Building America’s Infrastructure
& Trail & Transportation Professionals
Many Corps across the country engage Corpsmembers in building and maintaining trails and other transportation infrastructure for walking, hiking, bicycling, horseback riding, off-road motorized vehicle driving, and other uses. Corps perform quality work, routinely winning awards from the Coalition for Recreational Trails.
Among other projects, Corps have done work to help build, maintain, and improve:
- Accessible, ADA-compliant pathways
- Bike trails
- Equestrian trails
- Bridges and boardwalks
- Long distance trails, like the Appalachian, Continental Divide, and Pacific Crest
- Multimodal trails
OHV and ATV trails
- Rails-to-Trails
- Tribal trails and roads
- Water trails/Blueways
- Winter trails (cross-country ski and snowmobile)
- Trailside and Trailhead facilities
- (e.g. benches, interpretive signs, ladders, staircases, etc.)
Through service on trail/transportation projects, Corpsmembers may learn skills in:
- GIS
- Erosion control
- Historic Preservations tools and methods
- Log cribbing
- Safe use of tools like jackhammers, Macleods, pick axes, pionjars, pulaskis, rock bars, and various kinds of saws
- Safe use of heavy mechanical equipment (excavators, loaders, bulldozers, etc.)
- Rock and masonry work
- Surveying and data collection/analysis
- Vegetation management (invasive species removal and planting natives)
- Project management and leadership
- Wilderness stewardship
View our “Corps and the Recreational Trails Program”
YouTube Playlist
Webinars & Presentations
March 2020
Conference: Public Lands Alliance Conference
Workshop: Partnering Holistically: Project Planning with Conservation Corps
Presenters: The Corps Network, American Conservation Experience, Montgomery County Conservation Corps
December 5, 2019
The Future of Transportation and Recreation Trail Projects: Utilizing Youth and Conservation Corps}
Presenters: The Corps Network, Vermont Youth Conservation Corps, Southwest Conservation Corps – Ancestral Lands, Palmetto Conservation Corps
November 19, 2019
Conference: 2019 Safe Routes to School National Conference
Workshop: Building Capacity and Youth Leadership: Working with Young People to Implement Safe Routes to School Projects
Presenters: The Corps Network and Greater Miami Service Corps
October 3, 2019
Building America’s Infrastructure and Trail and Transportation Professionals
Documents
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Conservation Corps and Trail Programs: Recreational Trails Program Partnership Guide Made possible with support from the Department of Transportation Federal Highway Administration
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Made possible with support from the Department of Transportation Federal Highway Administration
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One-page fact sheet about Corps’ capacity to do trail and transportation projects
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Model Contracts and Agreements
The following are model contracts and agreements between state trail programs and Corps. As we receive more examples from states, they will be compiled here and can be used to help guide how you negotiate and develop your business plans with partners. Many states have their own cooperative agreements that cannot be substituted, however, if you are pursuing a partnership with a project sponsor or grantee, these models can show you what a successful Corps partnership agreement can look like.
Partnership with the Department of Transportation (DOT)
The Corps Network and the Department of Transportation’s Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) are partnering to foster relationships and develop systems and resources that encourage state and regional transportation agencies to work with Service and Conservation Corps. These local and state-level partnerships with Corps help transportation agencies complete critical transportation and recreational trail projects, and also help enhance career pathways for Corpsmembers. Working together, The Corps Network and FHWA are producing toolkits, compiling best practices, and aim to provide trainings and workshops to support these partnerships.
About the Recreational Trail Program
An important funding source for Corps’ trail and transportation projects is the Recreational Trails Program (RTP). This program provides funds to the states to develop and maintain recreational trails and trail-related facilities for both nonmotorized and motorized recreational trail uses. The RTP is an assistance program of the FHWA. Federal transportation funds benefit recreation including hiking, bicycling, in-line skating, equestrian use, cross-country skiing, snowmobiling, off-road motorcycling, all-terrain vehicle riding, four-wheel driving, or using other off-road motorized vehicles.
AmeriCorps Transportation & Infrastructure Program
With an AmeriCorps National Direct Grant from the Corporation for National and Community Service, The Corps Network launched the Transportation & Infrastructure Program (TIP) in 2018. Through TIP, Corps will annually engage over 100 diverse youth and young adults, primarily ages 16 to 25 (up to age 35 for veterans), in public lands and transportation infrastructure projects in multiple communities. Corpsmember service activities will specifically focus on increasing access to and utilization of our public lands and waters, and promoting transportation alternatives, enhancements, and safety. This program is aligned with the CNCS targeted priority of Infrastructure.
Trail and Transportation Listservs
The Corps Network manages regional listervs to facilitate the transfer of information among Corps and state trail and transportation administrators. These listservs are moderated, collaborative spaces designed to strengthen relationships between RTP administrators and member organizations of The Corps Network. They provide a place to share ideas and troubleshoot challenges and barriers associated with accessing state RTP funding. Issues or questions related to the listservs can be directed to Lauren Edwards-Johnson (see contact information at the bottom of the page).
Midwest
IL, ID, IA, KS, MI, MN, MO, NE, ND, OH, SD, WI |
NortheastCT, DE, DC, ME, MD, MA, NH, NJ, NY, PA, RI, VT |
SouthAL, AR, FL, GA, KY, LA, MS, NC, OK, SC, TN, TX, VA, WV |
WestAK, AZ, CA, CO, HI, ID, MT, NV, NM, OR, UT, WA, WY |
Contact:
Lauren Edwards-Johnson
Programs Coordinator
[email protected]