SACRAMENTO, Calif. November 2, 2020 – California State Parks today announced recommendations for $5.6 million in funding for eight local non-motorized trail projects under the Federal Highway Administration’s (FHWA) Recreational Trails Program (RTP). Funding from this program helps improve the quality of life for the nation’s communities by providing access for all to the outdoors. The list of recommended non-motorized RTP projects for California includes:
Sugarloaf Mountain Trail: $216,411 City of Nevada City Construct approximately one mile of new trail and a parking lot within Nevada City.
Bridge to Beach: $900,000 East Bay Regional Park District Develop and extend the San Francisco Bay Trail in the City of Richmond. Construct approximately 1.25 miles of trail along the shoreline between the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge and the Point Molate Beach Park.
Strawberry Rock Redwood Forest Trail Acquisition: $400,000 Trinidad Coastal Land Trust Acquire an approximately 45-acre conservation easement of mature forest of second-growth Redwood near the town of Trinidad in Humboldt County.
La Sierra Public Access Project: $1,328,800
Mountains Restoration Trust
Acquire an approximately 74.82 acre parcel to create the new La Sierra Watershed Public Access in the Santa Monica Mountains northwest of Los Angeles.
Azalea Hill Trail Restoration: $700,000 Marin Municipal Water District Develop Phase III of the Azalea Hill Trail in the Mt. Tamalpais Watershed. Construct approximately 6,400 linear feet of new multi-use trail, a new bridge, retaining wall, causeway, armored rock crossings, and a kiosk, as well as directional and educational signage.
Natural Parkland Trails Project: $1,560,000 City of Highland Construct two miles of new trail, interpretive signage, outdoor education presentation area, culvert canyon crossings, trail head with parking lot and renovate 10,450 linear feet of trail.
Gateway Phase 2 Trail Project – Learning Zone: $104,000 USDA United States Forest Service Shasta-Trinity Construct approximately 9.5 miles of multi-use, non-motorized beginner and intermediate trails.
Harmon Canyon Trail Development: $458,348 Ventura Land Trust Construct approximately five miles of new multi-use recreational trails within the Harmon Canyon Preserve in the County of Ventura.
The RTP provides funds to the states to develop and maintain recreational trails and trail-related facilities for non-motorized and motorized recreational trail uses. The federal Fixing America’s Surface Transportation (FAST) Act Authorization provides funding for the program. Eligible applicants include cities, counties, districts, state agencies, federal agencies, and non-profit organizations with management responsibilities of public lands.
The Office of Grants and Local Services for State Parks conducted a competitive review process and recommended these projects to receive the grants. Eligible non-motorized projects include land acquisition for recreational trails and recreational trail corridors; and, development, or rehabilitation of trails, trailside, and trailhead facilities. The program requires a minimum 12 percent match derived from local sponsors and state funds. FHWA must approve project recommendations before State Parks can execute grant agreements with these local agencies. Prior to forwarding these projects to FHWA, each recommended project must comply with the National Historical Preservation Act of 1966 (Section 106), National Environmental Policy Act and be listed on the State Transportation Improvement Plan. Compliance with these requirements can take up to nine months to complete.
After the local sponsors complete the three federal requirements listed above, applications are sent to FHWA for its final review. There is a 30-day final approval window once FHWA receives the applications from California State Parks.