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The Environmental Finance Center has gathered many helpful links to websites with information related to greenways. Please click on one of the categories on the below.
Technical Expertise
Rivers, Trails and Conservation Assistance (RTCA)
Contact the Rivers, Trails, and Conservation Assistance (RTCA) Program (www.nps.gov/ncrc/programs/rtca). RTCA is the community assistance arm of the National Park Service. This program provides expertise and experience to help “communities achieve on-the-ground conservation successes for their projects.” Schedule a field visit by RTCA staff; they can recommend next steps and will advise as to whether the municipality is ready for further assistance.
Contact:
- Wink Hastings (whastings@chesapeakebay.net, 410-267-5787), in the Annapolis office of RTCA, is the contact for efforts in Maryland and Virginia.
- Ursula Lemanski (Ursula_Lemanski@nps.gov, 703-431-7728) is associated with the Philadelphia office of RTCA, but works out of northern Virginia. She has particular expertise in greenways.
Apply for technical assistance from RTCA.
- Assistance lasts one year; may be extended for a second year.
- Deadline: August 1 for assistance beginning the following fiscal year (October 1 through September 30).
- Eligibility: Nonprofits, community groups, and local, state or federal government agencies.
- Before getting involved, RTCA wants to see a commitment to significant public involvement and outreach, plus evidence of broad support for the project. RTCA looks for projects with “specific, partner-defined goals” and expects “roles and contributions of project partners” to be “substantive and well-defined.”
RTCA has a five-year partnership with the Association of Landscape Architects (ASLA). RTCA invites local ASLA chapters to help with planning and logistics on projects, and the chapters ask their members if they would like to participate. These landscape architects offer pro bono services for up-front planning and establish relationships with project members that often lead to further collaboration.
Rails-to-Trails Conservancy
Contact the Rails-to-Trails Conservancy (www.railstrails.org). RTC assists the trails and greenways movement by “providing the information, technical assistance and training that local trail builders need to succeed.”
RTC’s has regional and state-based field offices that can “sponsor workshops, negotiate grant and funding acquisition, rally state and local political leaders, reach out to community members, and liaison with railroads and other companies to advance community trail-building efforts.”
Trail Development Assistance Response Team (TrailDART). TrailDART is a for-hire service of RTC. The program “offers full service assistance to communities in all aspects of trail building from initial consultation to laying the groundwork for trails through trail development and beyond.” Services include: Land Acquisition Assistance, Corridor Inventory and Assessment, Corridor Mapping, Feasibility Analysis, Alternatives Analysis, Development of Concept Plans, Facilitation of Public Involvement. Training Workshops and Public Presentations, Creation of Trail Management Plans.
Contact: RTC National Office (covers Virginia): 1100 17th Street, NW, 10th Floor, Washington, D.C. 20036, 202-331-9696.
The Trust for Public Land
The Conservation Fund
Private Consultants
Consider hiring a private firm to guide the planning process. Firms can help with public education and outreach, community assessments, funding analysis and grant application, and physical planning and design. Sometimes such firms can offer in-kind services pro bono. Listing of a firm here does not constitute a recommendation of that firm’s qualifications or services. These firms have been involved in other greenway efforts in Virginia and the region.
- LandDesign, Inc. Washington, DC, and Charlotte, NC (www.landdesign.com).
- Toole Design Group, Hyattsville, MD (www.tooledesign.com).
- Hayes, Seay, Mattern and Mattern (HSMM) Lynchburg and Roanoke, VA (www.hsmm.com).
- Greenways, Inc., Durham, NC (http://greenways.com/trails_greenways.html).
- Hanson Design Group, Ltd., Pittsburgh, PA (www.hdg-ltd.com).
- Hawkins Partners, Inc., Nashville, TN (www.hawkinspartners.com).
PARTNER ORGANIZATIONS
The agencies and organizations listed here can provide valuable information, expertise, training and networking opportunities.
Public
- U.S. Department of Health and Human Services – Center for Disease Control and Prevention
- Virginia Department of Transportation – State Bicycle and Pedestrian Program
- Virginia Department of Health – Healthy Pathways Coalition
- National Urban and Community Forestry Advisory Council
- Northern Shenandoah Valley Regional Commission
Private
- America Bikes
- American Farmland Trust
- American Hiking Society
- American Land Conservancy
- American Planning Association
- American Recreation Coalition – Coalition for Recreational Trails
- American Society of Landscape Architects
- American Trails – National Trails Training Partnership
- America Walks
- BikeWalk Virginia
- Land Trust Alliance
- League of American Bicyclists
- National Complete Streets Coalition
- Nature Conservancy
- National Center for Safe Routes to Schools
- Northern Virginia Conservation Trust
- Professional Trailbuilders Association
- River Network
- Southern Environmental Law Center
- Surface Transportation Policy Project
- Tree Research and Education Endowment Fund (TREE Fund)
- Trust for Public Land
- Virginia Bicycle Federation
- Virginia Conservation Network
- Virginia League of Conservation Voters
- Virginia Save Our Streams
- Virginia Transportation Construction Alliance
- Virginia Urban Forest Council
- Virginia Watersheds Alliance
- Neighborhoods USA
- Virginia Statewide Neighborhood Conference
Other Funding Guides
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