ARRA is pleased to report to you that the Congress has finally passed the highway authorization bill. This means the Recreational Trails Program has been reauthorized for five more years with a 64% increase in funding, total authorized funding of $370,000,000.

This is a major accomplishment! Many recreation groups have worked very hard to shepherd this program through a very lengthy reauthorization process. The fact that RTP was not only reauthorized but also received a significant increase in authorized funding is very good news. To learn more about the program, go to [url]http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/environment/rectrails/[/url].

ARRA also wants to be sure you know that the Forest Service has just released a major study on Off Highway Vehicle recreation. OHV enthusiasts will find this to be a very good resource for OHV data. The report can be found at: [url]http://www.arra-access.com/arra/washingtonnewsletter_august05.html[/url].