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Texas Parks & Wildlife Department <br />Texas Recreational Trails Fund <br />Requiring a nominal fee for trail use (to help <br />cover operation and maintenance costs) does <br />not constitute a trail closed to the general <br />public. <br />5. Research and planning. This program is <br />limited to spending on site-based trail projects <br />(construction, maintenance, or acquisition). <br />Some site planning, design, and engineering <br />specifications can be funded as part of a <br />project which results in completed trail work on <br />the ground. Regional plans, jurisdictional <br />plans, needs assessments, or plans for an <br />entire park or recreational area are ineligible. <br />6. Sidewalks or trails that have only a <br />transportation or access function. Trails must <br />be of sufficient length to serve the recreational <br />use for which they are proposed. A path that <br />only connects facilities in a park will not be <br />considered a recreation trail. <br />7. Administrative costs of the sponsor. <br />LIMITATIONS ON GRANT AWARDS <br />Size of Awards <br />The program limits the amount granted to any single <br />sponsor in one application period to a maximum of <br />$200,000 (80% of a $250,000 project). The <br />minimum award per sponsor is $4,000 (80% of a <br />$5,000 project) in an application period. <br />Motorized Trail Projects: The Recreational Trails Act <br />stipulates that 30% of available funds go toward <br />motorized trail projects. In Texas, we are having <br />difficulty generating motorized trail projects and have <br />thus waived the cap for individual projects. <br />Interested sponsors of motorized trail projects should <br />contact TPWD at 512/389-8224 for the amount of <br />funds available. <br />Number of Projects Per Sponsor <br />Applicants are encouraged to submit only one project <br />per application period. The Trails Advisory Board is <br />sensitive to the geographic distribution of funds and <br />will rarely recommend funding for more than one <br />project per sponsor <br />If a sponsor wishes to submit more than one project, <br />separate applications should be submitted when <br />projects are not located at the same site. An <br />exception to this rule would involve the allowance of <br />a single application for trail work of a similar nature <br />on a system of trails in one jurisdiction. For <br />example, a city may submit one application <br />proposing to add crushed fines on all the trails in its <br />area, even though the trails are not connected and <br />are located at various sites around town. <br />30%-30%-40% Reserved Funds <br />The federal act mandates that at least 30 percent of <br />the funds be earmarked for motorized trail <br />recreation, and at least 30 percent be dedicated to <br />non-motorized trail recreation. The remaining 40 <br />percent is discretionary for "diversified" trail use. The <br />Texas Trails Advisory Board will be responsible for <br />fairly distributing selected projects among these <br />categories based on information in the application. <br />Historically in Texas, there has been high demand <br />for non-motorized project funding and little demand <br />for motorized project funding. <br />OTHER CONSIDERATIONS <br />Match vs. Reimbursable Costs <br />The following table shows the types of costs that <br />may be included in a project and which ones are <br />reimbursable. Donations from the private sector <br />(land, materials, or labor) may only be attributed to <br />the sponsor's match. Sponsors may not make a <br />profit by being reimbursed beyond their out-of-pocket <br />costs. Private donations which exceed the 20 <br />percent share simply serve to reduce the overall cost <br />of a project. <br />iv 16 S <br />