Current through Register Vol. 63, No. 9, September 1, 2024
Pursuant to ORS
390.962
(1), the department prescribes the criteria
in this rule in addition to those provided in the Oregon Recreation Trails
System Act, ORS 390.950 to
390.989 and
390.995(2), for
the designation of Oregon Regional Trails.
(1) Oregon Regional Trails may be comprised
of recreational trails that provide connections to communities, recreation
sites or trail systems, and close-to-home recreational opportunities.
(2) Oregon Regional Trails may be linear,
loop, or a combination of linear and loop routes that connect communities or
recreation sites and shall generally meet these criteria:
(a) Regional Trails connect communities or
recreation resources to the extent possible.
(b) Regional Trails should be a minimum of
five (5) miles in length.
(3) Pursuant to ORS
390.962(1), an
Oregon Regional Trail may be located:
(a) Over
public land with the consent of each governmental entity having jurisdiction
over the lands designated; or
(b)
Over privately-owned lands in the manner of and subject to the limitations
provided in ORS 390.950 to
390.989 and
390.995(2).
(4) Evaluation of Applications
(a) To be considered as an Oregon Regional
Trail, a proponent must submit to the department a complete Oregon Regional
Trail Application form in the format specified by the department, including a
detailed Trail Management Plan.
(b)
The department will review each Oregon Regional Trail proposal for
completeness, including whether the application adequately addressees the
considerations provided in ORS
390.965(2). The
department will provide all complete, eligible applications to the council.
Incomplete or ineligible applications will be returned to the proponents with
an explanation of the deficiencies.
(c) The council will consider trails for
designation based on the criteria provided in sections (1) to (3) of this rule
and the Oregon Recreation Trails System Act, ORS
390.950 to
390.989 and
390.995(2).
(d) The council or designee shall conduct a
field review of the proposed routetrail.
(e) The council shall score the trail against
criteria established in the Oregon Recreation Trails System Act, ORS
390.950 through
390.989 and
390.995, and this rule,
including but not limited to:
(A) Emphasis on
use of public lands,
(B) Minimizing
adverse effects on adjacent landowners,
(C) Harmony with and complement to
established forest, agricultural, or other use plans, and
(D) Emphasis on connections to communities,
recreation sites, or trail systems, and close-to-home recreational
opportunities.
(f) Based
on the application, field review, and scoring, the council shall determine if
the trail qualifies to be recommended for designation as an Oregon Regional
Trail.
(5) Designation
Process:
(a) The council shall provide each
recommendation for designation as an Oregon Regional Trail to the
director.
(b) The department shall
hold public meetings on the recommended designation as provided in ORS
390.965(1).
(c) After the public meetings required in
subsection (b), the director shall either submit the council's recommendation
to the commission for approval or denial of the proposed Oregon Regional Trail
or request that the council provide further consideration of issues presented
in the public meeting.
(6) Trail Management:
(a) The department will enter into written
cooperative agreements with landowners, federal agencies, other state agencies,
local governments, private organizations and individuals as necessary to ensure
that the development, signing, operation, maintenance, location or relocation
of the trail meet the Oregon Regional Trail standards.
(b) The department shall evaluate each Oregon
Regional Trail at least once every five years. The department will provide the
council an evaluation and inventory of the trail features. Upon review, the
council may recommend:
(A) The trail be
improved to meet the standards of state designation; or
(B) Removal of Oregon Regional Trail
designation when or if the trail no longer meets the criteria.
(c) Signing and Publication of
Oregon Regional Trails.
(A) Consistent with
the requirements of ORS
390.959, the department will
establish sign standards and coordinate sign placement for each trail the
commission designates as an Oregon Regional Trail.
(B) The department will publish on its web
page and make available standardized route maps for all Oregon Regional
Trails.
Stat. Auth.: ORS
390.971(8)
Stats. Implemented: ORS
390.956,
390.959,
390.962,
390.968,
390.971
