PRESS
RELEASE: July 8, 2015
DEP SOLICITS TRAIL
ACQUISITION APPLICATIONS
~Office of
Greenway and Trails expanding Florida’s network of
trails~
TALLAHASSEE,
Fla. – The Florida Department of Environmental Protection’s Office of Greenways and
Trails is soliciting acquisition applications to expand Florida's trail system. The Greenways and Trails
Acquisition Program has approximately $2 million available for new
projects for fiscal year 2015-16.
In 2013, the Office of Greenways and Trails completed an analysis of the
Florida Priority Greenways and Trails System, identifying gaps within the
trail system. These projects need funding for design, construction and acquisition.The department hopes to close some of these gaps through this acquisition cycle.
Individuals, organizations, coalitions, government
agencies or combinations thereof may submit parcels for land acquisition by sending in a Certificate
of Eligibility. To
qualify, a project must be
located within or adjacent to areas on the recreational
prioritization maps. Once deemed eligible, an application may be submitted during
the open acquisition cycle, which will end Aug. 31, 2015.
The projects must meet
certain guidelines and have a willing seller and an entity willing to manage
the trail. Office staff will review the applications and may solicit input from
other agencies or non-profit groups. Eligible projects will be presented at the Florida Greenways and Trails Council meeting on Dec. 9, 2015, in Tallahassee. Upon the council's approval, a list of recommended
projects will be submitted to the DEP Secretary for approval. If approved,
the projects will be submitted to the department’s Division of State Lands to
begin the acquisition process.
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