Several readers specialize in outdoor access and even maintain public web sites on the accessibility of trails. The following grant offer from the American Hiking Society might be enough to convince a hiking-oriented non-profit to do something significant to improve trals accessibility:
The American Hiking Society ( http://www.americanhiking.org/ )
2009 National Trails Fund is open for applications. The National
Trails Fund is the only privately funded, national grants pro-
gram dedicated solely to building and protecting hiking trails.
Now in its eighth year, the fund has awarded nearly $382,000 to
105 grassroots organizations all over the United States working
to establish, protect, and maintain foot trails in America.
American Hiking will be awarding two different types of National
Trail Fund grants in 2009:
1) American Hiking Society Trail
Grants, which will range from $500-$4,999 each; and
2) Nature Valley Trail Grants, which will be for $5,000 each. Twenty
applicant organizations for the Nature Valley Trail Grants will be
selected as prospective grant recipients and will be featured on
Nature Valley's Web site ( http://www.wheresyours.com/ ). Nature
Valley Trail Grant award winners will be chosen by public vote
from October 1 through 31, 2008. The top ten projects will each
receive $5,000.
Hiking Society Seeks Applications for Trail Grants
Deadline: August 15, 2008
The American Hiking Society ( http://www.americanhiking.org/ )
2009 National Trails Fund is open for applications. The National
Trails Fund is the only privately funded, national grants pro-
gram dedicated solely to building and protecting hiking trails.
Now in its eighth year, the fund has awarded nearly $382,000 to
105 grassroots organizations all over the United States working
to establish, protect, and maintain foot trails in America.
American Hiking will be awarding two different types of National
Trail Fund grants in 2009: 1) American Hiking Society Trail
Grants, which will range from $500-$4,999 each; and 2) Nature
Valley Trail Grants, which will be for $5,000 each. Twenty app-
licant organizations for the Nature Valley Trail Grants will be
selected as prospective grant recipients and will be featured on
Nature Valley's Web site ( http://www.wheresyours.com/ ). Nature
Valley Trail Grant award winners will be chosen by public vote
from October 1 through 31, 2008. The top ten projects will each
receive $5,000.
Applicants must be a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Projects
that will be considered for the 2009 grants are as follows: proj-
ects that have hikers as the primary constituency, though multi-
ple human-powered trail uses are eligible; projects that secure
trail lands, including acquisition of trails and trail corridors
and the costs associated with acquiring conservation easements;
projects that result in visible and substantial ease of access,
improved hiker safety, and/or avoidance of environmental damage;
and projects that promote constituency building surrounding
specific trail projects -- including volunteer recruitment and
support.
Visit the American Hiking Society Web site for complete program
guidelines and the online application system.
RFP Link:
http://fconline.foundationcenter.org/pnd/15013896/americanhiking