This FAST Act Fact Sheet has been superseded by a BIL FLAP Fact Sheet.

Federal Lands Access Program

Program purpose

The Federal Lands Access Program (Access Program) provides funds for projects on Federal Lands Access Transportation Facilities that are located on or adjacent to, or that provide access to Federal lands.

Statutory citations

FAST Act § 1120; 23 U.S.C. 201, 204

Funding features

Type of budget authority

Contract authority from the Highway Account of the Highway Trust Fund, subject to the overall Federal-aid obligation limitation.

Allocation of funding

Funds are distributed by formula among States that have Federal lands managed by the National Park Service, the U.S. Forest Service, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Bureau of Land Management, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

80% of funds go to States that contain at least 1.5% of the national total of public lands, and the remaining 20% going to States with less than 1.5% of the national total. Within these categories, funds are distributed by formula based on the following factors *:

• 30% based on the State’s share of total recreational visitation in all States.
• 5% based on the State’s share of total Federal land area in all States.
• 55% based on the State’s share of total Federal public road miles in all States.
• 10% based on the State’s share of total number of Federal public bridges in all States.

* Necessary data is to be provided by the Federal Land Management Agencies (FLMAs). [23 U.S.C. 204(b)]

Set-aside of Access Program and FLTP funds

Prior to distribution of Access Program and Federal Lands Transportation Program (FLTP) funds, the Secretary shall (new in FAST Act) combine and use no more than 5% of funds each fiscal year under both programs to conduct, in relation to Tribes and Federal land management agencies—

• transportation planning;
• asset management;
• data collection (including facility inventory, condition, and inspection information);
• (New in FAST) cooperative research and technology deployment; and
• (New in FAST) bridge inspections. [FAST Act § 1120; 23 U.S.C. 201(c)]

Federal share

Determined in accordance with 23 U.S.C. 120 [23 U.S.C. 201(b)(7)]. Funds authorized for the Tribal Transportation Program and FLTP and Federal funds other than those made available under title 23 and title 49, may be used to pay the non-Federal share of Access Program projects. [23 U.S.C. 120(j), (k)]

Eligible activities and program features

The FAST Act does not modify Access Program eligibilities or features.

February 2016