GRPL CESU: Partnership to Increase Recreation Opportunities and Access- RTCA | NPS NOIP19AC00258

Opportunity Information: Apply for NPS NOIP19AC00258

This grant opportunity, titled "GRPL CESU: Partnership to Increase Recreation Opportunities and Access - RTCA" (Funding Opportunity Number NPS NOIP19AC00258), is a National Park Service (NPS) cooperative agreement designed to expand recreation access and strengthen trail and active transportation planning in the Gulf Coast and Great Rivers Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Units (CESU) regions. The core idea is to create an efficient working channel between the NPS Rivers, Trails, and Conservation Assistance Program (RTCA) and an eligible university partner so communities can receive high-quality technical help that they might otherwise be unable to afford. The first planned project for FY 2020 centers on Hot Springs, Arkansas, where the main deliverable is a Conceptual Master Trails Plan intended to function not only as a local roadmap but also as a prototype planning process that can be adapted by other communities across the region.

A central purpose of the award is educational and community-facing at the same time: it funds faculty and undergraduate student involvement, specifically through the University of Arkansas Department of Landscape Architecture, so students can do real planning and design work alongside RTCA staff and local stakeholders. The agreement is structured to give students hands-on exposure to the full range of trail and active transportation planning activities while reinforcing the practical civic value of design and planning work. In other words, the project is meant to build local capacity and produce an actionable plan, while also training the next generation of planners and landscape architects through direct engagement with a real community project.

The technical scope emphasized in the opportunity is broad and primarily focused on trails, access, and connectivity. Planning tasks may include taking inventory of existing trail and transportation conditions, analyzing gaps and opportunities, researching best practices, and looking at how a local trail network fits into statewide and regional systems. It also highlights the need to address both urban and rural connectivity, improvements to access points and supporting amenities, and the development of design standards or guidelines that can be applied consistently. The planning work may also involve creating trail system plans that include difficulty ratings, Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) accessibility considerations, a pipeline of prioritized projects, and preliminary cost estimates. This combination of mapping, standards, and cost framing is intended to help Hot Springs and its partners move faster from an idea to an implementable, fundable set of projects.

While trails and connectivity are the primary focus, cultural resources are intentionally included as a secondary component. The grant description frames cultural resource work as a support function for the trail system, particularly through identifying natural and cultural resource assets and translating them into public education and interpretation opportunities. That could show up as recommendations for signage, printed materials, or digital media that help users understand the landscape and local history as they move through the trail network. The opportunity also builds on an established working relationship between the recipient university and the NPS, referencing prior collaborations that produced cultural resource inventory plans, historic documentation, interpretive materials, and iterative design concepts for multiple park and heritage sites in Arkansas and beyond.

Partnership-building is treated as a required ingredient rather than an optional add-on. The opportunity anticipates engagement from city and county parks and conservation departments, state parks agencies, and other local or regional entities that have a role in planning, development, or long-term management of outdoor recreation spaces. In Hot Springs, the University of Arkansas already has ties through management and ongoing work at Garvan Gardens, and it has existing relationships with the City of Hot Springs through prior studio and community design center projects. These existing partnerships are presented as a foundation for sustained involvement, smoother coordination, and a better chance that the plan will be used rather than shelved.

RTCA is positioned as a hands-on partner throughout the entire lifecycle of the project. The program is expected to work side-by-side with the university team and community members, organize and manage partnerships, scope the work, oversee progress from start to finish, and facilitate public participation. RTCA also coordinates involvement across partners and ensures the project stays aligned with the agreement requirements and produces practical outcomes. The public-purpose justification is explicit: Hot Springs and similar communities often lack the funding or specialized expertise to produce a credible trail plan with clear priorities and costs. By delivering a strong conceptual plan, the project is meant to help the city and Hot Springs National Park clarify a shared vision, generate reliable cost estimates, and become more competitive for implementation funding, reducing the time between planning and on-the-ground construction.

The anticipated benefits go beyond recreation itself. The opportunity links connected and accessible trail systems to broader community outcomes such as economic development, social connection, improved individual and public health, and stronger community engagement. It also emphasizes enhanced appreciation and conservation of natural and cultural resources, arguing that well-designed access can support stewardship by guiding use, educating visitors, and helping communities invest in resilient, sustainable outdoor infrastructure. At a program level, the prototype plan approach is meant to create a repeatable model that can be deployed elsewhere in the CESU regions, multiplying the impact beyond a single city.

From an administrative standpoint, this is a discretionary funding opportunity offered by the U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service, using a cooperative agreement instrument (which generally indicates substantial federal involvement in the project, consistent with RTCA's described role). Eligibility is limited to public and state-controlled institutions of higher education. The opportunity was posted June 26, 2019, with an original closing date of July 8, 2019. The anticipated award ceiling is $50,000, with one expected award. The listed activity areas span community development, education, environment, natural resources, regional development, and research and development, reflecting the hybrid nature of the work: practical community planning delivered through an academic partnership with direct NPS engagement.

• The Department of the Interior, National Park Service in the community development, education, employment, labor and training, environment, natural resources, regional development, science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "GRPL CESU: Partnership to Increase Recreation Opportunities and Access- RTCA" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 15.945.
• This funding opportunity was created on Jun 26, 2019.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Jul 08, 2019. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $50,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Public and State controlled institutions of higher education.

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