Recognizing the increased demand sparked by the pandemic, six Iowa trails are getting federal relief money for repairs, renovations, and some expansion.
The COVID-19 Relief Recreational Trails Program was created to offset COVID’s effect on the funding for the State Recreational Trail program, according to Scott Flagg, the program manager for federal and state recreational trails at the Iowa Department of Transportation (DOT).
It’s a one-time $5 million fund specifically for projects meant to rebuild, renovate, or repair existing trails.
The federal assistance will be a big boost—in past years, the State Recreational Trail program had $1.5 million in 2019 and only $1 million for 2020.