Trail Building in Partnership with Local Land Managers
Wyoming Pathways is a statewide nonprofit in Wyoming that aims to improve active transportation and recreational trail opportunities. They have worked for eleven years to help make communities more bikeable and walkable, and building trails on public lands has been a big part of this work.
In their line of work are three “must-haves” for getting trails built on public lands in Wyoming: funds, a qualified builder, and land manager cooperation. Having funds and a qualified builder is something that you either have or don’t, but building or mending a relationship with a land manager takes nurturing, understanding, and time.
Nearly fifteen communities in Wyoming have expressed a desire for new trails over the next five years. With forty-eight percent of its land public, the state has no shortage of possible trail locations. When sifting through these requests, Wyoming Pathways follows a specific timeline and checklist for starting and finishing a project:
Citizens, community, and land managers are interested in building trails (this is key, there needs to be support on all fronts to start a project)
Securing land manager support for trails and verifying National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) clearances
Securing funding (donations, Recreational Trails Program grants (RTP), Challenge Cost Share Agreements, and Cooperator Agreements with USFS and BLM, etc.)
Put together bid documents for trail-building companies, select a winning bid, and hire the trail-building team
Oversee the build from start to finish
Pay the bills
Complete the final checkoff, celebrate, and promote the completion of the project
As you can see, community desire and support from land managers is one of the first and most important steps. For long-term success, these relationships are critical. Check out the three different projects below that illustrate the benefits of positive and collaborative relationships:
Project #1
Downhill-Optimized / Bike Only Trail on BLM outside of Lander, WY
To reduce trail conflict between user groups at Johnny Behind the Rocks, the land manager planned to construct a downhill-optimized, bike-only trail to pull riders from an existing two-way trail with many blind corners and limited sightlines.
Wyoming Pathways solicited bids for approximately 1.8 miles of new construction. The build was a jump line with double-black alt lines on both sides of a blue/black jump line that can be rolled or launched. The build may be the first of its kind in the region and supplies an amenity to users that would typically require a fee at a resort or bike park.
This trail was built with cooperator agreement money from the BLM, local donations, and in-kind contributions for time and equipment. Working with the land manager was vital to this build, as it was a first of its kind. Additionally, the land manager, in this case, created an opportunity for all users to get more of what they wanted, leading to greater collaboration between all users.
Wyoming Pathways works at the request of the land manager, which means trails are built for all users on that landscape. Individual trail user groups regularly advocate for their interests in Wyoming, and bikers are the most active in this space. Similarly, bikers are generally the primary group requesting new trails but most trails must be built for multiple groups to achieve community and land manager support. Wyoming Pathways has a long history of working with land managers to ensure the builds suit all users.
This relationship has grown because Wyoming Pathways understands and recognizes that all users deserve accommodations on public lands.
Project #2
Phase One Connector at Pole Mountain outside of Laramie, WY
When completed (summer 2024 Phase Two build), this trail will link the community of Laramie to the Happy Jack/Pole Mountain/Vedauwoo zones without the need for an automobile, or the use of pavement, creating dozens of miles of trail if ridden from town.
Phase Two will solve a problem related to crossing State Highway 210, which the Wyoming Department of Transportation does not support. In partnership with WYDOT and the Wyoming Office of Outdoor Recreation, the land manager and Wyoming Pathways came together to find a unique solution; we will complete this trail under the highway through an existing tunnel built for a grazing lessee creating an interesting trail aspect while ensuring greater safety for all users.
Funding for this project combines Challenge Cost Share Agreement (CCSA) and Recreational Trails Program (RTP) dollars with local fundraising completing the budget. The Forest Service or BLM can't always oversee trail projects in a meaningful way because they have a lot on their plate. They also have a long process they have to go through to buy anything for a trail. The CCSA allows Wyoming Pathways to work efficiently as it relates to contracting with builders, completing projects, and purchasing trail amenities such as bridges or fence crossings. Additionally, land managers don’t have time to walk the trail to make sure it is done correctly so again, this is where Wyoming Pathways comes in. It is incredibly important to build trust between your group/organization and local land managers. If you have a good relationship, you can work together to find unique solutions and move projects forward more quickly.
Project #3
Round Top to T-Hill Connector outside of Thermopolis, WY
Land Managers for this project include the City of Thermopolis, Hot Springs County, State Park Lands, and a piece of private land owned by the family of former Governor Dave Freudenthal. This project demonstrates the power of partnership as we crossed State Park Land, a decommissioned runway, the City golf course, and the Freudenthal Family Trust Land.
The trail is approximately thirteen miles out and back from the City and took three years to complete. These are the first trails in the community and were initially advocated for by the local outdoor recreation group, Hot City Alliance. The Thermopolis Chamber of Commerce Director stated that for the first time, numerous cars with bike racks have been seen parked in town after the completion of this project.
Funding for this project included RTP funding, local donations, a grant from a member of the Walton family, and a grant written by the Chamber of Commerce director. Mixed funding like this is unique but very powerful. Fostering relationships with stakeholders was key to moving this project forward.
Conclusion
Land managers are a critical part of getting trails built on public lands. It is essential to understand their needs and priorities. These relationships are built on trust, producing desirable outcomes, properly and efficiently using funding and looking for ways to help get wins for all involved. These relationships take time; patience is key. Trail users may be “in a hurry” to get new trails, which can lead to rogue building; this activity may lead to a slower process from the land manager's office. Advocating for the success of the land manager with user groups has been very effective. Understanding that staffing concerns proliferate across most industries and land managers are not immune. In conversations with Wyoming land managers, it is clear their plates are beyond full with backlogged maintenance concerns, infrastructure shortages, and onboarding new staff; working to get wins for these offices leads to greater trust, and this has been shown, time and again, to lead to better outcomes and often faster progress. If your community has a desire for new or improved trail projects, take a moment to get to know local land managers and be understanding, authentic, and helpful. This will go a long way in moving a project forward.
How to learn more about Wyoming Pathways and their work?
Website: https://www.wyopath.org
Emailing list: https://www.wyopath.org/join-us/mailing-list/
Social media: @wyopath
Email: info@wyopath.org
Want to support their work? Donate here: https://www.wyopath.org/donate/
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Michael Kusiek, Executive Director of Wyoming Pathways
Michael has over twenty years of experience in project management for health care, education, conservation, and public lands concerns. He has worked with groups throughout South Dakota, Wyoming, Montana, New York, and Colorado in performance improvement and organizational development. His appreciation for trails began as an early convert to mountain biking in the 1980s, and he took part in his first trail-building training with IMBA and Joey Klein in the mid-1990s. These experiences have served him well in leading Wyoming Pathways, a mission-driven organization to make communities more bikeable and walkable and to build high-quality, sustainable trails on public lands across Wyoming.
Michael currently serves as the Chair of the Lander Community Foundation and is a past member of the Lander City Council.
Michael holds a B.A. in multicultural studies/history and a Master’s in Education focused on total quality management.
