Project Planning and Design

Project Planning and Design Skills Include:

    Project Cost Estimation

    Ability to determine cost of project construction, maintenance and related oversight, permitting and planning (including tools, consumables, volunteer and staff time, equipment, materials), locating sources of professional and technical assistance, and evaluating contract proposals.

    Implementation Plan

    Accurately interpret specifications, construction process notes, and construction documents to develop an implementation plan based on available labor and funding.

    Trail Specifications

    Identify trail elements (i.e. tread material, width, height, grades, and structures) that are appropriate for the intended use, resource conditions, budget, and stewardship capacity.

    Design

    Delineate the trail alignment, width, height, grade and structures appropriate to the intended trail use.

    Trail Plans

    Transfer field-delineated trail design (location, alignment, structures), along with construction process, materials, notes, special conditions into a document that will guide the trail development process.

    Interpretation

    Identify specific interpretive and educational opportunities on trails to contextualize the visitor experience (e.g., history, habitats, scenery, flora/fauna), and make recommendations for interpretive method.

    Permitting

    Ensure compliance with applicable permitting requirements including (but not limited to): National Environmental Protection Act (NEPA), Section 106 of the Antiquities Act, the Historic Preservation Act, National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES), local and regional permitting, water/wetland crossings, environmental review compliance, etc.

    Universal Design/ADA Accessibility

    Use universal design principles, the Americans with Disabilities Act, and the Architectural Barriers Act accessibility standards to design, layout, and lead construction of accessible trail and trail facilities.


Learn More

Resources for Project Planning and Design

Introduction to Trail Assessment Using UTAP and HETAP
Introduction to Trail Assessment Using UTAP and HETAP

This webinar will discuss the assessment work that Beneficial Designs does in regards to the Universal Trail Assessment Process (UTAP) and the High-Efficiency Trail Assessment Process (HETAP) and how the data is collected and can be viewed by the…

United States Access Board - Outdoor Developed Areas
United States Access Board - Outdoor Developed Areas

The Access Board is responsible for developing accessibility guidelines for the construction and alteration of facilities covered by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990 and the Architectural Barriers Act (ABA) of 1968.

Approvals, Permits, and Compliance
Approvals, Permits, and Compliance

This webinar will walk through the typical processes, jurisdictions, timelines, and documentation needed to get a conceptual trail project through approval and implementation.

THE INTERTWINE Regional Trails Signage Guidelines
THE INTERTWINE Regional Trails Signage Guidelines

This manual serves as a technical resource to guide parks and transportation agencies as they plan, design, and fabricate wayfinding signage along regional trails in the Portland-Vancouver metropolitan area.

Further Education

Related Training Programs

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Improve this skill

Upcoming Trainings for Project Planning and Design

2024 Columbia Cascades Trail Skills College
Pacific Crest Trail Association
Pacific Crest Trail Association
2024 Columbia Cascades Trail Skills College

April 26 - 28, 2024

Cascade Locks, Oregon

California Trails & Greenways 2024
California Trails and Greenways Foundation (CTGF)
California Trails and Greenways Foundation (CTGF)
California Trails & Greenways 2024

April 30 - May 03, 2024

The Great Trails State 2024 Conference
The Great Trails State 2024 Conference

September 11 - April 15, 2024

Winston-Salem, North Carolina

Custom Trainings

There are 52 trainers on TrailSkills
with Project Planning and Design experience.

Jay

Jay Hoots

Hoots, Inc.

Contractor Trainer

Edmonton

JAY HOOTS – Hoots Ltd. Owner (2005 - Current) Qualifications: • Professional Bike Park / Trail…

Emma

Emma Bixler

CorpsTHAT, Inc.

Trainer Corps Nonprofit

Baltimore, MD

I have worked in the conservation corps industry for over 10 years with a focus on creating…

Emily

Emily Paulson

City of Boulder Open Space & Mountain Parks

Trainer Agency Corps Nonprofit

Boulder, CO

I'm a trail project manager with a background in leading, training & managing trail crew…

Mark

Mark Loseth

Contractor Trainer

Flagstaff, AZ

For over 10 years, I have been designing and leading field-based trail trainings for land agencies,…

Larry

Larry Lechner

Trainer Higher Education

Bellvue, CO

Member of Center for Protected Area Management and Training at Colorado State University,…

Jim

Jim Bedwell

Contractor Trainer

Golden, CO

Thirty-eight years of experience in the US Forest Service in landscape architecture, recreation…

Search and sort all 52 trainers

Hire Workers

There are 198 profiles on TrailSkills
with Project Planning and Design experience.

John

John Beardshear

Monterey Off Road Cycling Association (MORBA)

Nonprofit

Salinas, CA

Preston

Preston York

FlowMotion Trail Builders, LLC

Contractor

Anniston , AL

We are mountain bikers that have built over two hundred miles of recreational trails in five…

Riley

Riley Dupee

Ice Age National Scenic Trail

Nonprofit

Cross Plains, WI

Don

Don Kelly

USDA Forest Service

Trainer Agency

Marion, VA

I have over 32 years of experience performing conservation, trails, and construction related…

Macfarland

Macfarland Gibson

Colorado Fourteeners Initiative (CFI)

Nonprofit

Flagstaff, AZ

Luke

Luke Campbell

Nonprofit

Salt Spring Island

Treasurer of Island Pathways working hard to expand active transportation across out island and…

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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 Corps Network