Last month, both Billings TrailNet and the City Of Billings applied for grants totaling just over $300,000 in trail projects through two Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks grant programs.
As trail maintenance is a topic of discussion among trail advocates and City Council, applications would fund much-needed trail repairs:
Crack seal and seal coat the Black Otter Trail
(from the airport roundabout, through Swords Park, past Skeleton Cliff, and down to the underpass to the Alkali Creek Trail).
The Black Otter Trail project will fund crucial maintenance on this 3.2 mile long trail. The trail has extensive cracking due to weathering, with a total of 502 cracks, most extending the entire width of the trail.
Repair trails at Riverfront Park.
The trail was not constructed of durable materials and is in danger of disappearing completely if it is not repaired. Additionally, staff cannot plow the trail in its current condition, which makes the trail inaccessible for people with disabilities when snow falls.
If these grants are awarded, they could provide up to $200,000 to repair the trails at Riverfront Park and $43,000 to repair the Black Otter Trail.
Add signage to the trails between Coulson Park and Alkali Creek Trail.
Over the years, people have told us they have trouble navigating the trail system. With missing trail connections, and forks in the trail, without a good internal sense of direction and having studied a map, it can be difficult to figure out how to get where you want to go.
The city has no dedicated funding for trail signage, so we applied for a grant to create and install 92 wayfinding signs on 10.5 miles of trails.
We carefully chose areas with the highest need for directional signage: for instance, the Jim Dutcher Trail, heading north Northwest passed the wastewater treatment plant has an option to turn northeast toward Two Moon Park, or go northwest toward Alkali Creek Trail, under Main Street.
The Recreational Trails Program (RTP), is a federally funded grants program that supports Montana’s trails.
The RTP funds come from the Federal Highway Trust Fund and represent a portion of the motor fuel excise tax collected from fuel used for off-highway recreation by snowmobiles, all-terrain vehicles, off-highway motorcycles, and off-highway light trucks. Approximately $1.5 million is made available each year.
The Trail Stewardship Grant Program (TSP) is a state program that provides funding for the development, renovation, and maintenance of motorized and nonmotorized recreational trails and trailside facilities throughout Montana (23-2-108 and 23-2-109, MCA). TSP is administered by the Parks & Outdoor Recreation Division within Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks (FWP).
In 2019, the Montana Legislature passed Senate Bill 24 which generates about $950,000 per year to fund projects that benefit small communities, urban centers, and backcountry landscapes. Funding for TSP comes from a portion of Montana’s $9.00 light vehicle registration as well as tax revenue from recreational marijuana sales. TSP has awarded approximately $5.6 million in its first four grant cycles (2021-2024) to 140 different trail access and improvement projects across the state.
The amount of available funding for the 2025 cycle is approximately $2 million. Applicants may request a maximum of $100,000 in grant funds.
The Recreational Trails Program requires a 20% local match ($20,000) and the Montana Trail Stewardship Grant program requires a 10% local match ($10,000).
The Riverfront Park match is funded by Parks & Recreation and the Black Otter Trail project match will be provided by Billings TrailNet. Billings TrailNet will provide the full cash match of $12,000 for the signage grant.
The State Trails Advisory Committee (STAC) will review these grants March 19-20 and make recommendations for awards. The public may comment on grant projects during the Public Comment period at their meeting; or can write to Montana FWP between April and May 2025, with a final decision announced sometime in June.
Communities around Montana rely on these funds for much needed trail and recreation projects. It is helpful to have the community’s support during the STAC meeting.
Fish, Wildlife & Parks offers a variety of opportunities for the public to comment on issues, rules, grants, environmental assessments, land acquisitions, development or enhancement projects, hunting and fishing regulations, and more that FWP administers.
They acknowledge that public participation is essential to their processes and decisions. To sign up for FWP news and information updates, click here.
- See Public Notices for additional commenting opportunities