Action Items
Information Items
USDOT Adopts New Accessibility Regulation
The USDOT adopted new accessibility standards and amended its accessibility regulation in 49 CFR Part 37. See https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/CFR-2011-title49-vol1/xml/CFR-2011-title49-vol1-part37.xml (HTML) or https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/CFR-2011-title49-vol1/pdf/CFR-2011-title49-vol1-part37.pdf (PDF).
SUMMARY: The Department is amending its Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) regulations to adopt, as its regulatory standards, the new Americans with Disabilities Act Accessibility Guidelines (ADAAG) recently issued by the Access Board, including technical amendments the Access Board subsequently made to the new ADAAG. In adopting the new ADAAG as its standards, the Department is making minor modifications to some of the Guidelines and is providing further guidance concerning its newly-adopted standards. This rule is effective November 29, 2006.
Close Out Remaining ISTEA-era National Recreational Trails Funding Program Projects
Action Item for All States: Please complete and close out projects funded under the ISTEA-era National Recreational Trails Funding Program (NRTFP): funds allocated in FY 1993, 1996, and 1997. WARNING!!!!! If you close out old NRTFP projects and there are funds remaining on a project, you must not deobligate funds without reobligating the funds in the same fiscal year. Put the funds on another project, but don't leave the funds unobligated at the end of FY 2007!!! If your State is likely to have unobligated NRTFP funds remaining in FY 2007, please let me know, so we can deallocate the funds.
Action Item for States with Remaining Unobligated NRTFP Funds: Alabama, Alaska, Colorado*, District of Columbia, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Kansas*, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Mississippi*, Missouri, New Mexico*, North Dakota*, Puerto Rico, South Dakota, Washington, West Virginia.
* Balance remaining less than $5
We have been asked to close out old ISTEA-era National Recreational Trails Funding Program (NRTFP) funds allocated to the States in FY 1993, 1996, and 1997. FHWA's Office of the Chief Financial Officer (HCF-10) wants to close out these accounts. HCF-10 prefers that we fully expend and close out these funds. At a minimum, all remaining NRTFP funds must be obligated in FY 2007. If your State cannot obligate these funds in FY 2007, please let me know so we can deallocate the funds. Otherwise, the funds will be lost.
Please see the Excel file (sent with original email): look at columns AJ, AK, and AL [right-side columns]. If the Allocation and Obligations don't match, please let me know whether or not you plan to completely expend the funds before September 30, 2007. [I have responses from Alaska, Illinois, Massachusetts, Puerto Rico, and West Virginia.]
Federal-aid Highway Program FY 2007 Apportionments
FHWA released FY 2007 Apportionments on October 2, 2006, and posted them at www.fhwa.dot.gov/legsregs/directives/notices/ [scroll to N4510.607 thru N4510.621]. These are initial apportionments: in the past several years, there have been rescissions in the final Appropriations Acts, which would reduce the apportionments. FHWA Division offices received notices for all FHWA apportioned programs on October 2, 2006.
We posted the RTP apportionments at www.fhwa.dot.gov/environment/recreational_trails/funding/; the official Notice is www.fhwa.dot.gov/legsregs/directives/notices/n4510613.cfm. The FY 2007 apportionments for Transportation Enhancements will be known after the FY 2007 Appropriations Acts, but SAFETEA-LU Section 1113(c) set TE apportionments no lower than the FY 2005 amounts: see www.fhwa.dot.gov/environment/transportation_enhancements/funding/apportionments_obligations/.
FHWA Environmental Quarterly
FHWA's Resource Center publishes its Environmental Quarterly newsletter. The October 2006 issue has interesting articles on GIS, Invasive Plants, and Wetlands.
Keeping It Simple: Easy Ways to Help Wildlife Along Roads
"Keeping It Simple: Easy Ways to Help Wildlife Along Roads" has a new link called "Add a Project!" It offers customers an easy, direct way to submit a project-idea and at the same time it saves us lengthy "red tape." Check it out! Click www.fhwa.dot.gov/environment/wildlife_protection/ and you'll find "Add a Project" on the list of links at the left.
USDA Forest Service Open Space Conservation Strategy and Implementation Plan
The Forest Service is inviting all interested members of the public to provide input into the development of the USDA Forest Service Open Space Conservation Strategy and Implementation Plan, which will help shape the agency's strategic role in a national effort to conserve open space. See www.fs.fed.us/projects/four-threats/#space. The Forest Service will review public input received no later than December 13, 2006.The Federal Register Notice is at http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2006/E6-19060.htm (HTML) and https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2006-11-13/pdf/E6-19060.pdf (PDF).
National Association of Recreation Resource Planners Call for Presentations for 27th Annual Conference
The National Association of Recreation Resource Planners (NARRP) issued a Call for Presentations for its 27th Annual Conference. Submissions are due by December 8. The form may be downloaded from the association's official conference web page (www.narrp.org/conference/index.html).
The conference will be held in Austin TX on May 6-9, 2007. The theme will be "Creating Planning Connections: Linking Trails, Rivers, Byways, and Greenways." As with all NARRP conferences, the speakers, panels, and field workshops will focus on helping the association's members meet and learn from other parks and recreation planners from across the country.
Arizona Seeks OHV Planner
Arizona State Parks has a job opening for the Off-Highway Vehicle Planner position to assist with the implementation of the statewide OHV Recreation Program. Attached is a position description and details. Please pass this along to interested candidates. To apply, go to www.azstatejobs.gov and search "OHV". **Apply by December 11th, 2006**
