Commission Agenda Item No. 7
Presenter:  Tim Hogsett

Action
Recreation Trails Grant Funding
August 26, 2010

I.       Executive Summary:  This item is 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 NRFT 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 $85 million for the current federal fiscal year (FY2010); Texas’ share of these funds is $2,997,268.  Seven percent of the state’s apportionment is utilized to cover costs to administer the program, leaving $2,787,460 to fund projects.  A number of projects funded in previous years were completed under budget and two projects were cancelled, creating another $528,622 available for re-allocation this year.  The Department will utilize this $485,000 to fund trail improvements in ten state parks and fund an ATV Safety Program development project through the Texas 4-H Foundation resulting in a total of $3,316,137 of federal funding available to fund eligible trail construction projects.

In February 2010, a 90 day call for proposals was issued.  Sixty-two eligible projects were submitted for funding consideration requesting over $9.0 million in funds.  Recommendations are to fund 24 of these projects at this time in addition to the state park trails improvement project for a total of $3,316,137 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 10 member, Texas Statewide Trails Advisory Board met in June 2010 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.  Eight Department trail improvement projects located at Bastrop SP, Cooper Lake SP, Lake Brownwood SP, Huntsville SP, Meridian SP, Seminole Canyon SP, Tyler SP, Caprock Canyons SP, and Chaparral WMA 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 25 projects recommended in Exhibit A in the amount of $2,831,137 and State Park trail improvements in the amount of $485,000 is approved."

Attachments — 1

  1. Exhibit A — Project Listing and Funding Recommendations

Commission Agenda Item No. 7
Exhibit A

Project Listing and Funding Recommendations
Score Project Sponsor Project Name Funds Requested Funds Recommended Project Description
60 Gr. Houston Off-Road Bike Assoc. Huntsville Trail $160,000 $160,000 New 12 mile mountain bike trail, bridges, signs, design
60 Texas Equestrian Trail Riders Bardwell Lake Trail Renovation $17,600 $17,600 Renovation of existing 26 mile trail, tools, erosion control
57 City of El Paso Three Hills Loop Mnt. Bike Trail $77,913 $77,913 New 3 mile mountain bike trail, reclaim 2 miles, signs, design
57 Texas Motorized Trail Coalition Barnwell Mountain Improvements $54,000 $54,000 Purchase dozer, erosion control
56 Dallas Audubon Society Cedar Ridge Trail $25,600 $25,600 Erosion control and renovation of existing trails
56 Hays County Dahlstrom Ranch Trails $100,000 $100,000 New 3.15 mile accessible trail, benches
54 City of Austin West Zilker Park Nature Trail $62,890 $62,890 Renovate 2 mile trail, steps, fencing, storage shed
54 City of Garland Spring Creek Trail $40,000 $40,000 New 1.4 mile, renovate 2.6 mile, signs, trail markers, GPS
54 Memorial Park Conservancy Memorial Park trail Improvements $102,472 $84,872 New 1.2 miles, rehab 1.4 miles granite trail, signs, gates
53 Hays County WCID #2 Bear Creek Trail $190,000 $190,000 New 2.8 mile granite/natural trail, signs, seating, water crossing
53 City of Higgins Community Park Trail $50,500 $45,200 New 0.23 mile concrete trail, lighting, pavilion pad
53 City of Weslaco Paseo del Norte Trail $20,084 $20,084 New 0.66 mile granite trail
52 Friends of the Texas Historical Com. Convergence Trail at Caddoan Mounds $32,950 $32,950 New 0.24 mile granite trail. benches, signing, El Camino Real
52 City of Schertz Schertz Trail $87,300 $87,300 New 1.8 mile granite trail, drainage, signing
52 American Wind Power Center Windmill Lake Trail $78,680 $43,560 New 0.37 mile trail, signs, benches, lighting, parking, fencing
52 City of Childress Childress Moto-Park Improvements $253,900 $203,150 Motocross track, signing, seating, comfort stations, restroom
50 City of Freeport Wetlands Trail $199,898 $199,898 Renovate 0.13 mile granite trail, observation decks, bridge, signs
50 Angelina-Sabine National Forest Motorized Trail System $560,000 $560,000 New 15 mile motorized trail, planning, trailhead, bridges, signs
49 City of Castroville Lions Park Trail $8,000 $8,000 New 0.2 mile asphalt trail around park, benches
49 City of Farmersville Chaparral Rail-Trail Improvements $200,000 $200,000 New 2.6 mile granite trail, bollards, engineering
49 City of Haltom City Whites Branch Trail $200,000 $200,000 New 1.0 mile concrete, bridge, signs, design
48 City of The Colony Wynnewood Peninsula Trail $200,000 $200,000 New 3 mile granite trail, parking area
47 City of Nassau Bay Peninsula Trail $160,000 $160,000 New 0.94 mile concrete trail, signs, benches, A&E
46 Three Palms Motorcycle Area Three Palms Trails $33,120 $33,120 New 7 miles of motorized trail on private property
  Texas 4-H Youth Dev. Program 4-H ATV Safety Program $25,000 $25,000 Develop youth ATV safety program
        $2,831,137  
Score Project Sponsor Project Name Requested Recommended Project Description
46 City of Brady Brady Creek Trail $200,000 $0 Rebuild flood damaged 1.3 mile trail, bridges, parking
45 City of Friendswood Trails to Parks $200,000 $0 New 0.85 mile concrete greenbelt trail, signs, benches, call box
45 Lubbock Lake Landmark Trail Rehabilitation $123,500 $0 Renovate 1 mile asphalt trail, sings, benches
45 City of Universal City Cibolo Creek Trail $134,016 $0 New 0.56 mile, renovate 2.71 miles granite trail, signing
44 City of Tyler South Tyler Trails $196,000 $0 New 1.3 mile concrete trail, retaining walls, professional fees
43 Harris County MUD No. 43 Multi-use Trail $200,000 $0 New 1.07 mile granite trail, benches, ADA ramp, hitching post
43 City of Liberty Hill City Park Trail $95,330 $0 New 1 mile granite trail, bridge, sign, benches
43 City of Paris Trail de Paris Phase IV $199,800 $0 New 0.79 mile asphalt trail extension, culverts, road crossings
43 City of Richardson Ruth Back Toler Trail $200,000 $0 New 1.33 mile trail, bridges, signs
42 Fort Bend County MUN No. 146 Oyster Creek Trail $200,000 $0 New 1.87 mile concrete trail, benches, accessible ramps
41 City of Hamilton Pecan Creek Trail Improvements $137,709 $0 New 0.34 mile and renovate 0.1 mile concrete trail, bridge repair
41 City of Henderson Lake Forest Park Trail $171,136 $0 New 0.86 mile concrete trail, lighting, boardwalk, resource survey
41 Montgomery County Panorama Park Trail $95,876 $0 New 0.62 mile granite trail, benches, signs, trash receptacles
40 City of Poth Poth Railway Trail $200,000 $0 New 0.49 mile concrete trail, accessible ramps
39 City of Beaumont Klein Park Trail Rehabilitation $199,948 $0 Resurface 1.32 mile trail, ADA imp., benches, signs, drainage
39 Heard Science Museum Laughlin-Bluestem Trail Rehabilitation $106,306 $0 Repair 2000' of trail, signs, tools
38 City of Temple Lions Park Trail Expansion $144,416 $0 New 0.4 mile granite trail, bridge, signs
35 City of Greenville Long Branch Trail $199,850 $0 New 0.96 and renovate 0.85 mile granite trail, bridges, benches
34 City of Brownwood Camp Bowie Trail $161,600 $0 New 1.4 mile asphalt trail, signs, benches, crosswalk
34 Cypress Point Community Assoc. Cypress Point Trail $200,000 $0 New 1.29 mile concrete trail, bridge, benches, bollards
34 City of North Richland Hills Fossil Creek Trail $192,669 $0 New 0.52 mile concrete trail, benches, bridge, signs, parking
33 City of Leon Valley Leon Valley Trail $60,015 $0 New 0.45 mile stabilized base trail, benches, bridge, bollards
32 City of Harker Heights Purser Family Park Trail $200,000 $0 New 1 mile trail, low water crossing, ramps, benches
30 City of Mesquite Clay Mathis Trail $200,000 $0 New 0.51 mile concrete trail, signs, benches, bike racks
29 City of Plano Bluebonnet Trail $200,000 $0 New 0.49 mile concrete trail, accessible ramps
28 Westchase District Liberty Loop Trail $113,300 $0 New 1.62 mile trail, rest stops, signing, lighting, trash barrels
27 Harris County MUD No. 364 Coles Crossing Trail $200,000 $0 New 0.65 mile asphalt trail, benches, drinking fount., signs
26 City of Allen Dayspring Nature Trail $125,482 $0 New 0.45 mile granite trail, tables, benches, fencing, signs
23 City of Haltom City Little Fossil Creek Trail $200,000 $0 New 0.64 mile concrete trail, signs, overlooks, drinking fountain
21 City of Huntsville Eastham-Thompson Park Trailheads $67,790 $0 Drainage improvements, fencing, signs, benches, tables, trash cans
19 City of Benbrook Winscott Trail $102,000 $0 New 0.55 mile asphalt trail connection
15 City of Addison Addison Trail $200,000 $0 New 0.24 mile concrete trail, fencing, lighting, signs, landscape
15 City of San Angelo Rio Concho Trail Improvements $200,000 $0 Add sidewalks & lighting to auto bridges
14 City of Kermit Winkler Park Trails $112,000 $0 New 0.51 mile concrete trail
11 Friends of the Trinity Strand Trail Trinity Strand Trail Amenities $90,048 $0 Water fountains, benches, signs, bike racks, trash receptacles
11 City of Krum City Park Parking Lot $199,732 $0 Repave parking lot at City park
11 City of Palmer City Park Parking Lot $184,000 $0 Repave parking lot at City park