Operations and Maintenance Plan Development

Skill Definition

Transfer field data, spatial data, and land management plan information into an operations and maintenance plan that will direct ongoing trail management including: maintenance specifications, seasonal maintenance schedule, operational protocols, and risk management protocols

Entry Level Performance

  • Understand the application and elements of an operations and maintenance plan

Full Performance Level

  • Create a seasonal maintenance schedule including recommendations on tracking maintenance status
  • Compile a plan from inventory and assessment findings, including prioritized recommendations and optimizing solutions for long-term sustainability

Expert Level Performance

  • Develop a comprehensive operations and maintenance plan that includes: seasonal maintenance actions, response to climatic events, implementation of ongoing data collection (created or agency-specific), and risk management protocols related to operations and maintenance

Resources for Operations and Maintenance Plan Development

Documents and MediaTraining Programs
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Documents and Media for Operations and Maintenance Plan Development

Introduction to Trail Planning
Introduction to Trail Planning

One part of a three-part series on the Introduction to Trail Planning, Design and Development, and Management. PART ONE: In the Introduction to Trail Planning we will discuss different types of trail plans including Master Plans Conceptual Plans,…


Further Education

Training Programs for Operations and Maintenance Plan Development

Trail Sustainability Institute
Trail Sustainability Institute

The Trail Sustainability Institute (TSI) is NWTA’s internal training classes for everything related to trail building. We want to make sure our trail builders are knowledgeable in not only how to build/maintain fun trails, but ensure those trails…

Trails Certificate
Trails Certificate

Gain insight into best practices related to the design, construction and maintenance of trails. Learn about and apply techniques that can enhance, rehabilitate and protect trails and greenways. Participants will also learn about trail…

Sustainable Trails Development
Sustainable Trails Development

The Sustainable Trails curriculum welcomes students from various fields who are interested in trails development, programming and management, as well as design.

PCTA Trail Skills Course
PCTA Trail Skills Course

Because wildfires, wind storms, floods, gravity, and vegetation growth are constant threats to the PCT, the annual maintenance and reconstruction of the trail is a never-ending and monumental undertaking. Such work, historically carried out by…

Advancing Trails Webinar Series
Advancing Trails Webinar Series

American Trails brings agencies, trail builders, planners, architects, advocates, and volunteers the latest in state-of-the-art information on all aspects of trails and greenways. Our webinars focus on a variety of trail topics, usually applicable…

Custom Trainings

There are 23 trainers on TrailSkills
with Operations and Maintenance Plan Development experience

Hire Workers

There are 55 workers on TrailSkills
with Operations and Maintenance Plan Development experience

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Know of a good resource for this skill? Let us know! From webinars, to workshops, to PDFs, we'd like to add them to our resource library.

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Trail Skills Collaborators
Federal Highway Administration USDA Forest Service National Park Service Bureau of Land Management
American Trails Professional TrailBuilders Association Partnership for the National Trails System Northern Vermont University Northwest Arkansas Community College Eppley Institute Society of Outdoor Recreation Professionals Washington Trails Association