Hosted by www.AmericanTrails.org

American Trails offers workshops on trails training

You can host these educational programs on important trails and greenways topics offered by American Trails.

By Pam Gluck, Executive Director, American Trails

American Trails' goal is to expand efforts to provide better training and technical assistance by working with the States and local communities, nonprofit groups, and agencies who are planning, building, and managing trails.

We are expanding key elements of the National Trails Training Partnership (NTTP) to better serve the needs of the nationwide trails community, both motorized and nonmotorized. We are working with the State Trails Programs to help bring more training and expertise directly to them. These efforts are in support of the Recreational Trails Program goals to help local trail project sponsors build better and more cost effective trails. We have identified several key areas where more resources are needed: accessible trails, assessing trails, trail crew leadership, developing a State training program, and working with developers.

States may use RTP Educational Funds for safety and environmental protection, including training related to trail planning, design, construction, maintenance, operation, and assessment. States may pay for the training, and could charge a fee to attendees to recoup some or all of the costs of the workshop. See Christopher Douwes' article about how your State can fund training. and see Florida's accessible trails training program.

American Trails will offer the following workshops:

Understanding Accessibility and Building Better Trails

The goal of this one-day workshop is to teach participants current accessibility requirements and legal issues, provide an introduction to the Universal Trail Assessment Process, learn about the benefits of sustainable trail design, and analysis and problem solving for accessibility.

Universal Trail Assessment Process Workshops

This two-day workshop enables individuals to conduct accurate assessments of trails in their own community and to lead groups of untrained individuals in the completion of trail assessments.

American Trails and Beneficial Designs, Inc., continue to offer the Universal Trail Assessment Coordinator Workshops throughout North America each year. UTAP provides objective, accurate information about the conditions on a trail or in outdoor environments. The assessment results can help trail users determine whether a trail meets their interests and abilities.

Land managers can also use the information to identify areas where access may be limited and to determine whether a trail complies with the proposed accessibility guidelines, to develop programs to provide trail access information, and to assess trails for maintenance needs.Trail Crew Leadership Training

The Colorado Outdoor Training Initiative (COTI) and American Trails are partnering to present a new and exciting standardized training program for crew leadership. This 16-hour workshop covers leadership, tool and crew safety, and technical trail skills. This workshop is best for individuals that have had experience working on trail projects or previous crew leadership experiences. Seminar length: two days.

Creating a State Trails Training Program Workshop

Based on the COTI model, this workshop will help States identify who needs and/or provides training, to develop cooperation and a common goal, and to create a statewide organization to make training more available, as well as more effective in your State.

Working with Developers Forum

Also available to host locally is the Greenways and Trails Forum for Development Professionals The goal of the workshop is to bring trails people and ideas into the land planning and development process in order to get more trails and greenways built. Bring together developers, builders, consulting firms, government, and nonprofit organizations for interactive discussion and information sharing about: developments that incorporate well-planned and connected trails and greenways, the economic and market value of greenways and trails, and strategies for expanding the greenways and trails network in your local area.

Benefits of Bringing Training to the States:

• Bringing training to the States saves scarce travel funds, reduces travel time, and eliminates the need to obtain out-of-State travel permission.
• Staff and volunteers receive training they could not get without significant time and travel expenditures.
• Volunteers with better training will do work with more value.
• Youth are better educated for future employment in outdoor recreation and natural resources fields.
• The availability of skilled volunteers and staff reduces the cost of local trail projects and provides more significant matching services.
• Better training of local trail project sponsors will result in better trails built at a lower cost to be more sustainable and accessible over the long term.

The States may provide training venues, and may charge a training fee. The goal of in-state travel is to reduce travel time and cost for the participants and for the states.

The National Trails Training Partnership is funded primarily through the Federal Highway Administration's Recreational Trails Program. See www.NTTP.net.

For information on hosting these workshops in your state or region, please contact Pam Gluck, Executive Director, American Trails, P.O. Box 491797, Redding, CA 96049-1797 or call (530) 547-2060.

See Funding Trails Training

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