Maine Trails Program supports outdoor trail design and development in the state

MAINE, USA — The Bureau of Parks and Lands, which is within the Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation, and Forestry, is gearing up to announce the first round of awardees of the Maine Trails Program.

The program aims to support outdoor trail design and development in Maine.

In 2024, the state legislature approved $30 million for the program, with $7.5 million to be awarded this year and for the next three years.

Half of the money for each grant cycle is set aside for multi-use trails, while motorized and non-motorized trails have 25% set aside each.

Adam Fisher is the program manager. He said about 100 applicants were received for the first round, and the total amount requested was roughly twice the available funding. He said that while every project won’t be picked this time, it shows a need in the state.

“It’s exciting to see how much funding is needed and is being asked for,” Fisher told NEWS CENTER Maine. “It’s wonderful that this program can provide that for this year and for the next three years.”

He said some of the goals of the program are to make trails more accessible to people with mobility issues, help trails recover from the back-to-back winter storms that hit the state almost two years ago, and create new trails entirely.

One requirement is that trails have public access and use. Another requirement is that applicants are able to match a percentage of the funds being requested.

“The applicant, whether it be an ATV club, snowmobile club, or land trust, municipality, or other nonprofit, will need to match 10 percent of the funding that they’re asking for,” Fisher said. “However, that match can come in as cash, or it can be donated labor or supplies as well.”

The first round of awardees is expected to be announced by the end of November. The next grant cycle application for the Maine Trails Program opens in June 2026.

The Maine Trails Coalition also has an ambassador program where volunteers act as a point of contact for their respective communities to answer questions about the Maine Trails Program, as well as other responsibilities when it comes to connecting with resources and other trail-related information.

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