BEST MANAGEMENT Building Trails Correctly the PRACTICES First Time; For Erosion Control During Trail Maintenance and Construction Will Reduce Maintenance Needs in The Future (not eliminate NH Trail Construction them) and Maintenance Manual Partially funded by: Keep trails out of the water; Federal Highway Administration Recreational Trails Program (RTP) and water out of the Trails Revised January 2017 STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE By State of New Hampshire Department of Resources and Department of Resources & Economic Development, Economic Development Division of Parks & Recreation; Bureau of Trails Division of Parks & Recreation All Rights Reserved Printed in the United States of America Bureau of Trails Table of Contents Acknowledgements…………….. Page 2 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS What do BMPs Do………………. Page 3 This document was adapted with permission Trail Impacts……………………... Page 4 from the Maine Department of Conservation, Bureau of Parks & Lands, Off Road Vehicle DES Regulations………………... Page 6 Division’s publication, “Best Maintenance Practices. Maine Motorized Trail Construction Understanding Trail Impacts…. Page 11 and Maintenance Manual”. Trail Specifications…………….. Page 15 Adaptation is done by the New Hampshire Division of Parks & Recreation’s Bureau of Flagging the Trail……………….. Page 18 Trails with additional information provided from the following Agencies and Organizations: Handling Slopes………………… Page 22 -Maine Department of Conservation, Bureau of Parks & Lands Ditches and Filter Strips………. Page 24 Climbing Turns & Switchback... Page 29 -NH Department of Environmental Services Water bar Installation…………... Page 34 -NH Division of Forests & Lands; Forestry BMPs Trail Hardendening/Armoring.... Page 37 -Minnesota Department of Natural Trails in Wet areas……………… Page 41 Resources Water Crossings………………… Page 50 -USDA – Forest Service Culvert Sizing……………………. Page 54 -National Off-Highway Vehicle Conservation Bridges…………………………… Page 58 Council Bridge Specs……………………. Page 62 -NH Statewide Trails Advisory Committee Trail maintenance………………. Page 71 -NH Best Management Practices for Erosions Control During Trail Maintenance Definitions……………………….. Page 76 and Construction, 2004 Edition Quick Reference Culverts…….. Page 81 1 2 What do BMP’s Do? Trail Impacts Best Management Practices are designed to Here in the Northeast, we have inherited a imitate and protect the natural functions of legacy of poor trail layout. Many of our trails forests and reduce erosion of materials. went from point A to point B with no consideration for steepness of terrain. Many BMPs minimize the risk of sediment and other trails, especially OHRV or snowmobile trails, pollutants getting into waterbodies, maintain have evolved over time on old woods roads or the natural flow of water in streams and skid trails that were never designed for the type wetlands, protect shoreland vegetation and of use they get today. The result is provide a safe stable trail system. inappropriate water management and erosion which is a trails arch enemy. Erosion destroys trails and results in sedimentation of our lakes, wetlands, streams, and rivers where it has a detrimental effect on water quality, fish and smaller organisms. It can also contribute to algae blooms. In addition to causing sedimentation problems, erosion also create ruts, bumps, potholes, and washouts that can make trails impassable. Each year, clubs and towns have to spend precious dollars to ‘repair’ these problems. Your trail design, construction, and maintenance determine how the natural environment around your trail will be impacted. A well-built trail will provide access, while conserving our natural resources. BMPs typically minimize impacts to water quality by This handbook will show you examples of how dispersing concentrated water flow. Circles indicate to construct and maintain trails that minimize where BMPs disperse flow to the undisturbed forest erosion and environmental impacts while floor. providing safe accessible trails. The key is to keep the trail out of the water and the water out of the trail! 3 4 NH Department of Environmental Landowner Concerns Services (DES) Wetlands Bureau The majority of trails in NH cross private land, Regulations which means trail builders need landowner permission (keep in mind that permission is The following laws will in some cases apply to also needed for trails on public lands). Much of your trail construction or maintenance: NH that land is managed for purposes other than RSA 482-A Fill and Dredge in Wetlands and recreation. Keep in mind that a successful NH RSA 483-B Shoreland Water Quality partnership with a landowner, may depend on Protection Act. your ability to recognize their priorities and to work with them. Fill and Dredge in Wetlands was first enacted in 1967 and is designed to protect and A trail that winds through forestlands may need preserve tidal and fresh water wetlands from to be crossed by a skid road or temporarily unregulated activities. Unregulated activities closed, or relocated. If a trail passes through could have an adverse effect on the value of agricultural lands and utility corridors it will be the natural resource for wildlife habitat, wildlife extremely important that trail users stay on the reproduction areas, groundwater levels, trail to retain the landowner’s permission. Do stormwater management and flood storage, everything you can to educate trail users about siltation of open water channels and overall the landowners wishes. Keep in mind the daily depreciation of the value to the general public. challenges they face, and work hard to protect The NH Dredge and Fill law aligns to a set of their interests. environmental rules (Env-Wt) to outline specific design and construction criteria for One more thing to keep in mind: Though you jurisdictional impacts. may invest precious time, energy, and money in a trail, if you don’t own the land, then you The law requires any person or organization don’t own the trail. Always be aware and proposing to dredge and/or fill within a wetland considerate of the landowner’s desires and be file an application with the DES Wetlands careful to avoid making the mistake of Bureau. Additionally, it requires that erosion assuming your club owns the trail. control measures be installed prior to construction and maintained until the site is With most of our trails on private land it is permanently stabilized. Any active erosion critical that we remember the landowner must be contained, corrected and permanently always has the final word and to stabilized. Wetlands permit applications are classified and reviewed based on the degree of respect the landowner’s wishes! impacts proposed as well as the steps taken to avoid and minimize impacts. 5 6 The Shoreland Water Quality Protection Act permit must be obtained from, or a notification (SWQPA) regulates development activities that sent to, the DES Wetlands Bureau. Depending occur within 250 feet of public surface waters. upon the size of the project and the type of wetland area to be impacted, the Wetlands When Do I Need A Permit? Bureau has developed the following project A DES Wetlands Permit may be required for classifications. Projects which avoid wetlands any of the following activities: or have minimized the proposed impact are Crossing a brook, stream, river or subject to a more expedient review, provided wetland; the application has been filed with a set of Dredging in a wetland to control complete supporting information. Projects that stormwater and/or facilitate drainage have been designated to meet the minimum Filling in a wetland to improve trail impact classification can file a simple passage notification form, with the appropriate Disturbing soil or clearing vegetation documentation. within 250 feet of a public water body Minimum Impact Project (Trails Notification; Generally, maintenance activities do not require a permit (i.e., mowing or cutting, hand Env-Wt 303.04(y),(h) and 506.01) removal of vegetation, hand raking and the Installation of a new bridge, provided that addition of native vegetation) provided that the o no work is done in the water or wetland roots are not disturbed, erosion is controlled o bank impacts are < 3,000 square feet until the area is stabilized and no mechanized o it is not adjacent to or in a Prime equipment enters the jurisdictional area. Wetland However, if you plan to widen the trail, change the project area has not been identified the size of a culvert or build a bridge, then a o by the Natural Heritage Bureau (NHB) permit will be required. as an exemplary natural community or You should always check with the town to to have documented rare and ensure compliance with local regulations and endangered species. always obtain landowner permission for any Installation of a new crossing provided construction or maintenance activities. fill does not exceed 3,000 square feet o o it is not located in a bog, marsh, sand Project Classification dune, tidal wetland, cedar swamp or the undisturbed tidal buffer zone Before trail maintenance and/or construction o it is not adjacent to or in a Prime projects may be conducted in wetlands, a Wetland 7 8 o the project area has not been identified Links to the NH DES Trail Notification Permits by the NHB as an exemplary natural and other regulations is located on the NH community or to have documented rare Bureau of Trails website www.nhtrails.org and endangered species. o the trail width is < 20 feet at the crossing and fill width, measured at the Soil, Water, and Gravity toe of the trail side slopes is minimized Soil, water, and gravity are what trail work is all and does not exceed 50 feet about. Soil is your trail’s support. The whole o the fill length at the crossing is < 60 feet point of trail construction is to manage soil by Maintenance dredging of nontidal drainage keeping it where you want it. Water is the most ditches and culverts within the bounds of a powerful influence in the trail world and its constructed project.