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“Sticker Fund” Project Selection Program

Fund Background

The Off-Highway Vehicle Recreation Fund (Fund) (A.R.S. 28-1176) has been in existence since 1991. The Arizona Legislature appropriated .55% of state’s annual vehicle gas tax revenue to support the Fund. In 2009 new OHV legislation was enacted to provide more regulation of OHV usage and additional funds to support law enforcement and facility development. All vehicles weighing less than 1800 pounds and designed primarily for travel over unimproved terrain are required to display an indicia (sticker) distributed through the Department of Motor Vehicles. The $25 cost of the sticker is added to the OHV Recreation Fund. State Parks receives 60% of the money in the Fund to: develop, improve, renovate OHV routes, areas and facilities; enforce OHV laws; mitigate damage caused by improper OHV use; and, facilitate historical and cultural clearance and compliance activities. State Parks receives deposits from the Fund monthly.

The Program

The "Sticker Fund" Project Selection Program can fund select projects that meet the legislative requirements and priorities established in the most recent OHV plan.

State Parks is initiating the “Sticker Fund Project Selection Program” (Program) to; solicit, review, and select projects that meet the legislative requirements and priorities established in the most recent OHV recreation plan. State Parks develops the OHV recreation plan every five years with input from land managing agency staff, OHV user organizations, individual OHV users, and the general public. The 2010 State Trails Plan can be found on the State Parks website.

Phase I of the Program will distribute approximately $300,000 and is designed to get priority projects “on the ground” as quickly as possible. Money from the Fund that has been accumulating since January 2010 when the new legislation became effective is now available. A new feature of this program is that there are no application deadlines. Project applications will be accepted at any time and reviewed periodically as funds become available. Other sponsors will be considered in the later phases of the program.

In Phase II of the Program projects seeking historical and cultural clearance and compliance funding will be considered. The projected starting date for this phase of the Program will be announced in the fall of 2010 upon availability of funds.

Phase III of the Program will consider education projects/programs and long-term funding arrangements with managers of OHV use areas.

Project Selection

Projects will be considered for funding each time the Off-Highway Vehicle Advisory Group meets to review projects unless the project sponsor withdraws the application.

Projects selected for funding in Phase I will encompass all of the following recommendations:

• HIGH-USE AREA: the project will be located on a route, trail, or area that is currently experience heavy OHV traffic.
  
• USER SUPPORTED: the project will be endorsed by at least one user organization that can be identified with the specific project area.
  
• PRIORITY RECOMMENDATION: the project will include: maintenance and/or renovation of existing routes, trails, or areas;  mitigation of damage in proximity to approved use areas; and installation of trail route signs.
  
• DIVERSITY: the selected projects will represent a cross section of use types and geographic areas.
  
• EXPEDIENCE: the project will be completed June 30, 2011.
• SPONSOR ELIGIBILITY: the applicant must have control of and management responsibility for the area of the project and have a current agreement with State Parks in effect to allow transfer of funds for OHV project purposes. Other sponsors will be considered in later phases of the program.

Phase I – Application, Funding, Completion

1. Project sponsors who can meet the Sponsor Eligibility criteria are invited to submit the following documents and supporting information:
   Application Form: available on top of this page.
   User Support Letter: on organization letterhead signed by authorized representative.
   Map of Project Area: must show affected route numbers or trail names.
   Pictures of Project Area: must show all areas to be affected by project work and may be emailed or submitted on a disk. (See application form)
    
   
2. Applications received by April 15, 2010 will be considered for funding at the Off-Highway Vehicle Advisory Group (OHVAG) meeting on Friday, May 21, 2010. Applications received after April 15th will be considered at the next OHVAG meeting which will be convened in August or sooner if necessary.
    
   
3. Project sponsors may request up to $100,000. No match is required. Administration costs (burden) are not eligible and cannot be included in the project cost. Design and engineering costs cannot exceed 10% of the project cost. 
    
   
4. Upon execution of task or work order State Parks will advance 80% of the project cost to the project sponsor. The balance of allocated funds will be paid upon completion of the project.
    
   
5. The project will be considered completed when the work proposed in the application form and agreed upon in the task/work order is certified by letter as completed, pictures from the same location as submitted with the application show the project accomplishments, and documentation of all eligible projects cost are submitted with the Payment Request Form (to be provided). Completing the project within the agreed upon time is imperative. Failure to do so could affect selection for future projects.

Contact

Questions about the program should be addressed to:

Robert Baldwin, Recreational Trails Grants Coordinator
Arizona State Parks
(602) 542-7130
rbb2(at)azstateparks.gov

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