National Trails System Projects
Program Funding
Annual program obligations reported to SAM.gov.
Funded Projects
Examples of what this program has supported.
2) Protecting Natural and Cultural Resources - Volunteers cleared invasive species and restored native plants along a historic trail segment, while interpretive signage was installed to educate visitors about the area's cultural significance.
3) Educating and Engaging the Public - Students participated in immersive field trips along historic trails, learning about the American Revolution and Indigenous history through reenactments and storytelling.
4) Innovating with Technology - A project captured 360-degree imagery of a scenic trail, allowing people to explore it virtually and helping planners identify areas needing maintenance.
Program Objective
To preserve, protect, and develop the components of the National Trails System, with a strong emphasis on volunteer involvement, the Secretary of the Interior may enter into written cooperative agreements to operate, develop, and maintain any portion of such a trail either within or outside a federally administered area. The Secretary may provide financial assistance to encourage participation in the acquisition, protection, operation, development, or maintenance of such trails.
Eligibility
Eligible Applicants
- Interstate
- Intrastate
- State governments
- Local governments
- Federally recognized tribes
- Individuals / families
- For-profit organizations
- Quasi-public nonprofits
- Native American organizations
- State
- Non-government (general)
- Anyone / general public
States or their political subdivisions, landowners, private organizations, or individuals.
Beneficiaries
- 11
- 15
- 17
- 18
- 19
- 2
- 20
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 9
General public, and States or their political subdivisions, landowners, private organizations, or individuals.
How to Apply
Application Procedure
Funding announcements for this program, along with registration procedures, application packages and instructions, points of contact, and procedures for submitting applications will be available on www.grants.gov.
Award Procedure
Proposals received in response announcements on grants.gov are reviewed on the basis of a competitive, merit-based review process, and are rated in accordance with the evaluation criteria stated in the announcement. Awards may be made to the highest rated proposals based on the amount of funding available each year.
Varies depending on the type and complexity of the project. Further information will be available for each specific project at the time the funding opportunity announcement is posted on www.grants.gov and may be obtained by contacting the Program Manager listed as the point of contact. Generally 30 – 120 days.
Program details & compliance
Use of Funds
Allowed Uses
Funding is to be used by States or their political subdivisions, landowners, private organizations, or individual to operate, develop, and maintain any portion of such a trail either within or outside a federally administered area. Such agreements may include provisions for limited financial assistance to encourage participation in the acquisition, protection, operation, development or maintenance of such trails. After consulting with States and their political subdivisions, the Secretary may provide assistance to such entities under appropriate cooperative agreements. The availability of discretionary funding is determined by individual national trail offices each fiscal year.
Required Documentation
Determined at the Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) level.
Matching Requirements
When National Trails System Act authorities and funding is used to enter into a cooperative agreement cost share requirements may not be required. Recipients may share some project or program costs. The cost-sharing arrangements are developed between NPS and the recipient in advance of the progject.
Reporting & Compliance
Applicable 2 CFR 200 Subparts
- Subpart B — General Provisions
- Subpart C — Pre-Federal Award Requirements
- Subpart D — Post-Federal Award Requirements
- Subpart E — Cost Principles
- Subpart F — Audit Requirements