Openings on the NRTP Advisory Committee

NRTP dollars help fund WTA's Volunteer Vacation program, including trips like this one at Sawtooth Ridge. Photo courtesy of WTA.

We've been talking about the National Recreation Trails Program (NRTP) a lot lately. NRTP funds critical recreation opportunities statewide, and we're concerned about its future. The link above will help you take action to preserve the program. 

There are other opportunities to get involved with NRTP brewing right now. The program could not do its job at the state level without an experienced and knowledgeable advisory committee charged with reviewing and ranking grants. The Recreation and Conservation Office (RCO), which administers NRTP, is seeking people with specific skills and expertise in recreation trails and planning to fill positions on the committee. RCO is looking for:

• One candidate with public policy or land-use planning experience related to trails and recreation,

• A representative from the mountain biking community, and

• A water-trail user.

RCO is also filling advisory committee slots for the Aquatic Lands Enhancement Account, the Land and Water Conservation Fund, and the Farmland Preservation Trust, which is part of the Washington Wildlife and Recreation Program. These are all worthy programs, and you should consider contacting RCO if you're interested in any of them. If you have the time and inclination, we encourage you to apply for one of the NRTP slots. I served on the NOVA Advisory Committee for many years and it was a very rewarding experience. The deadline for applications is December 4.

Of course, we also encourage you to take a moment, click on the link to our NRTP alert and make a quick call to Senator Murray.  Let her know how important NRTP is to the mix of recreation funds in our state, and thank her for all her hard work to make sure that our trails and lands are healthy and well-funded.