Who We Are: Community Assistance Arm of the National Park Service
The Rivers, Trails and Conservation
Assistance Program, also known as Rivers &
Trails or RTCA, works with nonprofit organizations, community groups, tribes or tribal governments, and local, state, or federal government agencies to conserve rivers,
preserve open space, and develop trails and greenways.
The RTCA program implements the natural resource conservation and outdoor recreation mission of the National Park Service in communities across America.
Rivers & Trails works in
urban, rural, and suburban communities with the
goal of helping communities achieve on-the-ground
conservation successes for their projects. Our
focus is on helping communities help themselves
by providing expertise and experience from around
the nation. From urban promenades to trails along
abandoned railroad rights-of-way to wildlife corridors,
our assistance in greenway efforts is wide ranging.
Similarly, our assistance in river conservation
spans downtown riverfronts to regional water trails
to stream restoration.
"When citizens
and community leaders decide to conserve
close-to-home landscapes, Rivers & Trails
staff can help them get started. "
