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NATIONAL TRAILS TRAINING PARTNERSHIP MEETING

November 9, 2002 - Coronado Springs Resort, Orlando, Florida
At the 16th National Trails Symposium

FACILITATOR: Stuart Macdonald, 2002 Co-Chair

ATTENDEES

• Stuart Macdonald NASTA/American Trails
• Dana Bell NOHVCC, Project Coordinator
• Emily McAllister Tread Lightly!, Education Programs Specialist
• Christopher Douwes FHWA, Recreational Trails Program Manager
• Jim Miller USFS, Dispersed Recreation Program Manager
• Jamie Schwartz USFS, National Recreation Trails Coordinator
• Gary Werner Partnership for the National Trails System
• Roger Bell Western Trailbuilders Association
• Deb Salt USDI BLM
• Steve Elkinton NPS, Program Leader, National Trails System
• Don Trammell USFS Enterprise Unit, Trails Unlimited, Inc.
• Jan Hancock BCHA, NTTP Representative
• Mark Schmidt IMBA Trail Care Crew #2
• Lora Woolner IMBA Trail Care Crew #2
• Jennifer Althaus NASCC National Association Student Conservation Corp and COTI (CO Outdoor Training Initiative)

PRESENTATION OF NEW ITEMS:

• TREAD LIGHTLY! — Emily McAllister

• New training course - The Tread Trainer Program.
• First training March 26th at National OHV Managers meeting in conjunction with the NOHVCC Conference, Charlotte, North Carolina.
• To provide a consistent message that land managers and public volunteer stakeholders can take out and spread.

• NTTP WEBSITE UPDATE — Stuart Macdonald
• Review of updated website

DISCUSSION OF 2002 GOALS AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS — See Private Sector Partnership at end of meeting notes

TEAM/COMMITTEE REPORTS

• Trail Training Experts — Steve Elkinton
• "Trainer Subject Matter List"
• Current Listing of Expert Trainers, November 2002 (beginning data base)
• Need more sophisticated means to link individuals with their expertise
• Public Relations & Outreach Team — Dana Bell
• Nothing accomplished

• Automatic process to notify NTTP of NOHVCC training
• Regular release of NTTP site & requests for training opportunity announcements
• Encourage Marshall University to join NTTP as an Educational Partner
• Link to NTTP website — www.TrailsTraining.net
• Send workshop photos
• Internal training Needs Assessment)

• Trail Training — Deb Salt
• 1^st Interagency Trails Management Course conducted at the Grand Canyon
• Open to agency and public
• One-week course
• Would like to offer twice in 2003
• Looking for sites
• Concern with funding -
• Curriculum continues to be reviewed and improved

• Trail development/maintenance challenges:
• Difficulty & wisdom in maintaining "bad" trails
• Hesitation to relocate due to required environmental work prior to project work
• Need to maintain trails we have
• Interagency Trails Management Course (BLM, FS, FHWA, NPS)
• Open to agency and public
• One week course
• Would like to offer twice in 2003
• Concern with funding — currently offering at no registration charge
• Looking for sites
• Training Discussion
• Training
• How to do training — how others are doing
• Training package
• Good "teacher"
• More technical training wanted and needed
• What curriculums available
• Liability Insurance
• Interdisciplinary training/teams — specialist isolationism
• Incentives for collaboration — fostering
• Coalitions work — particularly on a local level
• Fear/hesitation of taking on challenge — difficulty to achieve success
• Need to know there are solutions
• Caught in budget cycle - Need to buildup RTP
• Need to recognize long-term commitment & work on trails even if just bit-by-bit every year
• IF NTTP able to fund/obtain a "staff" person
• Able to go out train people/help local organizations
• Able to train volunteers to the level that could become professional

TEAM DISCUSSION ISSUES:

Team Reports: Did not do any — only accomplishments due to NTTP partners pledge cards and Stuart’s work. Need internal communication/process within each organization to accomplish tasks. Need process to get material to webmaster.

Need to look at funding possibilities to fund projects aside from Federal partners. If other money raised could then compete for challenge-cost share programs.

What is desirable end product — struggling with Committee/Team tasks. Maybe need to "streamline" process. What is purpose — identify & share training resources….identify gaps and fill gaps. Need nuts & bolts person.)

Assessment Team questions raised by Gary — Who do we send Assessment surveys to — and how do we manage the response. Do not have resources/right tools. Learning as we go what we need to be doing. How do we get it on-line and be able to go to database and search. Need to get information but also need to be able to get them out in a useful format.

• What makes sense nationally, state, local, regional.
• NTTP — can offer a national clearinghouse of available training and qualifications (such as approved by what organizations/agencies.
• Need to take course to people. Need to get information/resources to people that need it. Are there better approaches — where efforts are focused. Trails long-term commitment. Should there be a national policy/strategy on trails?
• So much information—need for basic principals? How do we get training on-site?
• Not just a course taught periodically — more a need to develop brief/frequent/on-going training. But no one training fits all.
• National basic, approved, traveling training program
• Could promote local "copies" to carry on/expand local training efforts
• Is there a need for a "Stamped — approved" program
• Potential of as a body approaching major sponsors
• Need to do more than just promote — need to do
• Value of NTTP — diversity of interests creates clout with sponsors and legislators
• Center for Disease Control (CDC) - Promotion of public health through recreation "Wellness"
• Champion — Key supporter?
• Elizabeth Dole (North Carolina, well recognized, previous work
• New Congress — stands for "Family Values" — find Congress
• Congressman JD Hayworth
• President and First Lady Bush

• Need a defined, "What do we want/need/expect"
• What we have now
• Value of completing mission
• How we can do
• What do we need
• Need building funds over period of years — if given as a one-time, lump sum agencies could not deliver
• Possible avenues: House Trails Caucus — Staff: Mary Margaret Sloan/Representative
• Issue of "Maintenance backlog" — can we build understanding on this and need for training to accomplish
• Partnerships
• Youth
• Employment
• Appropriators — if administration will ask for it we will fund it
• What would it take to get agencies to put training within their budget requests
• Doable amounts of money
• Transportation Issue — trails to provide recreation & protect resources

• NTTP request that American Trails develop a "business plan"

REVIEW & ACTION FOR 2002-2003 GOALS DEVELOPED IN 2001:

• EVALUATION OF TEAM STRUCTURE (CONTINUE IN 2003)
• Who can make commitments?
• Need to focus effort

• COMPLETE FEDERAL PARTNER MOU (2003 GOAL)

• Christopher & Rob Drapier to complete

• UNIVERSAL NEWS RELEASE — for release at WTBA Conference (2003 GOAL)

• Email to all partners — request for training accomplishments in 2002 by Nov. 20
• Dana Bell and Stuart Macdonald will develop a draft release for all to review
• Include accomplishment
• Include what we need from publics

• NEEDS ASSESSMENT (2003 GOAL)
• Adequate analysis of existing training?
• Are we identifying all training providers?

• Provide lists of training providers to Stuart
• Deb provide file to Gary
• Gary circulate to NTTP private partners to review and provide suggestions if they wish
• Gary to compile and then release an needs assessment form to all partners for release to their networks and to all Symposium participants with return deadline for February News Release
• Data returned to AT/Stuart Macdonald
• Establish standard list of training categories

• BUILD CATALOG OF TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES (ON-GOING)

• Create new database of providers

• BUILD TRAIL EXPERTISE LIST (ON-GOING)

• Solicit additional names
• Verify willingness to be listed and how/Verify ability
• Determine how to advertise most effectively including online

• PROMOTE NTTP WITHIN ORGANIZATIONS & GROUPS (ON-GOING)

• Fullfill partner goals to assist NTTP
• On-going NTTP promotion through partner networks
• Development of new partners/contacts/communication

• PROMOTION OF AMERICAN TRAILS WEB SITE TRAINING OPPORTUNITY CLEARINGHOUSE (ON-GOING)

• Develop web page of training providers ability for word search of training opportunities by word/region/state

• ROLE OF NTTP W/TRAIL MANAGEMENT TRAINING COURSE (ON-GOING)

• Deb Salt to provide course marketing piece to NTTP partners
• List courses on NTTP website
• Course information distributed by NTTP partners if they wish
• Future consideration for endorsement
• Continue to consider Training Course standards

• ESTABLISH STATE TRAIL TRAINING PROGRAMS (FUTURE)

TASKS

• Christopher and Stuart will place on agenda for State Trails Administrator meeting

OTHER CONCERNS

• LIABILITY FOR NON-PROFITS PROVIDING PUBLIC SERVICE
• Increase in premium rates
• Reduced number of available providers
• No providers

• Place a question on the survey to determine if this is a serious national issue

• FUNDING
• Need to consider staff with advisory board
• Student stakeholders
• Motorized AND non-motorized recreation stakeholders
• Need to develop plan and then go after money
• Potential funding: T-21 funding through American Trails

• Stuart Macdonald with Jan Hancock will explore funding sources

2003 CO-CONVENORS

• Federal Highway Administration
• International Mountain Bicycling Association

2003 MEETING: Great Outdoors Week — 1^st week of June (sponsored by ARC)

MEETING ADJOURNED AT: 5:05 p.m.

HANDOUTS:

• IMBA Trail Consulting — Services Offered
• Pathways Across American, American Hiking Society, National Trails System Partners, Spring/Summer 2002
• Colorado Youth Corps Association
• Quality Trail Contractors — 2002 Edition, Western Trailbuilders Association
• Trail Tracks, Fall 2002
• Arizona Trail News, Fall 2002

ATTACHMENT: Private Sector Partnership Agreement

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