FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Sept. 22, 2014
DEP AWARDS GRANTS FOR LOCAL RECREATIONAL
TRAIL PROJECTS
~Program funds more than $4
million for community projects~
TALLAHASSEE – The Florida Department of
Environmental Protection’s Florida Recreational Trails Program has granted more
than $4 million for 26 outdoor recreation projects in the 2014 funding
application cycle. The Recreational Trails
Program provides competitive grant funds to local communities to renovate,
develop or maintain recreational trails and trailside facilities.
Project
proposals submitted from applicants addressed local interest in motorized,
non-motorized, mixed-use and single-use trails. Twenty-six projects totaling
$4,024,875 were included on the priority list and approved for funding ranging
from $37,750 to $200,000. Grants funded in this cycle include 19 counties
extending from Miami-Dade to Okaloosa County. Each grantee has up to two years
to complete the project.
“Whether
biking, running, inline skating, riding a horse or an off-road vehicle, grant
funds provided by the Recreational Trails Program assist local communities in
meeting the needs and interests of their residents,” said DEP Deputy Secretary of Land and Recreation Katy
Fenton. “The department looks forward to the development of the proposed
projects, expanding recreational resources across the state.”
Two
examples of projects awarded by the Recreational Trails Program 2014 funding
cycle include:
- The city of Sanford’s Terwilliger Trail is part of Central Florida’s developing
system of trails. The 12-foot-wide, paved multi-use trail for hikers, cyclists
and skaters will provide a direct link to the city’s Riverwalk Trail, which connects
to the developing Coast to Coast Connector.
In addition to enhancing regional trail connectivity, connecting
neighborhoods to destinations via this recreational trail is one of the city’s
goals; and
- Building on previous state investments, the St. Johns River Trail
Phase 2 project includes the development of a hiking nature trail,
interpretative signage and fitness stations at Green Cove Springs Nature
Preserve, which was funded for acquisition by the Florida Communities Trust in
2002.
The
Recreational Trails
Program is a federally-funded assistance program of the United
States Department of Transportation's Federal Highway Administration. A portion
of the grant awards must be matched by the grantee. In Florida, the competitive
grant program is administered by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection’s Land
and Recreation Grants section within the Office of Operations.
For a list of the 26 funded projects, click here.
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