Montana FWP Trail Stewardship Program Taking Applications For Grants

Listen up, outdoor enthusiasts!  The Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks Trail Stewardship Grant Program is accepting applications until the end of January.

What is the grant program for?

The program is meant to provide funding for creating new trails and trail facilities or for maintaining and upgrading existing ones.

This year, there's an estimated $2 million available, to be doled out in amounts of up to $100,000.

Where does the money come from?

There are two main sources.  Part of the funding comes from vehicle registration fees.  When you renew your registration every year, some of the money from fees that you pay get allocated to this program.  The other source comes from tax revenue from sales of legal marijuana.

What are the requirements?

First and foremost, applications can't be submitted by individuals.  It has to be done by a group, such as a city or county agency or a non-profit organization.  Also, each group can only submit one application per funding cycle.

Part of the application process also requires an assessment of potential environmental impacts, possibly leading to a formal investigation before approval or rejection of an application.

Second, the grant can't be the only source of funds for the project.  The program mandates that at least 10% of the funding come from elsewhere.  That 10% doesn't have to be money, though.  Donations of supplies, equipment, or manpower counts.

So if you have an idea to create or improve an outdoor trail, take a look at the links above for more information.  The deadline for applications is 5PM on Friday, January 30th.