Comments accepted through April 26

HELENA – Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks seeks public comments on the department’s recommendations for the 2022 Recreational Trails Program awards.

Public comment on the recommended awards is open through Monday, April 26.

The Recreational Trails Program (RTP) is a federally funded program which provides funding for trail and trail-related projects across the state. The program is administered by FWP and eligible 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.

This year, FWP received 48 RTP applications requesting over $2.6 million. For 2022 about $1,525,000 is available for funding and 32 projects are proposed for funding.

A complete list of recommended projects is available online at: https://fwp.mt.gov/aboutfwp/grant-programs/recreational-trails, under the “2022 Grant Application Cycle” tab. All recommended 2022 RTP awards are eligible for a FHWA Categorical Exclusion under NEPA (23 CFR 771.117(c)(23)) and MEPA (ARM 18.2.261(2)(w)).

Public comments on funding the proposed projects are due by 5 p.m. April 26. To comment, email FWPFACB@mt.gov.

Comments by regular mail should be sent to: Adam Brooks, Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks, PO Box 200701, Helena, MT 59620-0701.