Funding for Trails
There are many trail funding sources in Alaska, ranging from federal programs to state and local opportunities. Below you'll find both an overview and in-depth look at federal funding sources, along with urgent issues at the state and national level for building more and better trails and a stronger Alaskan outdoor recreation economy.
FEDERAL FUNDING FOR TRAILS
LAND MANAGEMENT AGENCY BUDGETS
These funds recur annually
Land management agency budgets are decided annually. The 2022 process begins Feb 2021.
Trail users like you can influence these budgets
SPECIAL FEDERAL LEGISLATION
These funds occur once
Individual pieces of legislation passed by congress like the Great American Outdoor Act and the National Surface Transportation Act provide funding for key trails programs and deferred maintenance.
FEDERAL TRAILS/REC PROGRAMS
These funds are ongoing
These established programs like Recreation Trails (RTP), Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF), and Federal Lands Access (FLAP) have the potential to subsidize millions of dollars of Alaska outdoor recreation projects, covering between 50-90% of the cost for these needed investments.
Contacting your state legislators can influence these funds
TRAIL FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES
FEDERAL FUNDING FOR TRAILS IN AK
$7M Federal Lands Access (FLAP) in award cycle
$1.5M Recreational Trails (RTP) a year
$12M Transportation Alternatives (TAP) in award cycle
$2M Hunter Access (Pittman-Robertson) a year
$0.6 - 3.5M Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) a year
Outdoor recreation is a major force in our state’s economy, supporting 1 in 10 jobs and in 2018 contributing $3.2B in consumer spending. Yet, Alaska has potential to grow outdoor recreation economy much further. For example, if just half of typical out-of-state AK visitors spent one more day in Alaska, the result would be an additional $137M in annual spending.
Securing funding for investments in trails/outdoor recreation is critical to:
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build a foundation for a stronger Alaskan economy into the future
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provide opportunities for healthy, safe outdoor activity
There are many trail funding sources in Alaska: ranging from federal programs to state and local opportunities. Federal funding sources include the Federal Highway Administration, National Park Service, and US Fish and Wildlife. On this page, we bring your attention to current federal funding opportunities, as well as urgent issues at the state and national level for building more and better trails and a stronger outdoor recreation economy in Alaska.
Alaskan trails groups and agencies have access to a large chunk of federal funds, but several issues need to be resolved in order to bring that funding to intended projects. We propose solutions to these issues here.
SOLUTIONS TO FUNDING ISSUES + ACTION ITEMS
1. Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) and Great American Outdoors Act (GAOA)
Through the 50-50% match requirement, the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) doubles available dollars to build trails, trailheads, bridges, river launches, cabins, playgrounds and more on state and local lands.
To bring these LWCF funds to Alaska, the state has to take receipt authority for the slated amount. Alaska’s FFY2018 share of LWCF was $615,000, but the state did not take receipt authority for those funds, nor allocate resources to fund the LWCF administrative position (about $75K). LWCF funding has to be obligated within 3 years, and the summer of 2021, the end of State’s 2020 fiscal year, this amount was forfeited. Through this inaction, and the fact the State had a 50% match in hand, Alaska effectively lost $1.23M that could have helped improve a local park or trail. Good news is that Alaska Department of Natural Resources submitted requests for FFY 2019 ($1.5M) and 2020 ($1.9M) authorizations, now funded.
Utilizing the LWCF funds to invest in capital improvement projects can provide work for Alaskans both near and long term. When the COVID-19 disruption is over, these projects will be assets to our public lands, gateway communities and growing tourism and recreation economies. The recently adopted federal Great American Outdoors Act (S.3422) adds new funding for outdoor recreation through LWCF. The Act, which passed with support from all three Alaskan congressional delegates – Senators Murkowski and Sullivan and Congressman Young – permanently secures funding for the Land and Water Conservation Fund, and Alaska’s annual share is confirmed to grow to $2.5M/year – IF we cover administrative costs and secure the required match.
Senator Dan Sullivan recently signed on to the related Connecting America’s Active Transportation System Act, and we want to commend him for this action.
This is an important step in adopting provisions relating to traffic safety, including safety for bicyclists and pedestrians.
2. NATIONAL TRANSPORTATION BILL
The most recent surface transportation bill, the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation (FAST) Act, was set to expire on September 30, 2020. Although the previous 116th Congress had taken steps toward enacting a new five-year surface transportation bill, those efforts stalled, leaving Congress to approve a one-year extension. The original authorization for the FAST Act provided $305 billion over fiscal years 2016 through 2020 for highway, highway and motor vehicle safety, public transportation, motor carrier safety, hazardous materials safety, rail, and research, technology, and statistics programs. Despite the challenges of the previous congress in passing a new surface transportation bill, it is generally a bipartisan issue and with unified control of government by the Democrats the anticipation is that we will see a new surface transportation bill approved well before the current extension expires on September 30, 2021.
Several federal funding programs relating to trails and alternative transportation options are affected by the bill, all under the Federal Highway Administration: Recreational Trails (RTP), Transportation Alternatives (TAP), and Federal Lands Access (FLAP). It is imperative to make sure that all these programs receive funding under the new bill.
In particular, the nation’s recreational trails community is advocating for provisions which increase funding for the Recreational Trails Program (RTP). The RTP has been the key to better and safer trails across the nation. In Alaska, the RTP provided over $18M to fund 507 projects between 1993-2018. Yet, the funding for the RTP has stayed flat for more than a decade while demand for trails increased. In addition to opportunities to increase funding, work is needed to make the process for reviewing and approving RTP grant applications. Making the process simpler and more predictable would save time and money both for applicants and for the DNR Division of Parks and Outdoor Recreation.
WHAT YOU CAN DO
Contact your congressional delegates and urge them to advocate for increased funding to the RTP, TAP and FLAP programs as well as adopting provisions for safety of bicyclists and pedestrians in the next national transportation bill. Support Alaska Trails as we partner with applicants around Alaska, and with the Division of Parks and Outdoor Recreation, to create a more effective RTP process.