HELENA – Montana State Parks is seeking public comment on Recreational Trails Program (RTP) and Off-Highway Vehicle Program (OHV) grant applications. The Seeley Lake Nordic Ski Club and Swan Valley Connections both submitted proposals. Public comment is accepted through Friday, March 17 at 5 p.m.
The RTP is a federally funded program administered by Montana State Parks. RTP projects include development and rehabilitation work on urban, rural and backcountry trails; planning and construction of community trails; snowmobile and cross-country ski trail maintenance and grooming operations; and a variety of trail stewardship and safety education programs.
Montana’s RTP received 69 grant applications with requests totaling approximately $2.6 million. For the current RTP grant cycle, approximately $1.4 million in funding is available.
The Seeley Lake Nordic Ski Club submitted a proposal for $18,100 to improve the Seeley Creek Nordic Ski Trails. Swan Valley Connections’ proposal for $45,000 would go towards the Mission Mountains Wilderness and Swan Front Trails and Backcountry Services Project.
The Montana State Parks OHV Program is funded through appropriations from the State Legislature. These funds come from an eighth of one percent of the state gas tax, registration decal fees and non-resident permit fees. The OHV Program relies on partnerships between private clubs and public land management agencies and is assisted in grant decision-making by the Off-Highway Vehicle Advisory Committee (OHVAC), which consists of OHV users and land managers.
The OHV program has approximately $110,000 in funding available and received 12 grant applications totaling more than $170,000 in project requests.
Public comments must be received by 5 p.m. Friday, March 17. To comment online visit stateparks.mt.gov and click on “Public Comments”.
For the complete list of all trails grant applications under consideration, visit stateparks.mt.gov/recreation and click on ‘Recreational Trails Program’ or ‘Off-Highway Vehicle Program’. Copies of individual RTP applications are available by request at 406-444-4585. Copies of OHV applications can be requested by calling 406-444-7642.
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