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Attachment 6 <br />Triangle. Two of those leaders, Jim Suiter and Shawn Williams, live in Caxrboxo and <br />Chapel Hill, respectively, and are excited about new trail being built in Orange <br />County. <br />How Construction and Maintenance Costs are Covered Every year, FMST applies <br />for a Recreational Trails Program grant through the NC Division of Parks & <br />Recreation to buy tools and supplies needed to build and maintain trail across the <br />state. We then distribute that money among our task forces, depending on what their <br />needs axe at any given time. <br />If we establish task forces in Orange County, they would also be eligible for a share <br />in this money. The maximum size of an RTP grant is $75,000, and we have had no <br />trouble so far covering basic expenses with grants that size with the exception of bridge <br />construction. <br />At Falls Lake, I estimate that our cost of trail construction is approximately $10,000 <br />per mile, but that price is dramatically influenced by the price of one bridge which is <br />too large to be built by volunteers. Our basic costs at Falls Lake, where we axe <br />building about seven new miles of trail per year and maintaining more than 40 miles, <br />is n,nning about $8500 per year fox tools and supplies. This cost includes the lumber <br />and supplies needed to build bridges up to 32 feet in length. However, the Falls <br />Lake section of the trail requires one 110-foot steel, pedestrian bridge over Lick <br />Creek which we estimate will cost approximately $225,000. This one expense throws <br />the average cost per mile up considerably at Falls Lake. <br />Fortunately, bridges are one-time expenses, and, in the Piedmont and the Mountains, <br />they have been rare to date as we try to route the MST to avoid the need for them. <br />How many bridges may be needed on the Orange County sections will be <br />determined as we flag a route at a later date. Currently, the only source of funding to <br />help Orange County build a bridge like the one at Falls Lake is probably the NC <br />Parks & Recreation Trust Fund. <br />Although bridge costs seem high in the context of overall trail costs, trails including <br />bridges axe probably the least expensive and most popular recreational amenity that <br />the county can provide, particularly when they are built and maintained by <br />volunteers. The Mountains-to-Sea Trail, in particular, will be an extraordinary <br />resource -enjoyed by residents and tourists - and a great way to show off the <br />natural beauty, history and diversity of Orange County. <br />I hope this summary of how FMST can help in trail construction and maintenance is helpful. <br />Please let me know if you have questions and if we can help in other ways. We look forward <br />to working with you. <br />3 <br />