August 10, 2005, was a remarkable day for recreation advocates in the United States. President George W. Bush signed SAFETEA–LU, the five-year, $286.4 billion omnibus transportation bill which replaces TEA-21. The bill substantially increases funding for a number of recreation-related programs including the Recreational Trails Program, the National Scenic Byways Program, the Federal Lands Highway Program, the Transportation Enhancement Program, the Sportfishing and Recreational Boating Safety Act and funding for bicycle and pedestrian facility improvements. An estimated $1.5 billion per year will go toward outdoor-related programs overall, not including millions of dollars for specific “high priority” community trail and recreation projects throughout the nation.

The National Scenic Byways Program will receive $175 million for grants during the five-year program – an average of nearly 40% more annually than under TEA-21. Funding will rise to $43.5 million by Fiscal Year 2009. In addition, funding for the America’s Byways Resource Center will increase by 50% from $1.5 million in the current year to $3 million for each of the next four years. The center provides technical support, training, publications and conferences for local officials and organizations associated with Scenic Byways.

The Recreational Trails Program provides funds to the states to develop and maintain recreational trails and trail facilities for both motorized and non-motorized recreational trail uses. While the Recreational Trails Program will still receive considerably less than 50% of the gasoline taxes generated by off-highway recreation, SAFETEA-LU provides an increase of 64% from average annual spending under TEA-21. Total spending for the five-year program will be $370 million and will rise to $85 million for the final year, Fiscal Year 2009.

The Transportation Enhancement (TE) program will receive about $3.5 billion through Fiscal year 2009, a slight increase over TEA-21. The TE program funds a variety of transportation-related community projects, including the “recycling” of abandoned railway corridors for recreation use. Trails and bicycle/pedestrian facilities have historically accounted for about one-half of all TE funding.

The Federal Land Highways Program includes funding for Indian Reservation Roads, Park Roads and Parkways, Refuge Roads, and Public Lands Highway. Each of these program areas saw healthy increases from TEA-21 funding levels.

The Wallop-Breaux Fund, officially known as the Sportfishing and Recreational Boating Safety Program, enjoyed dramatic success in the new legislation. For the first time, all of the motorfuel taxes paid by recreational boaters will be transferred to the fund and shared with states to fund a variety of projects enhancing boating and fishing opportunities. The additional funds – nearly a nickel per gallon – will boost program funding by approximately $110 million annually.

Bicycle and Pedestrian Programs, including Transit in the Parks, a Non-Motorized Transportation Pilot Program for four areas (Columbia, MO; Marin County, CA; Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN and Sheboygan County, WI) to help develop trails and other bicycle/pedestrian facilities, and the Congestion Mitigation Air Quality Program also saw funding boosts under the new law.

“Overall, this is great news for recreation and the health and well-being of all Americans,” said American Recreation Coalition President Derrick Crandall. “Trails and byways received a significant boost in funding, despite heavy cutting of 'discretionary' programs. These increases could not have happened without the grass-roots support of the members of the Coalition for Recreational Trails and the Scenic Byways Coalition. Members of both groups have worked tirelessly on this effort, showcasing the partnership-based successes of both programs since 1992.”

Crandall also said, “We are now only two years away from the start of the next transportation reauthorization effort. By then, we will have even more trail and byway success stories to tell and additional projects funded with tens of millions of new dollars in Congressional districts around the nation.”

Further details about Scenic Byways and the Recreational Trails Program can be found on this website.

For the complete text and a summary of SAFETEA-LU, [click here].