RTP joint committee reports $1.785 million in awards; access and maintenance top priorities

Evan Beitsch, RTP administrator, told the combined OHV advisory council and Recreational Trails Program (RTP) non-motorized committee that the current grant cycle drew a large field and resulted in substantial awards. "We have 32 RTP applications, in total," Beitsch said, and later summarized the committee decisions: on the non-motorized side 15 applications were approved with about $942,000 awarded; on the motorized side nine of 12 applications were approved with about $842,000 awarded — "the total approved amount this year was 1,785,000," he said.

Committee members and staff said the successful applications reflected a mix of trail development, trail maintenance, facility support and education projects. Beitsch highlighted a new mountain-bike trail on BLM land near Monticello as an example of the kind of new-access work the program can fund. He told members the application pool included nonprofits, federal agencies and local governments and said the awards reflected priorities the committees identified through member and applicant surveys.

Why this matters: Council members stressed that limited RTP funds should prioritize public access and connectivity alongside routine maintenance. Several members asked that large projects be considered for phased funding or use "building blocks" so the division can support high-cost, high-value projects without crowding out other applicants. The division will present the compiled reviewer scores and the advisory council's recommendations at the upcoming approval meeting.

What happens next: Staff asked reviewers to return scores by the stated deadline so Rachel Toker and her team can compile results and present a draft agenda for the advisory council. The meeting packet and recommendations will go to division and department leadership for sign-off before contracts are issued.