News Release

Recreation & Tourism Planning Workshop Information Session on June 10

Date: May 16, 2019
Contact: Christopher Derman, [phone]

The National Park Service will be hosting a Rivers, Trails, and Conservation Assistance Program (RTCA) information session on Monday, June 10, at the McCreary County Library, starting at 5:00 PM (ET), at 6 Main Street, Whitley City, Kentucky. The meeting is open to all interested persons.

The purpose of the meeting is to introduce the RTCA program to the communities surrounding Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area and Obed Wild and Scenic River and to discuss how the program may be helpful to ongoing tourism-related planning in the area.

The Rivers, Trails, and Conservation Assistance program is a National Park Service program that provides free technical planning assistance to local communities for trail planning and/or conservation assistance. The goals of the RTCA are to help park neighbors work together to create greener, healthier communities and communities to move ideas into action.

When a community asks for assistance with a project, National Park Service staff can provide free, on-location facilitation and planning expertise. They can help guide a project from conception to completion. RTCA staff draw from project experiences across the country and adapt best practices to a community's specific needs.

The RTCA program can help a community:

1. Identify funding sources.
2. Define project vision and goals.
3. Set priorities and build consensus.
4. Inventory and map community resources.
5. Engage collaborative partners and stakeholders.
6. Identify and analyze key issues and opportunities.
7. Design community outreach and participation strategies.
8. Develop concept plans for trails, parks, and natural areas.
9. Develop a sustainable organizational framework to support the project.

For more information on the RTCA program, please go to http://www.nps.gov/orgs/rtca/index.htm, or call park
headquarters at [phone].