Trail Project Approval Processes 2026-02-24

When the Trail Conference agrees to maintain additional trails or to carry out trail work beyond
normal maintenance, it is important to ensure that:

• The Trail Conference has appropriate agreements in place with the land manager under which the Trail Conference will build and maintain trails, and has the ability to refer to approvals to address any future issues of permission or liability.
• The Trail Conference has the resources to maintain the trails and carry out the planned work.
• Any planned trail work conforms to the rules and processes of the land manager and the Trail Conference.
• Information about the changes is updated in the Trail Conference trail database, maps, and publications.

To achieve these goals, the Policy Council has defined four separate processes, some or all of
which may be required for a particular project:

1. Park Adoption Process: This process is used if the Trail Conference is agreeing to adopt trails in a new park or area where we do not already have an agreement with the land manager to build and maintain trails in that area. It is also used if we will cease working on trails in an entire park or area. The process, which ensures that we have an appropriate agreement in place and that we have the resources to work in the new area, must be completed before either of the other two processes can be finalized.
2. Trail Adoption Process: This process is used if the Trail Conference intends to maintain a trail or to close or abandon a trail we maintain. Trail Project Approval Processes, update approved by Policy Council 2/24/2026 1
3. Trail Construction Approval Process: This process, which involves both the land manager and the Trail Conference, is used to obtain the necessary approvals for trail work beyond normal maintenance on trails we have adopted.
4. Trail Network Change Process: This process is used when planning significant changes to the markings and/or names of existing trails within a park unit. If more than one of the four processes is required for a project, they can proceed in parallel, but a process cannot be completed until the process listed above it has been completed.

These processes apply to projects on trails which the Trail Conference maintains, or soon plans to maintain, within the regions managed by the Regional Trail Councils. They do not apply to for-fee projects undertaken by staff on trails not maintained by the Trail Conference.