The Massachusetts Healthy Aging Collaborative encourages communities and regions seeking to become more age and dementia friendly to consider the new round of MassTrails grants.

The program supports recreational trail and shared use pathway projects across the Commonwealth.  Grant amounts are dependent on the project and its needs, but generally range from $5,000 to $100,000 with grants of up to $300,000 awarded to projects demonstrating critical network connections of regional significance.

Eligible grant activities include project development, design, engineering, permitting, construction, and maintenance of recreational trails, shared use pathways, and the amenities that support trails.

MassTrails grants are REIMBURSABLE, meaning grantees must first pay for expenditures themselves and then submit for reimbursement using the required documentation.

MassTrails grants are MATCHING grants and require that proponents provide a minimum of 20% of the total project cost. Projects with higher match commitments will be given greater consideration.

Eligible projects require documented land owner permission and community support.

MassTrails grants are reviewed and recommended by the Governor’s Inter-Agency Trails Team and the Massachusetts Recreational Trails Advisory Board (MARTAB),

MassTrails Grants are funded through two different sources:

• Commonwealth Trails grants are supported by the state’s annual Capital Investment Plan and aim to help communities design, create and maintain off-road shared-use pathway connections between where Massachusetts residents live, learn, work, shop, and recreate, especially by building out the longer distance regional networks of multi-use pathways across the state and filling in critical gaps in existing networks, or overcoming current barriers to connectivity.
• Recreational Trails Program (RTP) grants are federally funded through the United States Department of Transportation’s Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), administered at the State level, providing funding for the development and maintenance of recreational trail projects. Both motorized and non-motorized trail projects qualify for assistance.