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Frequently Asked Questions
How can the the Rivers & Trails
program help local groups with a conservation
project?
What is "locally-led conservation"?
Does Rivers & Trails give grants?
Does Rivers & Trails decide
what rivers or trails should be conserved?
Will Rivers & Trails own or
manage the land?
What is a facilitator and why
is one crucial to a project's success?
Why does Rivers & Trails encourage
local groups to include as many partners as possible
for each project?
What's a typical group with
whom Rivers & Trails works?
How can I tell if Rivers & Trails
could help my local group with a conservation
project?
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"Through the Rivers
& Trails program, the National Park Service
partners with local communities and government
agencies to promote the parks and open spaces."
- Fran Mainella,
National Park Service Director
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Q.How
can the Rivers & Trails program help local groups with
a conservation project?
A.
Rivers & Trails staff assistance includes help in
building partnerships to achieve community-set goals,
assessing resources, developing concept plans, engaging
public participation, and identifying potential sources
of funding. Project partners may be non-profit organizations,
community groups, tribes or tribal governments, and
local, State, or federal government agencies. Federal agencies may be the lead partner only in collaboration with a nonfederal partner. Assistance is for
one year and may be renewed for a second year if warranted.
Learn more about our application
guidelines.
Q.What
is "locally-led conservation"?
A.
Locally-led conservation places the responsibility for
decision-making about conservation matters in the hands
of the residents of the community. Believing that the
best plans are made by local residents, the Rivers &
Trails program supports those local groups whose projects
offer extensive public involvement.
Q.
Does Rivers & Trails give grants?
A.
No, Rivers & Trails does not give grants or loans. Rather,
the program's 90 staff are its greatest asset. Instead
of money, Rivers & Trails supplies a staff person with
extensive experience in community-based conservation
to work with a local group on a project.
Q.
Does Rivers & Trails decide what rivers or trails
should be conserved?
A.
No. Local groups select the trails or rivers that they
would like to conserve. These local groups then ask
Rivers & Trails to join them to work on their local
conservation project.
Q.
Will Rivers & Trails own or manage the land?
A.
No. Rivers & Trails does not own or manage any of the
resources they help local groups protect; that is the
job of the local group.
Q.
What is a facilitator and why is one crucial to
a project's success?
A.
A facilitator helps groups with diverse interests reach
consensus on a plan of action. Since most conservation
projects cross several jurisdictions and involve numerous
groups, they tend to be complex and need a good facilitator,
especially as a project is just getting started.
Rivers & Trails staff are trained
in facilitation and other techniques. As "outsiders"
(e.g. not from the local area in which the local group
or project is located), Rivers & Trails is uniquely
poised to assume the role of facilitator, to insure
that as many people from different parts of the community
-- citizen and business groups, local and state government
agencies, etc. -- are involved as possible in helping
reach consensus on a plan of action.
Q.
Why does Rivers & Trails encourage local groups to
add as many partners as possible for each project?
A.
More partners will mean more ideas from different perspectives,
and hopefully, more supporters. Ultimately, the more
partners a project has, the better the project, for
it is likely to be one that everyone in the community
can support.
Q.
What's a typical group with whom Rivers & Trails
works?
A.
There is none. Conservation problems vary greatly, and
so do the kinds of groups with whom Rivers & Trails
works.
Rivers
& Trail's core business is supporting river and
trail groups. In the last few years, Rivers & Trails
has helped over 300 local community projects each year.
Q.
How can I tell if Rivers & Trails could help my local
group with a conservation project?
A.
Rivers & Trails staff
are always available by telephone, mail, or e-mail,
and are ready to discuss your project ideas or conservation
challenge to determine if there might be a good match
between your group's needs and Rivers & Trail's ability
to help. Contact them anytime!
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