply for projects that fall under either the Standard RTP Track and the Flood Recovery Track as separate projects.

Reimbursement and Match Requirements  

RTP is a reimbursement program, and grantees must be capable of financing the project and (after a grant agreement is fully executed) first paying for expenditures and then submitting a request to the State for reimbursement using the required documentation. Applicants must commit to a minimum 20% match (20% of the total estimated project cost). 

Compliance Requirements 

Projects must demonstrate compliance with State and Federal regulations including but not limited to:  

  • National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA)  
  • Endangered Species Act  
  • Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act  
  • Executive Orders (which include but are not limited to Floodplain Management, Wetlands Protection, Build America/Buy America, Civil Rights Act)  
  • The State’s Permitting Processes  

Application Process and Resources 

To apply for RTP funding, there is a two-step application process that begins with a short pre-application submission. Pre-application submissions will be reviewed for compliance with the RTP program. Selected applicants will then be invited to submit a proposal for full review.  

How to Submit a Pre-Application 

Pre-application submissions will close on 11:59 PM on December 6, 2024.  Submissions require emailing the following documents to ANR.FPRRecreationGrants@vermont.gov: 

Incomplete proposals after December 6, 2024 will not be considered.

 

How to Submit a Full Application 

If invited to submit a full proposal, the full grant application will be offered through the ANROnline portal. To complete your full grant application, you will need to follow the steps below.

  1. Download, review, and complete all other required templates and supplemental materials for your project. 
  2. Complete the 2025 RTP Grant Application Form and submit it online.

 

Application Resources

 Pre-Application Guidance and Templates 

Full Application Guidance and Templates

RTP Grant Program Webinar: Project Planning 

Tuesday, October 15, 2024, 1:00-2:00 PM 

The webinar will include a presentation explaining the goals of the grant program, an overview of the process, and eligible activities to help inform project planning. There will be time at the end of the session for questions from attendees related to project planning and design.

RTP Grant Program Webinar: Pre-Application Materials 

Thursday, November 7, 2024, 3:00-4:00 PM 

The webinar will provide technical and content guidance about how to complete the specific materials required for the pre-application phase, including the workplan, budget, resiliency risk assessment, and permitting tools. There will be time at the end of the session for questions from attendees related to the templates and resources.

Open Office Hours 

Staff at FPR will host a virtual open office session for prospective applicants to learn more details about the grant program and ask questions. Open office hours will be recorded and posted on the RTP webpage. 

  • Thursday, November 21, 2024, 2:00-3:00 PM – Register for this session.  The first half-hour of the session will be open for questions specific to the Flood Recovery Track. The second half-hour of the session will be open for questions on any topic related to the grant program. 
  • Tuesday, December 3, 11:00 AM-Noon – Register for this session. This entire session is open for any questions related to the program. 

Our goal is to give everyone an equal opportunity to connect with us. We are unable to meet 1:1 with every prospective applicant during the pre-application phase. If the webinar and open office hours don’t work for you, please email your questions to us at ANR.FPRrecreationgrants@vermont.gov.  We will only meet 1:1 with applicants if we are unable to fully address questions via email. 

Recordings from Past Information Sessions

Previous Award Announcements

Managing an RTP Grant

RTP grants are approved to begin work as soon as their grant agreements are fully signed and executed. Grant agreements outline all the core requirements grantees must follow to manage their RTP grant.  

Additional grant administration resources:

 

Contact Information

For more information about the RTP please email anr.fprrecreationgrants@vermont.gov.  

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