Deschutes Trails Coalition offers $600K in grants to support trail infrastructure projects
BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) -- In early 2022, the Deschutes Trails Coalition proposed to Deschutes County commissioners to invest a portion of Transient Room Tax funds* to support trails and trail-related infrastructure throughout Deschutes County.
Commissioners unanimously voted to contribute $600,000 of TRT funds toward this purpose. The DTC used these funds to develop the Deschutes Trails Coalition Stewardship Grant program.
This is a huge opportunity for Central Oregon trails, for the DTC and its partners, and for our community of trail users – locals and visitors alike. This substantial allocation of County funds acknowledges the value that trails bring to the local and regional economy, and recognizes that increased use and other factors are taking a toll on our trails.
Existing and predicted funding sources are insufficient to address the basic maintenance needed to sustain our trails in their current state, let alone the growing deferred maintenance backlog.
The DTC Stewardship Grant program funds will be awarded to several high-value projects. Funds may be used for a broad range of projects, or individual phases of complex projects, including: environmental analysis, design, construction, and project implementation. Entities eligible to apply include non-profit organizations, federal, state, and local land management agencies, and businesses that partner with a land management agency or non-profit organization with a trail-related mission.
The grant application period will open Sept. 12, with applications due Oct. 5. Potential applicants are encouraged to contact DTC early in the process to discuss proposed projects. There will be an informational session hosted Sept. 1, from noon to 1 pm.
For more information about the DTC Stewardship Grant, please visit DTC at deschutestrailscoalition.org/  or email DTC’s Executive Director, Jana Johnson, at deschutestrailscoalition@gmail.com.
* The County collects an 8% transient room tax on rentals of rooms or space for lodging in unincorporated areas of Deschutes County for a period of up to 30 consecutive days.
About the Deschutes Trails Coalition (DTC)
The Deschutes Trails Coalition (DTC) formed in 2017 from diverse local and regional recreation stakeholders who came together to provide community leadership and support to Central Oregon land managers in an effort to address escalating challenges to our trail system. The coalition is made up of nearly 35 trails organizations, land management agencies, visitor bureaus, conservation organizations, businesses, and organizations representing youth, and underserved populations. More specifically, DTC’s vision is a deliberately-designed and sustainably-maintained regional trail system that is stewarded by land managers and the community, and upholds the four Pillars of Sustainability: environmental, social, economic, and physical.
