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published Nov 2013

Designing Sustainable Off-Highway Vehicle Trails

by USDA Forest Service

Proper management of off-highway vehicle (OHV) trails is one of the most important tasks for trail managers today.


published Oct 2013

Irish Trails Strategy: Promoting and Developing Activity in the Irish Outdoors

The ambitious vision set out in this strategy for recreational trails in Ireland is “to create, nurture and maintain a world class recreational trail network that is sustainable, integrated, well utilized and highly regarded, that enhances the health, well being and quality of life of all Irish citizens and that attracts visitors from around the world.”


published Sep 2013

Access Board issues ABA Final Guidelines for Outdoor Developed Areas, including accessible trails, on federal lands

by American Trails Staff

On September 26, 2013 the U.S. Access Board issued new accessibility guidelines for outdoor areas on federal lands. The guidelines provide detailed specifications for accessible trails, picnic, and camping areas, viewing areas, beach access routes, and other components of outdoor developed areas when newly built or altered.


published Aug 2013

Forest Service Trail Accessibility Guidelines (FSTAG)

by USDA Forest Service

The FSTAG and the Forest Service Outdoor Recreation Accessibility Guidelines (FSORAG) are the legally enforceable standards for use in outdoor recreation areas on the National Forest System for the facilities, routes, and features addressed in these guidelines.


published Jun 2013

A Landscape-Scale Approach to Refuge System Planning

by U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service

Team (PIT) was chartered to address this recommendation from Conserving the Future: Wildlife Refuges and the Next Generation, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s 21st century strategic vision for the National Wildlife Refuge System. Our charge was to investigate how Refuge System planning will address large-scale conservation challenges such as climate change, while maintaining the integrity of management and conservation delivery within our boundaries.


published Jun 2013

Effects of Pack Weight on Endurance of Long-distance Hikers

This study evaluated pack weight to understand the limits of long-term load carriage. Participants were Appalachian Trail hikers who attempted to complete the entire trail in the 2012 season.


published Jun 2013

Prepare to Launch!

by National Park Service

Guidelines for accessing, designing, and building launch sites for carry-in watercraft.


published May 2013

Trail Building in the Ozarks

by Ozark Trail Association

This manual was created to accompany the Crew Leader training program developed by the Ozark Trail Association (OTA). It serves as an aid to volunteer Crew Leaders working with other volunteers to build and maintain single-track natural surface trails in the Ozarks region of Missouri. This manual is designed to serve as a baseline for trail construction and maintenance and as an introduction to leading small groups of volunteers on natural surface trail construction and maintenance events.


published Mar 2013

2013 Recreational Trails Program Annual Report

by Federal Highway Administration

A report on the use and benefits of Federal Recreational Trails Program funds across the United States.


published Mar 2013

Minimizing Risk and Liability

by Alberta Tourism, Parks and Recreation Parks Division

This document is a best practices manual intended to give guidance and direction on minimizing risk and liability for persons with an interest in operating and maintaining trails. Specifically, it seeks to help trail operators, managers and owners, mitigate risk and reduce liability, that can arise from trail design, trail use and maintenance operations. The techniques discussed here are intended to be applied with prudence and due consideration of the particular circumstances of each trail.


published Mar 2013

National Wildlife Refuge System Land Protection Project

by U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, along with our partners, is charting a course for the future of the National Wildlife Refuge System.


published Feb 2013

FAQ: Are business plans for trails of any value?

by American Trails Staff

Choosing between a business plan, an economic study, or a feasibility study