Photo (C) 2013 John O’Malley – used with permission and thanks
Trail Fund NZ is very pleased to announce that as part of the NZ Outdoor Recreation Consortium it has secured $150,000 in annual funding for the next three years to support volunteer-led trail work on Department of Conservation (DoC) managed land around New Zealand. This is a historic change for mountain biking and the wider recreation community. That is because in addition to the funding the cooperation between Trail Fund NZ, Federated Mountain Clubs and New Zealand Deerstalkers Association signals a big shift in how user groups are working together in the back country. We are excited to be part of what we expect will be a very successful new model of shared responsibility and co-operation that can expand to other areas of the outdoor sector over time.
It’s taken a huge amount of work to get to this point and the project is just getting started. We wouldn’t have gotten this far if it were not for the support provided by the DoC team. We’d like to also thank our fellow consortium members for keeping an open mind about working with the new kids on the (back) block.
This all kicked off in 2013 with Trail Fund NZ being invited to participate in the National Recreation Forum. It was through our contributions to that group that Trail Fund NZ was invited to work with FMC and NZDA to put together a national level bid that could help coordinate volunteer-led work around the back country of New Zealand.
It is important to remember that this funding is for Department of Conservation managed lands only. That means while this is a big boost for that work all those trails on your local council land still need your support. Clubs around the country rely on funding from Trail Fund NZ and other partners to get that work done! Awesome projects like Makara Peak, Te Miro, West Coast Riders / Riverhead Forrest and the many others we have supported that are not on Department of Conservation land still need your financial support!
You can of course show everyone that you like what we are doing by grabbing a t-shirt or bottle from the store today! The more we spread the word the bigger the future funding opportunities that will come the way of mountain biking.
A bit more Q&A over on Spoke Magazine.
We are now working through the details and hope to kick off our first formal call for funding proposals within the next few weeks with the target of being funding getting out in time to make sure that work can start before the summer riding season arrives…
Ben – Trail Fund NZ Chairperson
– Press Release August 4th 2014 –
A consortium representing over 30,000 trampers, hunters, mountaineers and mountain bikers welcomed Minister of Conservation Dr Nick Smith’s announcement this evening of major funding to assist its volunteers maintain backcountry huts, tracks and facilities.
Speaking on behalf of the NZ Outdoor Recreation Consortium, which comprises the Federated Mountain Clubs (FMC), the NZ Deerstalkers’ Association (NZDA) and Trail Fund NZ, NZDA president Bill O’Leary said the $700,000 grant awarded today from the Community Conservation Partnerships Fund would be augmented by donations and volunteer work to the value of at least $156,000 by members of the consortium and other groups.
“This grant will kick-start practical, on-the-ground projects to maintain and restore our outdoor heritage,” said Mr O’Leary. “It will assist track cutting, and help maintain, build and repair backcountry huts. It will encourage more people to enjoy our natural environment.”
Mr O’Leary joined with FMC president Robin McNeill and Trail Fund NZ chairperson Ben Wilde in praising DOC’s community partnership approach to work on conservation and recreation projects. “This is a game-changing approach that allows backcountry users get involved with looking after the facilities they enjoy using and their volunteer effort means that more work can get done than DOC could manage alone.”
The Community Conservation Partnerships Fund – Pūtea Tautiaki Hapori provides funding to community-led conservation groups for natural heritage and recreation projects in New Zealand on public and private land and waters.
About the NZ Outdoor Recreation Consortium The NZ Outdoor Recreation Consortium was formed in 2014 as a partnership between FMC, NZDA and Trail Fund NZ to maintain and enhance back-country facilities and attract a wider range of users to enjoy and look after these special places. The Consortium will work on behalf of a wide range of user groups in the outdoors to manage and distribute the funding for the benefit of all who enjoy the New Zealand backcountry.