Universal
Trail Assessment
Coordinator
Newsletter
Spring 1998
UTAP Research Project Ending
Phase II of the UTAP project, which finalized the training materials, will be completed by August 1998. Beneficial Designs is currently transferring the UTAP training and certification process to American Trails; the two organizations are also collaborating to develop more opportunities for UTAP training and implementation. The National Center on Accessibility, Wilderness Inquiry and other organizations will also conduct UTAP training, while Beneficial Designs will provide map, assessment, and data analysis support services. In addition, Beneficial Designs will pursue UTAP-related research that includes developing the Trail Explorer Web Site, Trail Data Processing software for analyzing UTAP information and "Train the Trainer" materials.
Access Board Negotiated Rulemaking Committee Discusses Trails
In May of 1998, the Outdoor Recreation Negotiated Rulemaking Committee of the Access Board (the United States Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Board) began discussions to develop access guidelines for outdoor pathways. The committee received in-depth instruction on trail design and construction from Don Beers of the California State Parks and committee member Peter Jensen of the Appalachian Trails Conference. Topics presented included soils, trail environments, trail types, construction methodology, and trail design.
After the presentation, the group divided into smaller groups to strategize about developing trail requirements for access. The full committee selected the following process to address this issue: (1) Define an "end product"; (2) Discuss assumptions, philosophies, and principles about trail accessibility; (3) Review design practice and the past efforts of the Recreation Access Advisory Committee; (4) Develop "common ground"; (5) Develop scoping provisions; (6) Develop technical provisions; and (7) Compare product to objectives.
Trails will be discussed again at the next committee meeting, which will be held from August 11 - 14, 1998 at the Lomalinda Community Center, 1700 Yale, SE, Albuquerque, NM. Subsequent meetings will be held on October 21 - 24, 1998, and January 20 - 23, 1999. Locations for these meetings have not yet been confirmed. Additional information may be obtained by contacting Peggy Greenwell, Access Board, 1331 F Street NW, Suite 1000, Washington, DC 20004-1111; phone: 202-272-5434, ext. 34; fax: 202-272-5447; TTY: 202-272-5449; email: <greenwell@access-board.gov>
Trails and the American Spirit
The 14th National Trails Symposium (NTS), to be held November 13 - 17, 1998 in Tucson, Arizona, will feature the theme "Trails and the American Spirit". The NTS will unveil the latest changes to the Universal Trail Access Information system, develop a National Trails Agenda for the 21st Century, and present the 1998 National Trails Awards. In addition, the NTS will feature cutting-edge workshops conducted by nationally respected authorities, exciting educational field trips, a state-of-the-art exhibition hall and extensive networking opportunities. As part of the conference program, Peter Axelson and Julie Kirschbaum of Beneficial Designs will make a presentation on the benefits of applying the Universal Trail Assessment Process (UTAP) to urban trails and shared use paths.
A UTAP Refresher mini-workshop designed for graduates of previous UTAP courses will be held the afternoon of November 16 ($25.00). Trail Assessment Coordinators trained prior to 1998 are strongly encouraged to attend this update. The half-day clinic will review the final procedures and modifications to the UTAP process outlined in the last edition of this newsletter. Participants will have the opportunity to review the new procedures and practice them during a hands-on UTAP assessment.
For those who have not yet been trained in the UTAP, a two-day Universal Trail Assessment Process Coordinator Workshop open to all interested individuals will be offered on November 17-18, 1998. The full workshop includes classroom and field training, all materials, and lunch on both days for $275.00. Workshops will be filled on a first-come, first-served basis. Contact American Trails for more information on all NTS workshops.
The National Trails Symposium is the premier forum to learn and exchange current ideas, opinions, products and practices with the entire trails community. Attendees will include land managers, trail planners, trails advocates, outdoor enthusiasts, and representatives from the outdoor industry.
The NTS will help to further the American Trails vision of creating a system of trails connecting communities across America with greenways, historic, cultural and recreational sites and the backcountry. Such a trails network would provide a wide range of social, physical, spiritual and economic benefits.
To receive a NTS brochure and obtain more details about the UTAP Workshops, contact the American Trails office at: (520) 632-1140, fax: (520) 632-1147; e-mail: AmTrails@lankaster. com, <www.outdoorlink.com/amtrails>.Trail
Creating Stand-Alone Trail Data Software
Data collected during the trail assessment is currently processed with an Excel spreadsheet containing macros that generate summary trail access information and trail feature reports. This system requires users to own Excel and be familiar with its operating environment. The ease with which trail data can be entered and processed, and the number of possible functions and outputs, is inherently limited by the capabilities of Excel. Stand-alone Trail Data Processing Software (TDPS) is needed to allow trail managers to quickly and easily process, organize, generate, and store trail access information.
The proposed stand-alone TDPS will make the current user interface easier and faster to use. In addition, the TDPS will be able to generate customized trail data summaries that can be used to budget for maintenance needs and analyze trails for compliance with pending Access Board trail recommendations. The improved trail access information summaries will enable land managers to better maintain and improve access to new and existing trails for users of all abilities.
1998 Colorado Trails Symposium
The 1998 Colorado Trails Symposium, a statewide trails conference, will be held October 8 - 10 at the Holiday Inn of Grand Junction, Colorado. Events and workshops will be held in sites throughout the Grand Valley, including Palisade, Colorado National Monument, Fruita and along the Colorado River.
The biannual Symposium brings together a variety of trails activists, community trail managers, federal agencies, and others interested in trails. The program will include mobile workshops, round table discussions of current issues, seminars, field trips, and other events.
The Symposium is sponsored by Colorado State Parks and several co-hosts, including the Colorado Riverfront Commission, and the cities of Grand Junction, Fruita, and Palisade.
If you would like to have the UTAP Training included in the program or wish to obtain more information about the conference, contact Stuart MacDonald by phone at (303) 866-3203 Ext. 335 or e-mail at MacTrail@aol.com. Or call Michele Rohrbach (970) 245-0045 at the Riverfront Commission. Be on the lookout for registration materials this summer!
Federal and State
Partners Adopt UTAP
The Bureau of Land Management and the U.S. Forest Service will be implementing the Universal Trail Assessment Process throughout their jurisdictions with the help of American Trails. They plan to define the need for assessments, address a variety of signage issues, explore funding and volunteer opportunities, prioritize the implementation process, develop a marketing plan and identify an agency-specific funding strategy. American Trails will develop a funding and volunteer resource database to help these agencies conduct the assessments and develop signage and trail guide products with Trail Access Information.
The Forest Service will hold a workshop for Forest Service trail coordinators on November 19 - 20, 1998, following the National Trails Symposium in Tucson, Arizona. Interested Forest Service employees from any region should contact American Trails to register.
The Federal Highway Administration is also providing funding to American Trails to promote and implement the UTAP throughout state lands. American Trials will work closely with states interested in signing on. California and Minnesota State Parks systems are currently implementing the UTAP.
American Trails will oversee the Trail Assessment Coordinator certification process and develop six Trail Access Information (TAI) demonstration sites around the country over the next two years. Contact the American Trails office at (520) 632-1140 if your agency or organization is interested in providing Universal Trail Access information for trail users.
Explorer Web Site Phase I Completed
Phase I of the Trail Explorer Web site has been completed. The site provides a searchable database of trails containing Trail Access Information, and allows users to find signage, access, images, natural history and other visitor information about trails they might like to visit. The site also contains links to sites such as state park pages that provide related information. Web site users can determine in advance which trails are best suited to their interests and abilities. In addition, users can obtain any equipment or assistance necessary for them to access these trails before their arrival. Web site evaluators, including people with a range of physical abilities, ages, and trail experience, gave overwhelmingly positive feedback and provided many suggestions that may be included in future work.
A funding proposal for Phase II of this project is currently being considered by the Department of Education. Phase II will establish a standardized set of trail characteristics, expand the Web site and trail access information database, collect and enter trail information, and demonstrate the effectiveness of the Web site through on-line evaluations. More links to related Web sites will also be added.
UTAP Workshop
in Toronto, Canada
Patti Longmuir taught the first UTAP workshop held outside the United States at the Humber Arboretum and Nature Centre in Toronto, Canada on May 5 - 6, 1998. Workshop participants included staff from the Arboretum as well as representatives of municipal park agencies, private consulting firms and post-secondary institutions. Participants came from as far away as Vermont and Minnesota. The Arboretum and Nature Centre's trails, which include mature forest, open meadow, and ornamental gardens, allowed participants to develop their new skills in a variety of settings. Classroom facilities adjacent to the trails made for an ideal training location. Many thanks to the staff of the Humber Arboretum, who handled workshop registration, refreshments, and facility logistics with efficiency and graciousness. Hopefully, this workshop heralds the start of many more UTAP workshops conducted outside the United States.
Acknowledgments
Computerized Mapping of Outdoor Trails for Accessibility is funded by the National Center for Medical Rehabilitation Research in the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development at the National Institutes of Health through a Small Business Innovation Research Phase I Grant # 1 R43 HD29992-01 and Phase II Grant # 2 R44 HD29992-02.
Hiking Trails Web Site with Universal Access Information was funded by the U.S. Department of Education through a Small Business Innovation Research Grant contract number RW 97076011.
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