Information: Resources you can use
June 2006 is Great Outdoors Month -- Officially
Edited from the American Recreation Coalition.
The President issued a proclamation designating June 2006 as Great Outdoors Month.
This is the third straight year the President has taken this action. It is the first time the proclamation has been issued in advance of the month, allowing us to take steps capitalizing on this official action. And June will be a very busy outdoor recreation month. We kick off the month with 800 volunteers at work in Anacostia Park -- the annual PricewaterhouseCoopers Take Pride workday. Just two days later is National Trails Day and the start of National Fishing and Boating Week. As that week wraps up, we'll launch Great Outdoors Week with its action-packed agenda. And action will continue right to the end of the month with National Clean Beaches Week commencing on June 29!
Hope you'll do your part in spending time outdoors, as the President suggests -- and using the proclamation to highlight the importance of recreation in America.
Information: Resources you can use
USDA Forest Service Accessibility Guidelines are Final
-----Original Message----- [edited by Christopher Douwes on May 23 to reflect past tense]
From: Janet Zeller [mailto:jzeller@fs.fed.us]
Sent: Sunday, May 21, 2006 1:21 PM
Subject: The FS Accessibility Guidelines are Final!
On Monday May 22, 2006, the notices of the final amendments to Forest Service Manuals 2330 and 2350 were published in the Federal Register. Also included in these notices are the responses to comments received when the proposed directives were published in 2005.
The Forest Service Outdoor Recreation Accessibility Guidelines (FSORAG) and the Forest Service Trail Accessibility Guidelines (FSTAG) are linked to these to FSMs and therefore the FSORAG and FSTAG are both now also final for use in the National Forest System. The effective date is the date of publication in the Federal Register: May 22, 2006. Both of the FSORAG and FSTAG are available on the Forest Service Accessibility webpage at https://www.fs.fed.us/recreation/programs/accessibility. The contents of both May 22, 2006 Forest Service accessibility Federal Register notices are also available on that Forest Service accessibility webpage.
USDA Forest Service Accessibility Guidebook on Outdoor Recreation and Trails: Now Online
-----Original Message----- [edited by Christopher Douwes on May 23 to reflect past tense]
From: Janet Zeller
Sent: Sunday, May 21, 2006 1:26 PM
Subject: FS Accessibility Guidebook on Outdoor Recreation and Trails web published on 5/22/06
On Monday May 22, 2006 the Forest Service released the new FS Accessibility Guidebook on Outdoor Recreation and Trails. This user-friendly guide to integrating accessibility in the outdoor recreation environment while maintaining the natural settings was funded through a partnership with the Recreational Trails Program of the FHWA/DOT under a Forest Service Recreation Project with Missoula Technology and Development Center (MTDC).
This new Guidebook is easy to use, full of photos, illustrations, design tips, hotlinks, and valuable side-bar information to help Forest Service personnel, our partners, contractors, and Federal and State agencies working in cooperation with the Forest Service to assist in a better understand of the integration of accessibility into the outdoor recreation environment and how to apply the Forest Service Outdoor Recreation Accessibility Guidelines and Forest Service Trail Accessibility Guidelines.
This Guidebook is available at https://www.fs.fed.us/recreation/programs/accessibility/ in HTML, and within a few weeks also available in printer friendly PDF. [There is a link to this website from FHWA's Recreational Trails Program Publications page: https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/environment/recreational_trails/publications/index.cfm#USFS.]
Janet A. Zeller
National Accessibility Program Manager
USDA Forest Service
Recreation and Heritage Resources
202-205-9597
jzeller@fs.fed.us
Information and ACTION: Resources you can use
Apportionment Notices
We updated the RTP Apportionment Notice link from www.fhwa.dot.gov/environment/recreational_trails/funding/. FHWA Apportionment Notices are posted at www.fhwa.dot.gov/legsregs/directives/notices/ under the N4510 series. CANCELLED notices link to their replacement notices: cancelled Notice N 4510.569 [issued Oct 1, 2005] links to Notice N 4510.595: www.fhwa.dot.gov/legsregs/directives/notices/n4510595.cfm.
FY 2005 Transportation Enhancement Apportionments: On April 12, 2006, FHWA released Supplementary Tables - Apportionments Authorized for Fiscal Year (FY) 2005 Pursuant to the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU). The Notice is posted at www.fhwa.dot.gov/legsregs/directives/notices/n4510563.cfm. This Notice includes the final FY 2005 (yes, 2005) Transportation Enhancement (TE) apportionments on Table 11, Page 2, at www.fhwa.dot.gov/legsregs/directives/notices/n4510563a11b.cfm. We updated the TE Apportionment table at www.fhwa.dot.gov/environment/transportation_enhancements/funding/apportionments_obligations/ to incorporate these revisions.
ACTION: Call for Entries For Environmental Excellence Awards
FHWA announced the call for entries for the biennial Environmental Excellence Awards Program. The application process can be done on-line: see www.fhwa-ee-awards.com/. We are looking for the country's best examples of projects and processes that fulfill transportation objectives and incorporate environmental stewardship. We would like to honor these examples and the partners and projects that fulfill these goals. This program recognizes their contributions to the outstanding work being done in the transportation field while enhancing the environment. Please pass this information to others who may be interested. For more information, please contact Patricia Cazenas at 202-366-4085, or at patricia.cazenas@dot.gov. Entries must be submitted electronically by August 15, 2006. Award plaques will be presented to the winners at the International Conference on Ecology and Transportation (ICOET) in Little Rock, Arkansas, May 20-25, 2007.
ACTION: 2007 Scenic Byways Awards
The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO), in cooperation with the America's Byways® Resource Center and the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), announced a call for applications for the biennial 2007 Scenic Byway Awards. See http://www.transportation.org/news/38.aspx.
The Scenic Byway Awards seek to showcase projects of excellence, recognize outstanding byway leaders, and share with the byway community successful models that other byways can adapt for their own corridor. Any national, State, tribal, or public lands byway may submit applications for projects of excellence and outstanding leaders. Award recipients will be recognized at an awards ceremony at the National Scenic Byways Conference in May 2007. In addition, AASHTO will present a framed poster recognizing each award recipient to the Chief Executive Officer of that State's Department of Transportation during the 2007 AASHTO meeting. The deadline for all applications is July 17, 2006.
Possible Action at State Option: National Trails Surface Study
The National Center on Accessibility (NCA), a collaborative program of Indiana University and the National Park Service, is undertaking a longitudinal study designed to determine the effectiveness of various types of trails surfaces that are accessible for individuals with disabilities. NCA is seeking agencies who are planning to create new trails or alter existing trails to consider participating in this very important national undertaking. If you are planning to do any new pedestrian trail construction or renovation anytime during the next 1-2 years, your participation would be welcome. You would be contributing to a body of knowledge that is greatly needed in assisting future trail builders to create trails with alternative surfaces that meet accessibility guidelines. Please note there are multiple levels of participation opportunity from short segments using one or two surface applications, to several segments that would incluide the application of various surface treatments.
Please visit the NCA trails study website at http://ncaonline.org/trails/research/ and review information about the study. Also feel free to contact Laura Wetherbee or Gary Robb for additional information. On the website, you can complete an online Participant Information Form or you can print and fax or mail to NCA.
NOTE from Christopher Douwes, FHWA Trails and Enhancements Program Manager:
I encourage States to participate in this important nationwide study. This project has great potential to benefit pedestrian trails nationwide. NCA needs examples from around the country with various climate conditions. States may use Recreational Trails Program project funds in various ways to this study:
NCA also has trail accessibility training available. Please refer to RTP TRAIL ASSESSMENTS AND EDUCATION AND TRAINING at https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/environment/recreational_trails/rtp_te_update/2005/october/index.cfm#oct27 for ideas of how RTP funds can be used for trail assessments, education, and training.
Safe Routes to School Clearinghouse Announced
The U.S. Department of Transportation / Federal Highway Administration awarded the University of North Carolina Highway Safety Research Center (HSRC) $6 million over five years to establish the National Safe Routes to School (SRTS) Clearinghouse. See http://www.saferoutesinfo.org/ for more information.
