Republican state Rep. Chris Miller (R-Oakland) recently urged constituents to take advantage of grants made available through the Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR).
Applications were being accepted through March 14 for the Recreational Trails Program (RTP), Off-Highway Vehicle (OHV) and Illinois Bicycle Path Grant Program.
“These grants are one way for our communities to develop or improve trails for horseback riding or off-road activities that many people in my district enjoy,” Miller said in a press release. “I represent all or parts of nine counties and there are several communities that I think could be competitive if they apply for these competitive grants.”
RTP is billed as a federally funded “reimbursement grant program that provides 80 percent of project funding with a required 20-percent local match.”
The program is administered in conjunction with the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), with funds earmarked for assisting government agencies and trail groups in the “rehabilitation, development, maintenance and acquisition” of recreational trails and related facilities. Resources can also be used for environmental protection and safety education projects.
OHV was created for the purpose of providing financial assistance to government agencies, not-for-profit organizations, and other eligible groups that are publicly open and accessible and to refurbish places harmed by unauthorized OHV use.
Finally, with an assistance budget topping $12 million, the Illinois Bicycle Path Grant Program (Bike Path) offers financial backing to approved local units of government with the goal being assisting with the “acquisition, construction and rehabilitation of public off-road, non-motorized bicycle paths and directly related support facilities.”
Miller won election in the 110th District in November with roughly 60 percent of the vote. The district includes Clark, Coles, Crawford, Cumberland, Edgar and Lawrence counties.
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