Trail Assessment & Project PlanningUpdate

2014 UpdateAfter 10 years of data collection on the trail(two complete assessments of the entire trail), we have decided to take a year off so we can:

1) analyze the data for patterns and trends

2) evaluate the planning process and identify where improvements can be made

Data Patterns & Trends

∙ Over 90% are “treadway” related problems

∙ Over 50% are “serious” or “critical”

∙ ME & NH have the most

∙ WV, MD, NJ have the least

TreadwayCampsite

Critical

Serious

Minor

Maine

New Hampshire

North Carolina

Virginia

Tennessee

Vermont

Pennsylvania

Massa-chusetts

New York Georgia Connecticut New JerseyMaryland West Virginia

92.4%

52.1%

10.9%

Data Patterns & Trends

∙ Over 70% of the proposed solutions

involve building something new

∙ Over 75% of the new items are

steps, checkdams or waterbars

Steps50.82%

Waterbars15.64%

Checkdams21.78%

Other5.57%

73.28%

9.88%

9.02%

4.76%

1.68% 0.50% 0.42% 0.41% 0.05%

Build/AddRepairReplaceRemoveOtherMonitorCloseReportMow

∙ 43,690 Steps ∙ 13,342 Check Dams ∙ 11,909 Water Bars ∙ 9,542 Other Items

78,483 Total Items

Data Patterns & Trends

∙ Nearly 50% of the problems need

a trail crew to fix

∙ In New England alone, 75% of the

problems need a trail crew to fix

YESNO

Not Sure

YES

NO

Problems per Mile for each Club

Maine A

ppalach

ian Tr

ail Club

Appalach

ian M

ountain Club

Randolph M

ountain Club

Dartmouth O

uting Club

Green M

ountain Club

AMC - Berk

shire

Chapter

AMC - Connecti

cut C

hapter

New Yo

rk-New

Jerse

y Trai

l Confer

ence

Wilm

ington Tr

ail Club

Batona H

iking C

lub

AMC - Dela

ware Vall

ey Chap

ter

Philadelp

hia Tra

il Club

Blue Mountai

n Eagle

Climbing C

lub

Allentown Hiki

ng Club

Susq

uehan

na Appala

chian

Trail

Club

York

Hiking C

lub

Mountain Club of M

arylan

d

Cumberlan

d Valley

Appalach

ian Tr

ail Club

Potomac Appala

chian

Trail

Club

Old Dominion Appalach

ian Tr

ail Club

Tidew

ater A

ppalach

ian Tr

ail Club

Natural

Bridge

Appalach

ian Tr

ail Club

Roanoke

Appalach

ian Tr

ail Club

Outdoor Club of V

irginia

Tech

Piedmont A

ppalach

ian Tr

ail Hike

rs

Mount Roge

rs Appala

chian

Trail

Club

Tenness

ee Ea

stman

Hiking a

nd Canoein

g Club

Carolin

a Mountai

n Club

Smoky

Mountai

n Hiking C

lub

Nantah

ala Hiki

ng Club

Georgi

a Appala

chian

Trail

Club0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

ME, NH & TN/NChave the most

PA has the least

Cost per Mile by Club

Maine A

ppalach

ian Tr

ail Club

Appalach

ian M

ountain Club

Randolph M

ountain Club

Dartmouth O

uting Club

Green M

ountain Club

AMC - Berk

shire

Chapter

AMC - Connecti

cut C

hapter

New Yo

rk-New

Jerse

y Trai

l Confer

ence

Wilm

ington Tr

ail Club

Batona H

iking C

lub

AMC - Dela

ware Vall

ey Chap

ter

Philadelp

hia Tra

il Club

Blue Mountai

n Eagle

Climbing C

lub

Allentown Hiki

ng Club

Susq

uehan

na Appala

chian

Trail

Club

York

Hiking C

lub

Mountain Club of M

arylan

d

Cumberlan

d Valley

Appalach

ian Tr

ail Club

Potomac Appala

chian

Trail

Club

Old Dominion Appalach

ian Tr

ail Club

Tidew

ater A

ppalach

ian Tr

ail Club

Natural

Bridge

Appalach

ian Tr

ail Club

Roanoke

Appalach

ian Tr

ail Club

Outdoor Club of V

irginia

Tech

Piedmont A

ppalach

ian Tr

ail Hike

rs

Mount Roge

rs Appala

chian

Trail

Club

Tenness

ee Ea

stman

Hiking a

nd Canoein

g Club

Carolin

a Mountai

n Club

Smoky

Mountai

n Hiking C

lub

Nantah

ala Hiki

ng Club

Georgi

a Appala

chian

Trail

Club0

2000

4000

6000

8000

10000

12000

14000

16000

18000

ME, NH & WTC’s sectionhave the highest cost

MA, CT, NY, RATC & the South have the next highest cost

Recap

∙ Over 90% of the deficiencies are “treadway” related

∙ Over 50% of the deficiencies are considered “serious” or “critical”

∙ ME & NH have the most deficiencies; WV, MD, NJ have the least

∙ Over 70% of the proposed solutions involve building something

new

∙ 75% of the new items suggested are steps, waterbars or

checkdams

∙ Nearly 50% of the problems need a trail crew to fix

(In New England alone, 75% of the problems need a trail crew to fix)

How do we incorporate this informationinto the planning process?

We need to focus more attention on sections with the greatest needs

For effective stewardship and continuity So we have something to work with – save it before it’s too bad to fix

We need to address the critical and serious problems before we address minor ones We need to consider alternative solutions for areas that have a

high number of deficiencies (possible relos or realignments?) and implement more sustainable designs with projects where the trail is in its optimal location

Gullying on Saddleback Junior

Why is this important?Showing Improvements = $$$ NPS provides 1-million dollars per year towards trail work, which includes:

NPS funding for trail work is only possible if we can show improvements to the trail and that we are working to address identified deficiencies

• Konnarock Trail Crew Program

• Mid-Atlantic Trail Crew Program

• Rocky Top & SWEAT Crew Programs

• MATC Trail Crew

• AMC-WM Trail Crew

• DOC Trail Crew

• Vermont Trail Crew

• Youth Crews

• Bridge Projects

• Shelter Projects

• Parking Lot Projects

• Maintained Landscape Projects

• Boundary Maintenance

• Structure Demolition

• Other Trail Projects

APPA currently has the second lowest CRV of all Class III Trails in the entire park service – this is NOT good!

The CRV for APPA should be at least equal to the closest comparable CRVs, which is $43.03/linear foot if you average DEWA, SHEN & GRSMParks Selected Trail Class CRV per Linear Foot

All NPS All $56.62All NPS Class 3 Only $55.99All NPS Class 2,3,4 $59.61Northeast Region All $68.63Northeast Region Class 3 Only $79.29Northeast Region Class 2,3,4 $96.14Delaware Water Gap All $58.29Delaware Water Gap Class 3 Only $78.59Delaware Water Gap Class 2,3,4 $100.68Shenandoah All $25.41Shenandoah Class 3 Only $24.85Shenandoah Class 2,3,4 $26.95Great Smoky Mountains All $43.66Great Smoky Mountains Class 3 Only $43.96Great Smoky Mountains Class 2,3,4 $44.40DEWA, SHEN, GRSM All $44.75DEWA, SHEN, GRSM Class 3 Only $45.18

DEWA, SHEN, GRSM Class 2,3,4 $43.03

APPA also has low or inaccurate API scores for individual assets, meaning our projects rank low for funding

Trail (Treadway) – API 100 (OB 1)

Maintained Landscapes – API 88 (OB 1)

Shelters/Privies – API 75 (OB 2)

Parking Areas – API 46 (OB 3)

Campsites – API 37 (OB 3)

API = Asset Priority Index; OB = Optimizer Band

To improve our CRV & API values, we need:

Additional photos & documentation on facilities (shelters, privies, parking areas, etc)

Detailed inventory of all treadway assets (including stairs, boardwalk, puncheon, turnpike, etc)

Pleasant Pond Mountain Lower section, Old Blue

We also need better reporting so we “count” all the work

We need better information

for all projects (not just NPS

funded projects) – including

total hours on each project,

list of materials for each

project, and before & after

photos – all in a standardized

format, trail-wide

Reporting

Draft Reporting Form

We also need to provide better information to you, the

trail maintainers and managers

Supply data in different formatso e.g. Google Earth, Online Webmap, Interactive Forms

Organize information in more manageable unitso e.g. by club district, by maintainer section

What else would help?

Provide Better Information

Proposed plan for 20151. Begin prioritizing projects and realigning resources

towards areas with the highest identified needs

2. Begin collecting additional data on trail assets so we can more accurately calculate the value of the trail and its features

3. Standardize the reporting process so we can close out deficiencies that have been addressed and illustrate where trail conditions are improving

4. Provide more useful information to clubs

ContactKeith Stegall – Acting Facility Manager for APPAKeith_Stegall@nps.gov 304-535-4001

Jessica Bundy – FMSS Specialist for APPAJessica_Bundy@nps.gov 304-535-4027

Matt Robinson – GIS Specialist for APPAMatt_Robinson@nps.gov 304-535-4010