Allegany County authorizes RFP for county forest trail design using ARPA funds

Allegany County legislators voted on March 19 to authorize the Department of Public Works to issue a request for proposals (RFP) to design trails and improvements on county forest parcels using American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds already allocated by the county.

The motion to authorize issuance of the RFP was made by Legislator Hanchet and seconded by Legislator Havey; the committee approved the motion without recorded opposition.

County Treasurer Ross told the committee the ARPA allocation for county forest improvements was approved in 2022 and totaled $321,000. "The allocation was in '22. It allocated $321,000. We built the one through our own in house, DPW. It cost us about $41,000," Treasurer Ross said, and she said the remaining funds must be spent by December 2026. Committee discussion identified two named parcels targeted for design work: the Travis Lot (in the town of Angelica) and the Dixon Lot (near the town of Birdsall), and noted a draft RFP/RFQ prepared by staff would be circulated to legislators before issuance.

Legislators pressed staff on maintenance and usage questions. Legislator Haley asked whether the county would budget for ongoing maintenance or rely on volunteer groups; committee members and staff said maintenance approaches would be clarified during later project planning and that local volunteer "friends" groups and grant partners could share upkeep responsibilities. Legislator Gilley and other members asked for estimates of maintenance costs and overall program impact; Treasurer Ross and staff said specific maintenance costs would be clearer once responses to the RFP provided design and scope estimates.

Legislator Hansson and other members described current trail use data collection efforts by a local organization called Impact and the state Department of Environmental Conservation. "It's quite high," Legislator Hansson said of trail usage counts and noted Impact secures grants and helps maintain trails.

Committee members said the draft RFP would be issued through DPW or the county attorney's office if required. County staff confirmed that issuing an RFP requires committee approval but that DPW or the county attorney's office could advertise and receive responses once authorization is granted. The committee recorded its approval by voice vote.

The committee also discussed the scale of Allegany County's forest holdings — members referenced roughly 2,050 total acres across about 15 parcels — and emphasized that the already-allocated ARPA funds are earmarked for these improvements and are not local tax revenue.

Next steps: staff will circulate the draft RFP to committee members for review and then proceed with issuance through DPW or the county attorney's office. The county must spend the ARPA allocation by December 31, 2026, per the timeline described by Treasurer Ross.