Presenter: Tim Hogsett

Commission Agenda Item No. 13
Action
National Recreational Trail Grant Funding
August 21, 2008

I. Executive Summary: Action item to award federal funds allocated under the National Recreational Trail Grants for trail construction, renovation and acquisition projects. This item obligates federal National Recreational Trail Funds to eligible trail projects based upon the recommendations of the Texas Statewide Trails Advisory Board.

II. Discussion: The National Recreational Trails Fund (NRTF) comes from a portion of the federal gas tax generated by gasoline purchases to utilize off-road recreational vehicles, such as off-road motorcycles and four-wheelers. The purpose of the NRTF is to provide funding for projects that create new and maintain existing motorized and non-motorized recreational trails. These federal funds are administered by the Federal Highway Administration and distributed to states via a formula that takes into account state population and sales of fuel for off-road recreational vehicles. Nationwide, the program was appropriated $80 million for the current federal fiscal year (FY2008); Texas' share of these funds is $3,715,499. A number of projects funded in previous years were completed under budget and two large projects were cancelled, creating another $1,579,688 available for re-allocation this year. The Department will utilize $490,000 to fund trail improvements in ten state parks resulting in a total of $4,805,187 of federal funding available to fund eligible trail construction projects.

In February 2008, a 90 day call for proposals was issued. A record 73 projects were submitted for funding consideration requesting $12.5 million in funds. Recommendations are to fund 30 of these projects at this time in addition to the state park trails improvement project for a total of $5,295,187 of federal funding assistance.

The Act that created this fund stipulates that states must have a trails advisory board made up of various trail user group representatives to be eligible to receive the federal funds. The purpose of the trails advisory board is to provide guidance in the distribution of these funds. The nine member, Texas Statewide Trails Advisory Board met in late June to review the submitted trail project proposals and develop a list of recommended projects for funding. Each project was reviewed by the advisory board and scored based on the quality of the project, its cost effectiveness, its impact on recreational trail opportunities, and geographic distribution of funds. Exhibit A contains the list of submitted projects, with funds requested by each sponsor, project scoring and funding recommendations made by the advisory board and a description of each project. Ten Department state park trail improvement projects located at Bastrop, Big Bend Ranch, Caprock Canyons, Cooper Lake, Franklin Mountains, Garner, Huntsville, Martin Dies, Jr., Pedernales Falls, and Ray Roberts Greenbelt are included in the funding recommendation.

A federal requirement of the NRTF is that 30 percent of the funds be spent on motorized recreational trail projects, 30 percent on non-motorized trail projects, with the remaining 40 percent discretionary. The list of projects recommended for funding, if approved, will satisfy this federal requirement.

III. Recommendation: The staff recommends the Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission adopt the following motion:

"Funding for 30 projects recommended in Exhibit A in the amount of $4,805,187 and State Park trail improvements in the amount of $490,000 is approved."

Attachments - 1

  1. Exhibit A - Project Listing and Funding Recommendations

Commission Agenda Item No. 12
Exhibit A

Project Listing and Funding Recommendations

Score Sponsor Project Requested Funding Recommended Funding Project Description
54 City of Austin Emma Long Park Motorcycle Trail $196,000 $196,000 Renovate 9 mile motorized trail, pavilion, fence, signs
54 City of Lufkin Lost Arrow Trail Expansion $59,784 $59,784 New 2.0 mile, 3' wide natural surfaced trail, bridges, signs, benches
54 Stephen F. Austin University Hunt's Woods Mountain Biking Trail $104,700 $104,700 New 1.33 mile ADA trail, renovate 1.9 mile bike trail, bridge
53 GHORBA Double Lake Trail Expansion $120,000 $120,000 New 12 mile, 3' wide natural surfaced mountain bike trail
52 City of Universal City Gothic & Northview Parks Trails $49,300 $49,300 New 0.75 mile, 5' wide granite trails
51 Hill Country Conservancy Walk for a Day $200,000 $200,000 New 5 mile, 10' wide natural surface trail, bridge, parking, restroom
50 Brazos River Authority Possum Kingdom Lake Trail $121,600 $121,600 New 5 mile natural surface trail, restroom, parking, signs
50 City of Hamilton Pecan Creek Park Trail $76,742 $76,742 New 0.61 mile, 6' wide asphalt trail, renovate restroom, lights, signs
50 City of La Grange Strides for Nature Trail $165,603 $161,603 New 4 mile natural & granite trail system, bridges, gazebos, signs
50 The Woodlands Association George Mitchell Preserve Trails $200,000 $200,000 New 1.5 mile natural surface trail, 4 creek crossings, signs
48 City of Alpine Alpine Creek Trail — Phase II $175,000 $175,000 New 1.33 mile, 5' wide pervious concrete trail
48 Lubbock Co. W.C.I.D. No. 1 Buffalo Springs Lake OHV Trails $214,456 $214,456 Improve 16 miles of motorized trails, restroom, tractor, ATV, signs
47 City of Donna Donna OHV Park $280,562 $280,562 Improvements to motocross track, parking, restroom, fencing
47 City of Henderson Fair Park $109,840 $61,440 New 0.36 mile, 6' wide concrete trail, bridges, lights, signs
47 Jarvis Christian College Wetlands Nature Trail $200,000 $200,000 New 1.7 mile, 8' wide asphalt trail, signs
46 City of Denton Lake Forest Park Trails $49,550 $49,550 Renovation of pedestrian bridge and approach trail
46 Harris County M.U.D. No. 286 Hike & Bike Trail $200,000 $200,000 New 1.52 mile, 6' wide asphalt trail, signs
46 City of San Marcos Five Mile Dam Hiking Trail $200,000 $200,000 New 1.8 mile, 6' wide granite trail, benches, signs
46 Village of Surfside Beach Bluewater Highway Trail $155,996 $155,996 New 2.7 mile, 8' wide asphalt trail, restroom, viewing deck
46 White Knuckle Holdings, LLC White Knuckle Ranch $40,000 $40,000 Restroom, storage building, pavilion, tractor at OHV facility
45 City of Corinth Elm Fork Trail Rehabilitation $188,786 $188,786 Renovate 4.46 mile trail, bridges, erosion control, water xing
45 City of Corpus Christi Oso Conservation/Interpretive Park $200,000 $200,000 New 0.75 mile, 10' wide granite trail, bridge, signs, benches, overlook
45 City of Gatesville Faunt Le Roy/Raby Trail $200,000 $163,600 New 1.5 mile, 10' wide granite trail, bridge, benches, land acq.
45 City of Paris Trail de Paris West Extension $120,000 $120,000 New 0.3 mile extension of rail-trail, benches, bridge
45 Texas Motorized Trail Coalition Barnwell Mountain Recreation Area $343,400 $343,400 Restroom, motorized trail repair, tot lot, erosion control, rock garden
45 City of Waxahachie MKT Trail $200,000 $200,000 New 4.5 mile crushed aggregate trail, fencing, benches
44 City of Temple Friar's Creek Nature Trail $200,000 $188,720 New 1.0 mile, 8' wide pervious concrete trail, benches, signs
43 Cameron Co. Drainage Dist. #1 Cascade Park $200,000 $200,000 New 1.1 mile, 12' wide granite trail, boardwalk, benches, restroom
42 City of Royse City Walker Haek Trail $160,236 $128,160 New 0.95 mile, 6' wide concrete trail, exercise stations, water
42 Texas Motorized Trail Coalition Escondido Draw recreation Area $205,788 $205,788 Acquisition of 85 acres at OHV area, water well, electrical
41 City of Center Northwest Center Trail $200,000 $0 New 0.91 mile, 4' wide concrete trail, lights, bridges
41 City of Parker Preserve Recreational Trail $105,012 $0 New 0.6 mile, 8' wide granite trail along creek, tools, benches
40 Montgomery County Panorama Park & Preserve $113,698 $0 New 0.62 mile, 6' wide granite trail, restroom, parking, gazebo
40 Sienna Plantation MUD Sienna Plantation Levee Trail, Ph. II $200,000 $0 New 1.35 mile, 8' wide granite trail, benches, signs
40 Willacy Co. Navigation Dist. Port Mansfield Trail Extension $40,000 $0 New 0.75 mile, 6' wide granite trail, signs
39 City of Detroit Eagle Trail $99,969 $0 New 0.35 mile, 8' wide asphalt trail, fence, benches, parking, land, restroom
39 The Park People Brays Bayou Trail $200,000 $0 New 1 mile, 10' wide concrete, benches, signs
39 City of Waco Cameron Park Trail Improvements $192,000 $0 Improve 21 mile trail, erosion control, benches, signs, parking
38 City of Rosenberg Seabourne Creek Trail $83,080 $0 Renovate 2.68 mile nature trail, exercise stations
37 City of Deer Park East Side Multipurpose Trail $189,602 $0 New 1.8 mile, 8' wide granite trial, benches, signs, picnic tables
37 City of Princeton Ticky Creek Trail $200,000 $0 New 1.8 mile, 6' wide asphalt trail, bridge, benches, land
36 City of San Antonio Medina River Greenway $192,241 $0 New 0.33 mile, renovate 0.31 mile, 8' wide limestone trail, signs
35 City of Arlington Crystal Canyon Nature Trail $200,000 $0 New 0.8 mile, 8' wide limestone trail, bridges, signs, parking
34 City of El Paso Riverbend Trail — Phase II $164,700 $0 New 1,300' concrete trail, lighting, parking lot, connects other trails
34 Katy Prairie Conservancy Cypress Creek Greenbelt $200,000 $0 New 1 mile, 10' wide granite trail, parking, signs
34 Partnership for the Pathway Red River Trail $200,000 $0 New 0.73 mile, 10' wide concrete trail
34 City of Poth Poth Rail to Trail $200,000 $0 New 0.85 mile, 10' wide paved trail, restroom, water, pavilion, benches
33 City of Cottonwood Shores Cottonwood Shores Park $200,000 $0 New 2.8 mile, 5' wide granite trail, restroom, parking, lights, signs
33 City of Euless Trails of Euless $105,424 $0 New 0.29 mile, 12' wide concrete trail section, retaining wall
32 City of Denton Cross Timbers Trail Renovation $23,378 $0 Renovation of 130' section of trail, bridge, low water crossing
31 City of Victoria Lone Tree Hike/Bike Trail $199,999 $0 New 0.42 mile, 10' wide concrete trail, lighting
30 City of Aransas Pass Community Park Trail $75,669 $0 New 0.35 mile, 10' wide asphalt trail, gazebo, benches, tables
30 N. Texas Rural Rail District Wichita Valley Railway Daylight Tr. $77,284 $0 New 0.5 mile, 5' wide concrete trail, tools, erosion control, signs
30 Timber Lane Utility District Cypress Creek Hike and Bike Trail $200,000 $0 Land acquisition, new 0.57 mile granite trail, bridges, signs
29 Cameron County El Camino Isla Blanca Trail $148,408 $0 New 0.3 mile, renovate 0.3 mile, 8' wide concrete trail, benches, signs, restroom
28 Housing Authority of Texarkana Rose Hill Community Trail $200,000 $0 New 0.25 mile, 10' wide concrete trail, bridge, lights, benches
27 Chihuahuan Desert Res. Inst. Improving Garden Accessibility $136,954 $0 Improve 0.6 mile garden trails for accessibility
27 City of Houston Cole Creek Park Trail $200,000 $0 New 0.34 mile, 10' wide asphalt trail, benches, lights, water, tables
26 City of Lancaster Pleasant Run Trail $140,000 $0 New 1.9 mile, 12' wide concrete trail
24 City of Allen Celebration Pass Pedestrian Trail $200,000 $0 New 1.52 mile, 10' wide concrete trail, bridge, low water xing
24 City of Alvin Bob Briscoe Park Trail $196,308 $0 New 1.0 mile, 8' wide concrete trail, bridge, benches, water
22 Friends of the Katy Lee Park Connection Trail $200,000 $0 New 0.19 mile ramp, stairs, walls, A&E, planting
21 Town of Addison Greenhill Section of Addison Trail $199,928 $0 New 0.24 mile, 10' wide concrete trail, fencing, lighting, signs
19 Parkway Utility District Hike and Bike Trail $86,160 $0 New 1.14 mile, 6' wide recycled concrete trail
19 TXTEAMM Trail Education Management $93,800 $0 Safety training and outdoor ethics education
18 City of Kemp Kemp Parks and Trails $200,000 $0 New 0.45 mile, 4' wide concrete trail, bridge, parking, benches
18 Texas Motorized Trail Coalition User Education & Statewide Support $276,048 $0 Storage building, truck, utilities, tools
14 City of Angleton Freedom Park $199,268 $0 New 0.78 mile, 10' wide cinder trail, restroom, pavilion
13 City of Denton Cooper Creek Trail Upgrades $142,859 $0 Renovation of pedestrian bridge and approach trail
12 City of La Feria South Texas Regional Trails $713,409 $0 Land acquisition, buildings, utilities, parking, signs, 10 miles trail
11 Heard Museum Heard Museum Trail Reconstruction $200,000 $0 Parking, seating area, repair trails, signs, amenities
9 City of Seabrook Planning for Seabrook Trails $144,000 $0 Design, engineering and architecture services
9 El Paso Archeology Museum Archeology Trail Improvement $199,760 $0 Renovation of 1 mile interpretive trail, erosion control, ADA