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.

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…

Pete

Pete Englund

Legacy Trails LLC

Contractor Trainer

Madrid, IA

Pete Englund had been performing crew based trail work across 12 different states for 18 years…

Jay

Jay Hoots

Hoots, Inc.

Contractor Trainer

Edmonton

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

Conor

Conor Boynton-Orr

Contractor Trainer Corps

Walsenburg, CO

I am the director of the Huerfano Youth Conservation Corps and I work as an instructor of Trail…

Charlotte

Charlotte Staats

Adirondack Mountain Club

Contractor Trainer Nonprofit

Lake Placid, NY

I am a seasoned trail builder who has worked on trails in New York State since 2015. I've worked…

Jeremy

Jeremy Poore

McDowell Tech Community College

Contractor Trainer Higher Education

Old Fort, NC

I'm in the process of building McDowell Tech Trail School into a national-level Trail Construction…

Search and sort all 52 trainers

Hire Workers

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

Ryan

Ryan Graig

Nonprofit

Wenatchee, WA

As a Project Manager and Volunteer Coordinator, I use my expertise in trail maintenance,…

Jay

Jay Hoots

Hoots, Inc.

Contractor Trainer

Edmonton

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

Dan

Dan Watson

Ice Age National Scenic Trail

Agency

Cross Plains, WI

Dan Watson has been a career employee of the National Park Service since 1980. He has worked as an…

Joelle

Joelle Gallaugher

Great Burn Conservation Alliance

Nonprofit

Missoula, MT

Kristen

Kristen Thrall

USDA Forest Service

Agency

Cadillac, MI

Alixandra

Alixandra Lamsa

National Park Service

Agency

Seattle, WA

Search and sort all 198 workers

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Trail Skills Collaborators
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American Trails Professional TrailBuilders Association Partnership for the National Trails System Northern Vermont University Northwest Arkansas Community College Eppley Institute Corps Network