RTP News - June 2005

June 30

FOR IMPORTANT ACTION ITEMS: See #3 and #4. These are not rush items yet, but will be in August.
OTHER ACTION ITEMS: See #1, #5, #6, #7. Some of these deadlines are as soon as tomorrow!

1. STATE TRAIL ADMINISTRATORS MEETING: OPEN FOR RESERVATIONS / UPDATED WEBSITE
   We updated our website for the State Trail Administrators Meeting on September 20-22, 2005 in Newark DE. See www.fhwa.dot.gov/environment/rectrails/stam2005/index.htm. You can register, see the latest agenda, and see Important Updates. Next week, we expect to send our infamous "STAM Survey" to solicit agenda input and leaders for breakout sessions.

   Also, please see: Hotel Reservation Update

2. UPDATED RTP WEBSITE
   We updated the State Trail Administrators list at http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/environment/rectrails/rtpstate.htm. It should now have the most direct links possible to each State trail program (or RTP program) webpage. If you need a correction, please provide it to jonathan.leclere@dot.gov.

   Also updated:

   • Events page
   • Home page: We made some slight revision to the design and added RTP News.

3. UPDATE ON STATE TRAIL ADVISORY COMMITTEE RESPONSES
   Responded so far (THANK YOU!) and eligible for FY 2006 apportionments: Alaska, Arkansas, Colorado, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Maine, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Rhode Island, South Dakota, West Virginia, Wyoming

   Promised would meet before the end of September 2005: CT scheduled for early July; Michigan for September.

   I'll probably send the official Nastygram Inquisition Memo in mid July.

4. SNOWMOBILE REGISTRATIONS UPDATE
   Responses so far: DE, IN, KS, WI, WV. I understand many States can't respond until mid July. Again, I expect to send the official request in mid July.

5. TRAIL TRACKS ARTICLES
   TO: State Trails Administrators
   FROM: Stuart Macdonald

   Friday, July 1 is the deadline for our next issue of Trail Tracks, the national newsletter of American Trails. We would welcome any submissions of news items, articles, or new resources available. We also want any workshops or other training opportunities for the online calendar.

   We can use short items or multi-page articles. We are especially interested in:

   • problem solving with technology or partherships
   • creative funding and resources
   • new publications, use studies, and research
   • trail management, multiple use, or accommodating new uses
   • providing for OHV recreation
   • economic and community benefits of trails and greenways
   • health and fitness initiatives involving trails
   • including art and artists on trails
   • issues with liability, crime, and safety

   If you have questions or want to email any material, send them to me at mactrail@aol.com. You can also call me at (801) 712-3407. THANKS! -- Stuart

6. TRAILLINK 2005 DEADLINE EXTENSION
   TrailLink 2005, the premier trails and greenways conference, will be in Minneapolis/St. Paul on July 27-30, 2005. Registrations are currently being accepted online at the conference Web site. The deadline for early registration - originally set for July 1 - has been extended one week to Friday, July 8, in order to accommodate public employees who wish to register in their next fiscal year. Register now for TrailLink 2005 and the cost is only $275; prices will increase after July 8. Rooms are also still available at Middlebrook Hall at the university for only $38-45 per night and can be reserved along with your registration.

   Visit the conference Web site where you can register online, view the conference program, pick a mobile workshop, and learn about travel information and special events: www.railtrails.org/traillink2005.

   If you have any questions or comments about TrailLink 2005, or if you wish to register for the conference via a method other than the online form, please send an e-mail to conference@railtrails.org or call 202-974-5152. And please continue to check the Web site for conference news and information.

7. TRAIL TRAINING COURSE: The Federal Interagency Trails Training Course
   Training Announcement!

   September 12-16, 2005
   U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, National Conservation Training Center,
   Shepardstown, WV
   Trail Management: Plans, Projects and People

   The Bureau of Land Management National Training Center, in cooperation with the US Fish and Wildlife Service, National Park Service, US Forest Service, and Federal Highway Administration is sponsoring a course in trail management to be held at the National Conservation Training Center in Shepherdstown, WV on September 12-16, 2005.

   This training is open to everyone! Whether you are a trail volunteer, a member of a "friends" group, or a federal, state or local government employee involved with trails, this training is for you! The training is specifically designed for those who have beginning to intermediate trail management and leadership responsibilities.

   The focus for the training is the best practices of the trail management process (TMP). The TMP is a collaborative process that includes planning, design layout, construction, maintenance, monitoring, crew leadership, interpretation, operations, and safety. Field exercises include trail layout, construction and maintenance techniques.

   No tuition!! Register on-line to ensure a seat. Course Code: 8300-17 Registration ID: 7656
   **The BLM website where registrations are being taken is currently down - please contact Catherine Book at (602) 906-5590 to sign up!**

   See the course announcement for more information.

8. TRB NEWSLETTER
   From: Houston, Russell

   Dear Friend of TRB,

   As the communications officer for TRB, I wanted to make sure you were aware of TRB's Transportation Research E-Newsletter. It is a free, weekly electronic service designed to keep you up-to-date on the activities of TRB and on selected transportation research activities taking place at the federal, state, academic, and international levels. More than 17,350 people in at least 85 different countries are already receiving this electronic publication.

   To BEGIN RECEIVING THE E-NEWSLETTER, simply respond to this note. Recipients' e-mail addresses are ONLY used for distribution of the E-Newsletter.

   A recent edition of the newsletter is at the end of this message. Additional information on the E-Newsletter is available on TRB's Website at http://trb.org/news/blurb_detail.asp?id=3946.

   If you have any questions, please let me know. You may forward this notice to any of your colleagues who might like to begin receiving the E-Newsletter.

9. GREAT OUTDOORS WEEK 2005
   From: Erin McHugh
   Subject: Great Outdoors Week 2005 A Huge Success!

   Thanks to everyone who helped make Great Outdoors Week 2005 (June 6-10, 2005) a huge success!

   Great Outdoors Week 2005 brought together hundreds of leaders from the outdoor recreation community for meetings, discussion and celebrations of significant achievements. Strengthening the link between outdoor recreation and health was central to the week's proceedings. The need for a comprehensive look at recreation policies and programs was stressed to better recreation not only now but also the foreseeable future.

   • Read the full report.
   • View pictures from the events.

   ARC ANNOUNCES INITIAL BEACON AWARD WINNERS
   ARC announced a new awards program - the Beacon Award - during Great Outdoors Week to recognize innovative use of technology in visitor services and recreation management and awarded two inaugural Beacon Awards to efforts showcased at the Week's Recreation Policy Forum.

   ARC SALUTES LEGENDS AWARD WINNERS
   The American Recreation Coalition (ARC) presented its 2005 Legends Awards to seven outstanding federal managers at a special ceremony held on June 8th during Great Outdoors Week.

   COALITION FOR RECREATIONAL TRAILS HONORS 2005 ANNUAL ACHIEVEMENT AWARD WINNERS
   The Coalition honored nine trail projects and programs in recognition of their outstanding use of Recreational Trails Program (RTP) funds at a ceremony on Capitol Hill on June 7th.

10. NEW OFFICE DIRECTOR FOR FHWA OFFICE OF NATURAL AND HUMAN ENVIRONMENT
    My new Office Director.
    Subject: Announcement of Key Assignment from Mary E. Peters

    SENIOR EXECUTIVE SERVICE
    I am pleased to inform you that Ms. April L. Marchese has been selected for advancement into the Senior Executive Service (SES) position of Director, Office of Natural and Human Environment, Office of Planning, Environment, and Realty, effective June 26.

    April currently serves as Senior Attorney-Advisor in the Office of Chief Counsel's Program Legal Services Division, where she provides legal advice and conducts legal reviews in the development of environmental policies applicable to federally funded highway projects. April has led major Departmental initiatives, including serving as Program Manager for a complex environmental impact statement assessing the impact of proposed procedures to allow Mexican trucks and buses to travel throughout the United States pursuant to the North American Free Trade Agreement. She has also held key leadership positions in the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and the Office of the Secretary. On two separate occasions, for 11 months and for 1 year, she served as FHWA's Acting Deputy Chief Counsel, and she served for 1 year as the Department's Acting Director of Civil Rights, overseeing a staff of 79 and directing the development of the Department's Affirmative Employment Program.

    April earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree in English from Duquesne University and a Juris Doctorate Degree from Harvard Law School. She is a member of both the Pennsylvania and California State Bars. She joined the FHWA in 1993 as a Special Assistant to the Chief Counsel.

    Please join me in congratulating April on her promotion and wishing her well in her new assignment.

June 16

1. RECREATIONAL TRAILS PROGRAM AWARDS from the Coalition for Recreational Trails
   See detailed descriptions and photographs of the 2005 CRT Annual Achievement Award Winners.

2. RAILS-TO-TRAILS CONSERVANCY JOB OPENING - DIRECTOR OF RESEARCH
   This position includes managing the National Transportation Enhancements Clearinghouse.

3. NATIONAL TRAILS DAY PRESS RELEASES
   
   • Families Take a Path to Health on Trails.
   • Hiking Enriches Family Vacations Press Release
   • National Trails Day 2006 is June 3, 2006.

June 9

Photo of Janice Thompson (center) receiving the FHWA 2005 Legends Award with Cindy Burbank, FHWA Associate Administrator for Planning, Environment, and Realty, and Derrick Crandall, American Recreation Coalition.

1. EXTENSION / REAUTHORIZATION UPDATE: When do we get more RTP money?
   FHWA's Office of Budget and Finance will provide 1 additional month of FY 2005 apportionments and obligation limitation "any day." For Surface Transportation Program Reauthorization updates, see www.fhwa.dot.gov/reauthorization/index.htm. The Congress is considering reauthorization proposals this month with hopes for a final bill....someday.....

2. GREAT OUTDOORS MONTH / AMERICAN RECREATION COALITION'S LEGENDS AWARD
   President George W Bush officially proclaimed June as Great Outdoors Month. Get Active, Get Outdoors! is the theme for Great Outdoors Month 2005.

   This week is Great Outdoors Week, in which the American Recreation Coalition honors Federal employees for outstanding work to benefit recreation. This year's FHWA award winner is Janice Thompson, Iowa Division. Previous FHWA award winners are:

   1999: Dan Pacheco (Utah Division)
   2000: Joe Wilkerson (Alabama Division Administrator)
   2001: Joyce Newland (Indiana Division)
   2002: Alan Teikari (Eastern Federal Lands Highway Division)
   2003: Roger Skoe (Oregon Division)
   2004: Donald Patrick (Federal Lands Headquarters)
   2005: Janice Thompson (Iowa Division)

3. NATIONAL RECREATION TRAILS DESIGNATIONS
   Big news! Secretary Norton and Director Mainella have announced the designation of 37 new National Recreation Trails! Thanks to all who were involved in the NRT and NTD efforts this year!

   American Trails added the news about the 2005 National Recreation Trail designations to its website at: http://americantrails.org/nationalrecreationtrails/05appsNRT.html.

4. STATE TRAIL ADMINISTRATORS MEETING
   Please register online for STAM 2005. Susan Moerschel needs the registration information to plan transportation from the hotel to the meeting and workshop sites. This link is also on the STAM 2005 web page.

5. FHWA SPONSORED MEETINGS for TE and RTP
   Please confirm with me (christopher.douwes@dot.gov) if you want a free registration for the TrailLink 2005 conference in Minneapolis, July 27-30. So far, the only Division requests I have are Joyce Newland (IN) and Sarah Koepke (MN). TrailLink 2005 immediately follows the Transportation Enhancement Professional Seminar on July 26-27.

6. STATE TRAIL ADVISORY COMMITTEE MEETINGS
   It's the time of year for the annual Inquisition to make sure States have had their State Trail Advisory Committee meetings in FY 2005 to be eligible for RTP apportionments in FY 2006. I am happy to receive documentation before the official nagging begins. All I need is evidence that the State Trail Advisory Committee met: the best evidence is an email copy of the minutes. If you have multiple meetings, please only send minutes from one you consider most important (such as a meeting in which the Committee may have exercised the waiver of a 30% provision). I only need a copy of the Governor's designation letter if there was a change in the past year. I don't need additional attachments. I only need an email version: mailed copies get irradiated, take one to three weeks to deliver, and get crinkly and feel weird.

   Arrived so far: Colorado, Florida, Indiana, Iowa, Maine, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New York, North Dakota, Rhode Island, West Virginia. On the way: South Dakota. THANK YOU!

   Please do NOT delay having a meeting waiting for Reauthorization!!! You MUST have a meeting before September 30, 2005, or you are not eligible for FY 2006 funding. There is still a chance reauthorization won't take effect until after September 30. Having your meeting sooner makes planning easier for all of us. SOUTHEASTERN STATES: Given this year's Hurricane prognostications, please schedule your meetings well before Hurricane season gets going strong.

7. SNOWMOBILE REGISTRATIONS TO ESTIMATE FUEL USE
   It is also getting toward the time of year to request snowmobile registrations and documentable reasonable estimates of unregistered snowmobiles. I'm attaching [link below] what we collected in Summer 2004 and used for FY 2005. I realize some States don't have final registration figures until July. Please see: Snowmobile Estimates - FY 2005 Apportionment Factors - 3 September 2004

8. SOUTH DAKOTA REQUESTS RTP SCORING CRITERIA
   Please forward any scoring criteria to Scott Carbonneau at Scott.Carbonneau@state.sd.us.

9. TRB Committee on Bicycle Transportation - Call for papers
   I have attached the final call for papers for the Transportation Research Board (TRB) Committee on Bicycle Transportation. Please consider these topics yourself and please distribute this document far and wide. Many thanks to Jennifer Dill for drafting this document and to the many of you for your helpful comments!

   Thanks, Hugh Morris, Chair

   Please see: The TRB 85th Annual Meeting Paper Submission and Review site.

10. TRB's National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP)
    From: Schaftlein, Shari
    Subject: RESEARCH PROBLEM STATEMENTS DUE JULY 1, 2005

    Need quick turn-around on a research task? This NCHRP fund is for low-cost ($50,000 - $100,000) research that can be done within a year. Read more...and think about partners and supporters for the research.

    TRANSPORTATION AND THE ENVIRONMENT SHORT-TERM RESEARCH NEEDS - RESEARCH PROBLEM STATEMENTS DUE JULY 1, 2005 -> http://trb.org/news/blurb_detail.asp?id=4718

    TRB's National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP) Project 25-25: Research for the AASHTO Standing Committee on the Environment is soliciting ideas on short-term research needs related to transportation and the environment. This NCHRP project will fund up to $600,000 of quick-response research studies in FY 2006. NCHRP 25-25 has been designed to provide a flexible, ongoing program to develop improvements to the analytical methods, decision-support tools, procedures, and techniques employed by practitioners in environmental streamlining, environmental stewardship, statewide and metropolitan environmental transportation planning, program delivery, and project development.

11. TREAD LIGHTLY! RELEASES NEW WEB BANNER PSA CAMPAIGN
    Tread Lightly! National News Release
    Monica Clay: monica@treadlightly.org, (800) 966-9900

    Even the most outdoorsy of Americans today spend a few hours behind a computer screen. In an effort to utilize the World Wide Web to spread outdoor ethics, the nonprofit Tread Lightly! has created a series of web banner public service announcements.

    The PSAs remind outdoor enthusiasts that "Your Impression Lasts a Lifetime" and motivates them to "Maintain the Magnificence" of their favorite play places. Many of the PSAs provide a quick tip to minimizing impact on the environment.

    "It's wonderful to know that with a little involvement from our online supporters, millions more people can be educated and inspired to behave responsibly in the outdoors," said Lori Davis, Tread Lightly!'s executive director.

    Each PSA is directed towards a certain group of recreationists including mountain bikers, ATV riders, 4-wheel drivers, personal watercraft users, boaters, fishermen, campers, off-highway motorcycle riders, horseback riders, hunters and snowmobilers.

    The web banners can be used only with approval from Tread Lightly!. In an effort to encourage responsible web content, Tread Lightly! will only give approval to sites displaying images and words that are environmentally and socially responsible. To request approval, email monica@treadlightly.org. Banners are available in both animated and unanimated formats. To view the banners, go to www.treadlightly.org/banners.mv.

12. CONFERENCES

    • June 19-23, 2005, 10th Conference on National Scenic and Historic Trails, Las Vegas NV: www.stli.com/partners/.
    • July 14-16, 2005, Southeastern Equestrian Trails Conference, Radisson Hotel, High Point NC, www.nchorsecouncil.com/SETC2005INFO.htm
    • July 26-27, 2005, Transportation Enhancement Managers Meeting, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis MN, www.enhancements.org
    • July 27, 2005, Mid America Trails and Greenways Conference, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis MN, www.railtrails.org/traillink2005/program/matgc.asp
    • July 27-30, 2005, TrailLink 2005, International Trails and Greenways Conference, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis MN, www.railtrails.org/traillink2005/
    • September 21-22, 2005, State Trail Administrators Meeting, White Clay Creek State Park, Newark DE, www.fhwa.dot.gov/environment/rectrails/stam2005/index.htm