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“Sticker Fund” Project Selection Program

Phase II including Recreational Trails Program (Motorized Portion) Funding:

Fund Background

The Off-Highway Vehicle Recreation Fund (Fund) (A.R.S. 28-1176) has been in existence since 1991. The Arizona Legislature appropriated .55% of state’s annual vehicle gas tax revenue to support the Fund. In 2009 new OHV legislation was enacted to provide more regulation of OHV usage and additional funds to support law enforcement and facility development. All vehicles weighing less than 1800 pounds and designed primarily for travel over unimproved terrain are required to display an indicia (sticker) distributed through the Department of Motor Vehicles. The $25 cost of the sticker is added to the OHV Recreation Fund. State Parks receives 60% of the money in the Fund and the State Parks Board is required to examine applications for eligible projects and determine the amount of funding, if any, for each project.

The Program

The “Sticker Fund Project Selection Program” (Program) is designed to solicit, review, and select projects that meet legislative requirements and priorities established in the most recent OHV recreation plan.  State Parks develops the OHV recreation plan every five years with input from land managing agency staff, OHV user organizations, individual OHV users, and the general public. The 2010 State Trails Plan can be found on the State Parks website:

http://azstateparks.com/publications/index.html#Trails_2010

Phase II of the Program will distribute approximately $1.5 million and is designed to solicit high priority / large dollar projects and projects seeking historical and cultural clearance and compliance funding. A convenient feature of this program is that there are no application deadlines. Project applications will be accepted at any time and reviewed periodically.
State Parks has an additional $1 million from the federal Recreational Trails Program (Motorized Portion) that will be offered to large projects that have completed NEPA compliance requirements.

Project Selection

Projects will be considered for funding each time the Off-Highway Vehicle Advisory Group (OHVAG) meets. If a project is not recommended for funding the first time it is reviewed, it will be considered at the next review unless the project sponsor withdraws the application.

Projects selected for funding in Phase II will encompass all of the following recommendations:

HIGH-USE AREA – the project will be located on a route, trail, or area that is currently experience heavy OHV traffic or will provide access to new routes, trails or areas.
USER SUPPORTED – the project will be endorsed by at least one user organization that can be identified with the specific project area.
PRIORITY RECOMMENDATION – a HIGH PRIORITY project will include mitigation efforts and a large number of purposes such as: 

• Designate, construct, maintain, renovate, repair or connect off-highway vehicle routes and trails;
• Designate, manage and acquire land for access roads, off-highway vehicle recreation facilities and off-highway vehicle use areas;
• Off-highway vehicle related informational and environmental education programs, information, signage, maps, and responsible use programs;
• Enforcement of off-highway vehicle laws;
• Mitigation of damages to land, revegetation and the prevention and restoration of damages to natural and cultural resources, including the closure of existing access roads, off-highway use areas and off-highway vehicle routes and trails;
• Projects located in an air quality attainment area must insure compliance with air quality regulations during construction and future use.
• Necessary environmental, historical and cultural clearances or compliance activities when combined with development of an off-highway facility;

NOTE: Per statute OHV Recreation Fund monies shall not be used to construct new OHV trails or routes on environmentally or culturally sensitive land unless the land manager determines that the proposed new trail construction will benefit or protect cultural or sensitive sites. Culturally sensitive land is areas of land that are administratively or legislatively designated by the federal government as a national monument, area of critical environmental concern, a conservation area, or inventoried roadless area OR determined by the land manager to contain significant natural or cultural resources or values.

DIVERSITY – the selected projects will represent a cross section of use types and geographic areas.
EXPEDIENCE – the project must be completed within one year of the advance of project funds
SPONSOR ELIGIBILITY – the applicant must have control of and management responsibility for the area of the project and have a current agreement with State Parks in effect to allow transfer of funds for OHV project purposes.

Phase II – Application, Funding, Completion

1. Project sponsors who can meet the Sponsor Eligibility criteria are invited to submit the following documents and supporting information:
   Application Form – available at: http://azstateparks.com/OHV/index.html
   User Support Letter – on organization letterhead signed by authorized representative.
   Map of Project Area – must show affected route numbers or trail names.
   Pictures of Project Area – must show all areas to be affected by project work and may be emailed or submitted on a disk. (See application form)
   
2. Applications received by July 10, 2010 will be considered for funding at the Off-Highway Vehicle Advisory Group (OHVAG) meeting on Friday, August 6, 2010. Applications received after July 10th will be considered at the next OHVAG meeting tentatively scheduled for late October, early November 2010.
   
3. Project sponsors may request not less than $30,000 and up to $150,000. No match is required. Administration costs (burden) are not eligible and cannot be included in the project cost. Design and engineering costs cannot exceed 10% of the project cost. Project sponsors may be required to use eligible contracted vendors to complete the National Environment Policy Act (NEPA) compliance requirements.
   
4. Upon execution of a task or work order State Parks will advance 80% of the project cost to the project sponsor.  The balance of allocated funds will be paid upon completion of the project.
   
5. Project sponsors may request more than $150,000 for large projects to be funded with federal Recreational Trail Program funds. The sponsor must complete NEPA compliance requirements and provide 5% of the total project cost in matching funds. The Sticker Fund Program will provide another 5% of the project cost to meet the non-federal component requirement. The Stick Fund component may be advanced to complete required surveys. The sponsor will be allowed up to three years to complete the project.

Contact

Questions about the program should be addressed to:

Robert Baldwin, Recreational Trails Grants Coordinator
Arizona State Parks
(602) 542-7130
rbb2(at)azstateparks.gov

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