Purpose
This Performance Measure (PM) incorporates paved and unpaved multi-use urban, hiking, OHV, equestrian and other trails and paths. Trails and paths provide recreation and tourism opportunities as well as enhance the use of public lands.
Likely Project Categories
This PM would likely be applicable for projects in the following category:
- Site Improvement/Restoration
Variations
This PM is further classified into the following two variations:
- New Construction
- Improvements
Guidance on Applying this PM to Your Project
This is a recommended approach to collecting data and reporting on this PM. Grantees are asked to further evaluate how these steps may best be applied to your specific project and discuss with SNC any steps or considerations that may be unique to your project.
Data Source
Feet of trail and path should be calculated from the trail plans you have developed as part of the project.
Reporting
The grantee should provide the following information:
- Total feet of trail and path length of new construction
- Total feet of trail and path length improved as a result of the project.
One method for defining “improvements” is to use the definition of “Remedial Maintenance” provided by the National Trails Training Partnership (NTTP):
Remedial Maintenance refers to correcting significant defects as well as repairing, replacing, or restoring major components that have been destroyed, damaged, or significantly deteriorated during the life of the project. Minor repairs such as repainting, seal coating asphalt pavement, or replacing signs may occur on a five to ten-year cycle. Major reconstruction items might occur over a longer period—up to 100 years or more—or after an event such as a flood. Other examples include stabilization of a severely eroded hillside, repaving a trail surface, or replacing a bridge. Remedial maintenance should be a consideration in formulating a long-term capital improvement plan, though budgeting could be on an individual and as-needed or anticipated basis.
Other
This PM requires a very low level of effort for reporting. Once project plans are drawn, no special skills are required to report the path and trail lengths involved. The grantee is expected to expend much less than 40 hours to report this PM.
American Trails provides additional trail construction and maintenance guidance.