Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry (DACF) is Maine's support center for many land-based natural resource interests, including farms and forestry-related businesses, outdoor recreation, and public access to parks and public lands.
The Recreational Trails Program (RTP), administered by the U.S. Department of Transportation's Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), aims to provide funds to states for the development and maintenance of recreational trails and trail-related facilities for both motorized and nonmotorized uses. Funding guidelines mandate that 30% of allocations support motorized trail recreation, another 30% for non-motorized trail uses, and the remaining 40% for projects promoting diverse trail use. Eligible projects can range from maintenance and rehabilitation of existing trails, development of trailside and trailhead facilities, to the construction of new trails and improvement of access for persons with disabilities. The program supports both small-scale projects with grants up to $50,000 and large-scale projects with one award up to $120,000 per funding stream, including diverse, non-motorized, and motorized categories. Additionally, Safety/Environmental Education Grants are available but are prioritized for trail training initiatives, capped at $5,000. The program emphasizes projects that link to existing networks, serve diverse user groups, address landowner concerns, enhance tourism and economic development, and provide significant use levels, among other goals.