Polaris Grant Program Approaches $10 Million to Trails
Greg Mumm, BRC's Executive Director, noted the success of the T.R.A.I.L.S. program. "Polaris has put together a great tool for BRC member clubs and other OHV groups to use in their efforts to protect and promote responsible recreation access."
As an example of this, Mumm drew attention to a coalition of BRC member clubs that recently took advantage of the Polaris T.R.A.I.L.S grant. Based in central Utah, the Arapeen Trail Council (ATC) is composed of 8-10 individuals representing various OHV clubs such as the Castle County OHV Association, the Southeastern Utah OHV Club, the Utah Trail Machine Association and the Sage Riders Motorcycle Club.
The purpose of the ATC is to assist the Manti La-Sal National Forest Service in managing, maintaining and patrolling off highway vehicle routes. One major project that was undertaken by the ATC was assisting in the implementation of the Arapeen Trail System, Utah's second largest ATV system (second only to the Paiute ATV system).
Because of budget shortages, the Forest Service relies very heavily upon user groups to provide the necessary resources for maintenance and even law enforcement. In addition to thousands of hours of volunteer labor, ATC assists the Forest Service in leveraging the various grant programs that are available. The Polaris T.R.A.I.L.S. grant program is one of those programs and is key to the successful management of the Arapeen system.
This is the third round of T.R.A.I.L.S. grant recipients In this round, Polaris issued grants to 12 organizations in 12 states. To date, Polaris has assisted 59 ATV organizations in 35 states across the U.S.
The grants ranged from $3,000 to the maximum $10,000 and are available for a wide range of projects, including land acquisition, trail mapping, marking and maintenance; trail development, stabilization and reforestation; bridge building; Bureau of Land Management (BLM), National Forest Service and State Forest ride area enhancements and trail mapping projects.
Wade Allinson, a member of the ATC, said, "OHV enthusiasts in Utah and all across our nation appreciate that Polaris takes seriously the slogan of 'the preservation of OHV recreation while protecting the resource.' Polaris really puts their money where their mouth is."
Allinson also noted that the essential component of any successful recreation program is volunteers. "The individual members of these clubs are the key ingredient. I encourage all OHV users to join a club that is investing time and effort in their trails.
JOIN—PARTICIPATE—DONATE
MORE INFO ON THE WEB
Castle County OHV Association: www.ccohva.org
SouthEastern Utah O.H.V. Club: www.seuohvclub.org
Utah Trail Machine Association: www.utma.net
Sage Riders Motorcycle Club: www.sageriders.com
USA-ALL: www.usaall.org
State Of Utah OHV Program: stateparks.utah.gov/grants/ohv.html
Grant applications will be reviewed three times per year—in April, August and November, with corresponding submission deadlines of March 1st, July 1st and October 1st. Organizations may apply for two grants per year, and all organizations must be 501c3 non-profit organizations. Funding for any project from other sources is important criteria in order to be considered for a T.R.A.I.L.S. grant.
For more information on the T.R.A.I.L.S. grant program and for an application form, visit the Polaris website at www.polarisindustries.com.
—Questions or comments about this article may be directed to the BlueRibbon Coalition: 4555 Burley Drive, Suite A, Pocatello, ID, 83202. Phone: 208-237-1008, Fax: 208-237-9424. Email <brbrian@sharetrails.org> .