1. A. Purpose. The Recreational Trail Program (RTP) provides funds to the states to develop and maintain recreational trails and trail-related facilities for both non-motorized and motorized recreational trail uses. The RTP is an assistance program of the Department of Transportation's Federal Highway Administration (FHWA). including hiking, bicycling, in-line skating, equestrian use, cross-country skiing, snowmobiling, off-road motorcycling, all-terrain vehicle riding, four-wheel driving, or using other off-road motorized vehicles.
2. B. Delegation of Authority. The RTP is an assistance program of the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Highway Administration (FHWA). Each state administers its own program. By virtue of Governor Bobby Jindal’s Executive Order 2008-5, the Recreational Trails Program now resides in the Department of Culture, Recreation and Tourism.

3. C. Program Funding. The RTP funds come from the Federal Highway Trust Fund, and represent a portion of the motor fuel excise tax collected from non-highway recreational fuel use: fuel used for off-highway recreation by snowmobiles, all-terrain vehicles, off-highway motorcycles, and off-highway light trucks. The RTP funds are distributed to the states by legislative formula: half of the funds are distributed equally among all states, and half are distributed in proportion to the estimated amount of non-highway recreational fuel use in each state.

   ³ Title 23, United States Code, §206, Recreational Trails Program

Authority Note

AUTHORITY NOTE: Promulgated in accordance with R.S. 56:1681-1704, R.S. 56:1801-1809 and R.S. 36:201-209.

Historical Note

HISTORICAL NOTE: Promulgated by the Department of Culture, Recreation and Tourism, Office of State Parks, LR 36:1233 (June 2010), amended LR 43:299 (February 2017).