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Contact: Cathy Corlett Trail Fund Director Phone: (530) 230-4122 cathy@americantrails.org  |
PO Box 491797 Redding, CA 96049-1797 www.americantrails.org |
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Press ReleaseÂ
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 26, 2023
American Trails is pleased to partner with the U.S. Forest Service in continuing the Legacy Trails Grant Program. This program is funded through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and supports partner trail projects that further the Legacy Roads and Trails criteria on National Forest System trails throughout the nine Forest Service Regions. The goal of the program is to support projects that restore, protect, and maintain watersheds on our national forests and grasslands. American Trails is administering this grant program, and is soliciting applications for funding, with awards up to $100K per project. The application portal opens on October 2.
“We are excited to continue this program for a second year. We funded 38 trail projects in the first round of grant funding which are already having a measurable impact on watershed health, public access to the outdoors and overall trail resiliency” says Cathy Corlett, Trail Fund Director at American Trails. This program is administered by American Trails and funded through a cost-share agreement with the United States Forest Service to distribute $1.4 million dollars per year to support trails projects on forests and grasslands managed by the USFS through 2027.
Project applicants may include nonprofit organizations, businesses, or agencies at the state or local level. The Forest Service identifies and prioritizes watershed acres or areas where Forest Service roads and trails may impact water quality in streams and water bodies. Protecting threatened, endangered, and sensitive species, and community water sources are among the top priorities for projects that improve and maintain trail access. Emergency operations, such as evacuation routes during wildfires, floods or other natural disasters also benefit from this program. Find out more about the Legacy Trails Program and 2023 awardees here.