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Complete the Trails (CCST): Connecting Communities to State Trails is a grant from the North Carolina Division of Parks and Recreation that funds planning, construction, promotion, and maintenance of state trails. Created by historic 2021 legislation with over million in funding as of 2023, the program requires the majority of funds to be distributed to a nonprofit or local government partner for execution.
The program connects communities to North Carolina's state trail system, expanding outdoor recreation access statewide. Eligible applicants include nonprofits and local government entities that can partner on trail development and stewardship projects.
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NC Complete the Trails Program | North Carolina Trails Historic legislation passed in 2021 provides an unprecedented level of funding for the planning, construction, promotion, and maintenance of state trails in North Carolina. This legislation created the Complete the Trail Program (CTP) with over $30 million in funding as of 2023.
The legislation requires that the majority of CTP funds be distributed by the Division of Parks and Recreation (DPR) to a nonprofit or local government partner for each state trail. To be a recognized partner, an organization must have a Memorandum of Understanding with DPR and an approved 3- to 5-year plan for deploying the funds to develop the state trail. A portion of the CTP funds, $1.
9 million, will also go to small communities to support the development of trails that will connect communities to the state trails. There are 14 state trails authorized by the General Assembly: nine land-based trails and five paddle trails. The planned mileage for the state trail system is over 3,500 miles.
More than 30 state parks, state natural areas, and state recreation areas host or are adjacent to state trail segments. Connecting Communities to State Trails Grants (CCST) A portion of CTP are funds ($1. 9 million) for connecting eligible local governments to state trails.
How Grant Recipients Are Selected North Carolina municipalities with less than 25,000 in population and located within 6 miles of an existing or planned segment of a state trail are eligible for CCST grants. Two or more local governments may apply jointly, with one serving as the primary sponsor. View the eligible municipalities: CCST grant requests can be for the planning or development of connecting trails to the state trails system.
All constructed land trails must be natural surface. Trails and trail facilities must be open and accessible to the public, with no restrictions such as membership. Property acquired and trail facilities built or renovated with CCST assistance must be dedicated forever for public recreational use.
Land acquisition projects must record this use on the deed of the land. Applicants from municipalities with populations greater than 5,000 but less than 25,000 must match the grant at least dollar-for-dollar with non-state funds. Applicants from municipalities with less than 5,000 are not required to match the grant.
The appraised value of land to be donated to the applicant can be used as matching funds. The value of in-kind services, such as the applicant's force account labor or volunteer work, can be used as part of the match. The grantee is required to provide documentation of all matching funds within the 3-year grant period.
Apply for a CCST Grant Online Using WebGrants Create an account with WebGrants to fill out the CCST application packet, now due on October 8, 2026. October 6, 2025 DPR begins accepting applications October 8, 2026 Application deadline Winter/Spring 2027 Grant recipient selection $1,535,580 is available for the entire grants program. $992,086 is reserved for communities with less than 5,000 population.
$543,494 is reserved for communities with a population greater than 5,000 but less than 25,000. Minimum/Maximum Request: Applicants can request a minimum of $10,000 and a maximum of $100,000 with each application. Match Requirement: Applicants from municipalities with populations greater than 5,000 but less than 25,000 must match the grant at least dollar-for-dollar with non-state funds.
The appraised value of land to be donated to the applicant can be used as matching funds. The value of in-kind services, such as the applicant's force account labor or volunteer work, can be used as part of the match. The grantee is required to provide documentation of all matching funds within the 3-year grant period.
How Grant Recipients Are Selected DPR selects grant recipients using the following factors: the applicant's description / justification for the project the applicant's ranking based on the CCST scoring system the geographic distribution of grants across North Carolina the distribution of grants to local governments with populations less than 5,000 and over 5,000 the amount of CCST funds that the applicant is requesting the amount of CCST funds available The map below can be viewed in a full window on the ARCGIS website .
Contact the State Trail Planner respective to the state trail for which you are applying to connect: Kat Deutsch ( kat. deutsch@ncparks.
gov ) State Trail State Trail Partner Dan River State Trail Dan River Basin Association Deep River State Trail Piedmont Land Conservancy East Coast Greenway State Trail East Coast Greenway Alliance Equine State Trail* North Carolina Horse Council (in progress) Haw River State Trail* Alamance County Hickory Nut Gorge State Trail Conserving Carolina French Broad River State Trail MountainTrue Fonta Flora State Trail Friends of Fonta Flora State Trail Mountains-to-Sea State Trail Friends of Mountains to Sea Trail Northern Peaks State Trail Blue Ridge Conservancy Overmountain Victory State Trail Overmountain Victory North Carolina State Trail Friends Roanoke River State Trail Roanoke River Partners South Fork Passage State Trail TBD Wilderness Gateway State Trail Foothills Conservancy of North Carolina Yadkin River State Trail Yadkin Riverkeeper State Trail Planning Staff Program Manager Kat Deutsch kat.
deutsch@ncparks. gov State Trails Planners Vacant State Trails Grant Manager Vacant
Based on current listing details, eligibility includes: See official notice for specific eligibility. Applicants should confirm final requirements in the official notice before submission.
Current published award information indicates See official notice Always verify allowable costs, matching requirements, and funding caps directly in the sponsor documentation.
The current target date is October 8, 2026. Build your timeline backwards from this date to cover registrations, approvals, attachments, and final submission checks.
Federal grant success rates typically range from 10-30%, varying by agency and program. Build a strong proposal with clear objectives, measurable outcomes, and a well-justified budget to improve your chances.
Requirements vary by sponsor, but typically include a project narrative, budget justification, organizational capability statement, and key personnel CVs. Check the official notice for the complete list of required attachments.
Yes — AI tools like Granted can help research funders, draft proposal sections, and check compliance. However, always review and customize AI-generated content to reflect your organization's unique strengths and the specific requirements of the solicitation.
Review timelines vary by funder. Federal agencies typically take 3-6 months from submission to award notification. Foundation grants may be faster, often 1-3 months. Check the program's timeline in the official solicitation for specific dates.
Many federal programs offer multi-year funding or allow competitive renewals. Check the official solicitation for continuation and renewal policies. Non-competing continuation applications are common for multi-year awards.
EPA is seeking insightful, expert, and cost-effective applications from eligible applicants to provide the Chesapeake Bay Program’s non-federal partners with technical analysis and programmatic evaluation support related to water quality modeling and monitoring and spatial systems to manage, analyze, and map environmental data. The project assists the partners in meeting their restoration and protection goals and in increasing the transfer of scientific understanding to the Chesapeake Bay Program modeling, monitoring, and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) activities. The recipient will support modeling, monitoring, and GIS programs needed to explain and communicate the health of and changes in the Chesapeake Bay ecosystem. Funding Opportunity Number: EPA-R3-CBP-23-18. Assistance Listing: 66.466. Funding Instrument: CA. Category: ENV. Award Amount: Up to $5.3M per award.
Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Program Phase I is sponsored by U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The EPA SBIR Phase I Solicitation invites small businesses to submit proposals for projects addressing critical environmental challenges. Awards are for six months to demonstrate proof of concept. Key focus areas include Clean and Safe Water, Air Quality and Climate, Homeland Security, Circular Economy/Sustainable Materials, and Safer Chemicals.
Environmental and Climate Justice Community Change Grants Program (CCGP) is sponsored by U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The Community Change Grants Program funds projects that provide meaningful improvements to the environmental, climate, and resilience conditions affecting disadvantaged communities. While broadly focused on environmental and climate justice, projects can include aspects that relate to community health and well-being through addressing environmental health risks. The program aims to fund community-driven pollution and climate resiliency solutions and strengthen communities' decision-making power. Applications are accepted and reviewed on a rolling basis.