Accessibility Guidebook for Outdoor Recreation and Trails

Maintenance means routine or periodic repair of existing trails, recreation sites, or facilities. Maintenance doesn't change the original purpose, intent, or function of a facility. Maintenance isn't covered by FSORAG or FSTAG. Maintenance includes but isn't limited to:

• Repairing or replacing deteriorated, damaged, or vandalized trails, facilities, or components, such as repainting, removing graffiti, and repairing or replacing components of facilities with new components similar to the original ones. Components can be sections of bridges or boardwalks, signs, fencing and railings, siding, windows, and roofing.

• Removing debris and vegetation, such as fallen trees or broken branches; clearing encroaching vegetation from trails, pathways, lawns, or landscaped areas; and removing rock slides.

• Maintaining trail tread and access routes, such as filling ruts, reshaping a trail bed, replacing or reshaping surfacing material, repairing washouts, installing riprap to retain cut and fill slopes, constructing retaining walls or cribbing to support trail tread, and repairing concrete or asphalt paving.

• Performing erosion control and drainage work, such as replacing or installing drainage dips or culverts and realigning sections of trail to reduce erosion or avoid boggy areas.

While FSORAG and FSTAG don't apply to maintenance, it is Forest Service policy to improve accessibility wherever the opportunity arises. Where practicable, resource managers are encouraged to improve accessibility through maintenance and repair activities as explained in MAINTENANCE TIP— Improve accessibility through maintenance.