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2009 RTP Achievement Awards

Award-Winning Trail and Greenway Projects

 

The members of the Coalition for Recreational Trails (CRT) have selected the winners of the "Annual Achievement Awards" in recognition of outstanding use of Recreational Trails Program (RTP) funds. The award winners were recognized at a special ceremony in Washington, D.C. on June 10, 2009 at the U.S. House of Representatives Rayburn House Office Building, during the annual celebration for Great Outdoors Week.

Learn more about the Recreational Trails Program

 

 

Sam Houston Multiple-Use Trail (Texas)

Construction and Design Award

• Sponsor/Partner: Texas Parks and Wildlife Department – U.S. Forest Service
• Congressional District: Kevin Brady (R-8-TX)
• Senators: Kay Bailey Hutchison (R) and John Cornyn (R)

 

The Sam Houston Multiple-Use Trail (SHMUT) boasts the only designated OHV trail system located on U.S. Forest Service (USFS) lands in Texas. After decades of use, combined with ineffective maintenance and some poorly located or constructed trails, this trail system needed major restoration.

In 2006 and 2007, the USFS was granted RTP funds by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) to renovate this trail system. Total funding from these two RTP grants was $770,000.

The USFS worked to create a coalition of parties interested in improving and maintaining the SHMUT, consisting of USFS staff, Trail Riders of Houston (TRH), TPWD, and the USFS Trails Unlimited (TU) Enterprise Team, who served as project managers.

During this extensive restoration project, TU introduced a unique trail innovation: the use of pre-engineered fiberglass reinforced polymer bridges to replace the more traditional wooden bridges. To date, three fiberglass bridges have been assembled and installed on the SHMUT. TU also introduced the use of corrugated "arched culverts," made from recycled high-density polyethylene, to replace conventional round corrugated metal culverts and hardened stream crossings. Each of the innovations will ultimately lead to a more sustainable trail system.

Throughout this process, TU has taught basic and advanced classes on trail design, layout and planning, as well as a SWECO trail dozer certification class. TRH members will use this training and experience to help USFS staff maintain the SHMUT.

Contact: TPWD -- Steve Thompson, 4200 Smith School Road, Austin, TX 78744, Phone: 512-389-8230; USFS -- Catherine Albers, 415 South First Street, Suite 110, Lufkin, TX 75901, Phone: 936-639-8557

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Coalition for Recreational Trails:

The Coalition for Recreational Trails, a national organization representing the nation's major trail interests, has been working since 1992 to build awareness and understanding of the Recreational Trails Program, to support its implementation and to help insure that it receives adequate funding. The Annual Achievement Awards are part of the Coalition's ongoing effort to promote and celebrate this highly successful program, which has greatly enhanced the quantity and quality of trail experiences available to the public. For more information about CRT and its members, go to: www.funoutdoors.com/coalitions/crt.

 

Annual achievement awards presented by the Coalition for Recreational Trails:
2009 | 2008 | 2007 | 2006 | 2005 | 2004 | 2003 | 2002 | 2001 | 2000