National Park Service to assist 20 communities in the Intermountain Region with their conservation and outdoor recreation projects

DENVER - The National Park Service – Rivers, Trails and Conservation Assistance Program (NPS-RTCA) has selected 20 new communities to receive technical assistance to help spur local recreation, conservation and economic development opportunities in 2023.

The National Park Service, through the Rivers, Trails and Conservation Assistance program, has supported locally-led conservation and outdoor recreation projects across the United States for more than 30 years. The National Park Service assists communities in developing or restoring parks, conservation areas, rivers, and wildlife habitats, as well as creating outdoor recreation opportunities and programs that engage future generations in the outdoors. Through an annual application process, community groups, nonprofit organizations, tribal governments, national parks, and local, state and federal agencies can apply for technical assistance. As a collaborative partner, the National Park Service strives to achieve successful project outcomes by engaging communities in the visioning, planning and implementation of each project. Project managers encourage strong community partnerships and facilitate meaningful engagement to ensure the community’s projects last into perpetuity.

In alignment with the Biden Administration’s priorities, many National Park Service projects aim to improve climate resiliency, support conservation of America’s lands and waters, and address equity and environmental justice concerns.

In addition to 30 ongoing community assistance projects in the region, the 20 new projects accepted by the National Park Service for the 2022 to 2023 project cycle are:

Tubac Nature Preserve (Tubac, AZ)

Project Purpose: The vision for the Tubac Nature Preserve is a restored, healthy ecosystem and community treasure; a gathering place for stimulating activities; and a peaceful natural environment. This world-class destination will connect art, history, and nature through education and recreation.
NPS-RTCA Role: The National Park Service will assist project partners with community engagement, community-based visioning, and the development of a concept plan for the property.

Sun Corridor Trail Alliance (Statewide, AZ)

Project Purpose: The vision for the Sun Corridor Trail is to create a designated front country trail spanning the state of Arizona from the Mexico border to Las Vegas, Nevada. This statewide trail will create a unique experience allowing visitors and residents to explore the diverse landscapes of Arizona, its communities, and significant landmarks through a nonmotorized, multimodal trail that will support local tourism.
NPS-RTCA Role: The National Park Service will assist project partners in developing a trail system plan that links regional trails around the major metropolitan areas of Arizona, including Sierra Vista, Tucson, Phoenix, Prescott, Sedona, Flagstaff and Kingman.

Equitable Community Engagement Initiative: Sand Creek Regional Greenway Partnership (Denver, CO)

Project Purpose: The Sand Creek Regional Greenway is a 13-mile-long trail and wildlife corridor located in the northeast Denver metro area. A critical component of this project is to engage communities and areas near the Sand Creek Regional Greenway that lack outdoor recreation opportunities to understand their needs and the barriers to utilizing the greenway.
NPS-RTCA Role: The National Park Service, through a cooperative agreement with the University of Denver’s Center for Community Engagement, will assist the Sand Creek Regional Greenway Partnership in designing and implementing a community engagement strategy that will inform comprehensive equity decision-making and help enhance social and environmental change efforts for the Sand Creek Regional Greenway and surrounding communities.

Otero County & Bents Old Fort National Historic Site Trail Collaboration Project (La Junta, CO)

Project Purpose: Otero County's residents are among the most poverty-stricken in the state and statistics for heart disease and diabetes are high. With these metrics, the county has expressed interest in developing trails with natural habitat education highlighting local wildlife, riparian area, plant habitats, and watershed and river health. Additionally, the vision for the trail is to increase accessibility to the nearby Bents Old Fort National Historic Site, which is a point of interest for schools, residents and travelers along the major highway.
NPS-RTCA Role: The National Park Service will assist project partners in developing a stakeholder team and leading a collaboration effort to understand community interest in, and feasibility of, a new trail and bridge system across, and along, the Arkansas River.

Colorado National Monument Lower Canyon Access - Consultation (Grand Junction, CO)

Project Purpose: This collaborative project seeks to expand parking in a Mesa County parcel to provide safe access to the monument, connecting to the Lower Monument Canyon Trail. By formalizing parking, the effort will increase safer user access, decrease resource degradation, and provide school bus access while improving local relationships between partners.
NPS-RTCA Role: The National Park Service will facilitate strategic planning and collaboration meetings with Colorado National Monument, Mesa County and other partners that will lead to a concept plan with recommendations on future maintenance, funding and strategic implementation steps.

Monte Vista/EPA Recreation Economy for Rural Communities (RERC) - Downtown Revitalization Process Participation (Monte Vista, CO)

Project Purpose: This collaborative project led by EPA’s RERC Program with Monte Vista Steering Committee, other state and federal agencies, and nonprofit partners, seeks to expand recreation connectivity, main street revitalization, safety, and connection to the Rio Grande River and public lands in the region.
NPS-RTCA Role: The National Park Service will participate as a federal partner in support of a Monte Vista community action plan while scoping conservation and outdoor recreation support needs for future projects.

Little Sand Creek Watershed Recreation Plan (Sandpoint, ID)

Project Purpose: The City of Sandpoint wants to develop a recreation plan for the Little Sand Creek Watershed that will protect drinking water and habitat values while creating quality recreational opportunities. The city and its partners are working on determining appropriate opportunities for mountain biking, winter recreation, or other activities identified by the community.
NPS-RTCA Role: The National Park Service will help the city of Sandpoint structure the planning process, engage key partners, design outreach strategies, and introduce visitor use management principles.

Branch Out Bozeman (BOB) - (Bozeman, MT)

Project Purpose: The project goal is to support climate resiliency and develop an urban forestry initiative that addresses water quality, equity and urban heat island effects in Bozeman by identifying and prioritizing areas in need of trees, through collaboration, stewardship and long-term sustainable practices.
NPS-RTCA Role: The National Park Service will help project partners identify priority areas through the creation of a map that includes water quality, equity and urban heat island layers within Bozeman city limits. The map will help project partners to develop proper strategies for conservation, resiliency and protection of the existing natural resources, watershed, and struggling communities. The map will also help guide community efforts to build environmental stewardship and engagement opportunities.

Butte/EPA Recreation Economy for Rural Communities (RERC) Downtown Revitalization Process Participation (Butte, MT)

Project Purpose: This collaborative project led by EPA’s RERC Program will work with the City of Butte and partners to expand recreation connectivity and downtown revitalization.
NPS-RTCA Role: The National Park Service will participate as a federal partner in support of a community action plan while scoping conservation and outdoor recreation support needs for future projects.

White Pine County Recreation Assessment (White Pine County, NV)

Project Purpose: The project goal is to increase and protect connections between outdoor recreation facilities throughout White Pine County, including Great Basin National Park, Cave Lake State Park, Humbolt National Forest and many other outdoor recreation opportunities. The project seeks to strengthen the capacity and stewardship of local partners through implementation of the Nevada Statewide Recreation Shared Stewardship Agreement.
NPS-RTCA Role: The National Park Service will help White Pine County facilitate a multi-agency team in establishing an action plan which outlines an outdoor recreation facility inventory, vision, goals, priorities, funding resources, and stewardship agreements.

New Mexico Cradle to Career - Phase II (Outdoor Recreation Career Ladder Focused on Higher Education) (Statewide, NM)

Project Purpose: The project goal is to involve New Mexico youth and students in higher education career pathway programs and vocational training where they can obtain industry-recognized certificates and degree-granting programs, which will promote innovation and equity in outdoor-related fields and expand the outdoor economy in New Mexico.
NPS-RTCA Role: The National Park Service will conduct an interview and survey process to identify the current challenges, gaps and opportunities within National Park units in New Mexico.

Discovering Paths Today and Tomorrow in Oga Po'geh (Santa Fe) - A Comic Planning Book (Santa Fe, NM)

Project Purpose: The project goal is to develop a multi-purpose planning artistic document, to be used to inform and guide trail developers and stakeholders, students, community residents and businesses about the importance of trails within the area, existing community assets, upcoming trail plans, transportation, and environmental stewardship while representing the community’s cultural and historical values.
NPS-RTCA Role: The National Park Service will assist project partners in developing the compelling artistic product that reflects the community’s values, history and culture and establishes a cohesive vision that is supported by regional stakeholders and empowers residents.

Doña Ana Village Open Space (Doña Ana, NM)

Project Purpose: The goal of the project is to convert a 15-acre property into a multi-dimensional open space with opportunities for outdoor recreation, flood management, preservation of wildlife habitat, and cultural resources to relieve economic and health distress.
NPS-RTCA Role: The National Park Service will assist project partners with community engagement, community-based visioning, and the development of a vision and concept plan for the property.

Greenway of the Cherokee of the Ozarks (Northeastern Region, OK)

Project Purpose: The northeast corner of Oklahoma, with a connection to the Cherokee Nation, the Ozarks region, and the Arkansas River, boasts impressive outdoor recreation opportunities and events. However, local recreation users lack a comprehensive way to engage in the outdoors and experience the area beyond the highway corridor.
NPS-RTCA Role: The National Park Service will assist project partners in creating a master plan to develop the resources and partnerships necessary to help the area successfully manage its recreational assets.

1093 Rail Trail Public Engagement & Outreach (Austin County, TX)

Project Purpose: West of Houston, in Austin County, the Cities of Fulshear, Eagle Lake, Wallis, and Weston Lakes are working to introduce a rail trail along Highway 1093 that will span approximately 31 miles through the picturesque areas of bottomland forest and non-prairie grassland traversing Bessie Creek, the Brazos River, the San Bernard River, Middle Bernard Creek and West Bernard Creek.
NPS-RTCA Role: The National Park Service will work with project partners to create a comprehensive community-driven vision for the prospective rail to trail, representative of the diverse populations, offering healthy lifestyle choices and activities that will showcase the unique area.

City of Conroe’s Owen Park - Realizing a Conservation and Outdoor Recreation Vision (Conroe, TX)

Project Purpose: The City of Conroe is developing a plan to enhance Owen Park, a former YMCA property. Additionally, the planning effort will include identifying linkages to the city's natural and local assets.
NPS-RTCA Role: The National Park Service will work with parks and recreation staff to identify community-supported opportunities and activities to realize a fresh vision for the park. By creating a Parks Master Plan, the city will identify projects to be implemented over the next five years that will help achieve this goal.

El Camino Real de los Tejas National Historic Trail Association (Bexar County and Wilson County, TX)

Project Purpose: Rancho de las Cabras, which sits on the San Antonio River about 25 miles southeast of Mission Espada, was the mission’s cattle, goat, and sheep ranch in the 18th century. A link to the Rancho would extend the existing trails on the Riverwalk’s Mission Reach by several dozen miles, allow more frequent interpretive and recreational use of the site, and provide an active transportation connection for Bexar County and Wilson County.
NPS-RTCA Role: The National Park Service will assist the Camino Real de los Tejas National Historic Trail Association in developing the routing and conceptual design for a trail connecting Mission Espada in San Antonio to the historic Rancho de las Cabras in Floresville.

Latinx and Black Community Outreach Strategies (Statewide, TX and OK)

Project Purpose: Project managers from the NPS Intermountain Region aim to create trust relationships and long-term partnerships with Black and Latino communities in the states they serve.
NPS-RTCA Role: The National Park Service Texas Field Office will bring aboard two interns to create strategies that will guide increased engagement and collaboration with Black and Latino communities in Texas and Oklahoma. The interns will conduct interviews with NPS-RTCA staff and community representatives to identify recommendations and opportunities.

Tri-Canyon Trails (Salt Lake County, UT)

Project Purpose: The Salt Lake Ranger District (SLRD) of the Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest is working on a trails master plan for the Central Wasatch that addresses current and future needs to balance watershed and natural resource protections with diverse recreational trail opportunities. The National Park Service is helping SLRD and their partner, Salt Lake County, with a situation assessment that will gather information from stakeholders on shared values and concerns as well as key areas of agreement or disagreement.
NPS-RTCA Role: The National Park Service will assist SLRD, Salt Lake County, and other partners to design public participation and engagement strategies and will provide coaching and support through the planning process.

Washington County Regional Trails Stewardship Collaboration (Washington County, UT)

Project Purpose: The project purpose is to increase the multi-jurisdictional shared stewardship of the outdoor recreation trail system in Washington County, UT. Significant motorized and non-motorized trail systems cross local, state, federal, and private lands throughout the county creating gaps in trail systems and inconsistent management policies. This process seeks to strengthen the capacity of Washington County to partner wish agencies to better manage these resources.
NPS-RTCA Role: The National Park Service will assist Washington County staff in assembling a team of land managers to inventory existing agreements and create a plan to improve the effectiveness of the county to engage in cooperative land management stewardship through appropriate planning processes, agreements, funding partnerships, and other tools.