Our Programs: Powered by Community, Driven by Collaboration
The Maine Trails Coalition believes that trails are essential infrastructure for our health, our economy, and our environment. But building, maintaining, and protecting these networks doesn’t happen in a vacuum.
MTC is a lean, people-powered organization. With just one part-time staff member steering the ship, the true engine of our coalition is our network of dedicated members, volunteers, and organizational stakeholders. We rely entirely on collaborative, volunteer-led working groups to move the needle on statewide trail initiatives. When you support MTC, you are directly empowering grassroots teams working on behalf of the entire state to advance shared goals.
Our collective program work is organized across four distinct pillars:
MTC is a lean, people-powered organization. With just one part-time staff member steering the ship, the true engine of our coalition is our network of dedicated members, volunteers, and organizational stakeholders. We rely entirely on collaborative, volunteer-led working groups to move the needle on statewide trail initiatives. When you support MTC, you are directly empowering grassroots teams working on behalf of the entire state to advance shared goals.
Our collective program work is organized across four distinct pillars:
Active Transportation: Trails for Transportation Team
Our Trails for Transportation (T4T) team brings together representatives from Maine’s major rail-trail networks to transform recreation paths into vital, multi-modal transit corridors. This group meets monthly to advocate for forward-thinking state legislation, coordinate multi-community trail planning, and partner directly with MaineDOT to integrate trails into statewide transportation infrastructure.
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Funding and Grant Support: MTP Working GroupFollowing the historic passage of the 2024 Trails Bond, MTC is actively helping communities turn funding into reality. Through our Maine Trails Program Working Group and MTC Ambassador Volunteer Program, we partner with the Bureau of Parks and Lands and offer support to applicants and award recipients. By surveying stakeholders we learn about any program barriers and create tools to help overcome them. For example, the Ambassador volunteer program matches experienced mentors with local clubs and small municipalities to help them navigate the state grant process, manage contractor bidding, and successfully implement their local trail projects.
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Statewide Convening and Coalition BuildingWe serve as the unified voice for Maine's diverse trail community, championing both motorized and non-motorized trail users. From tracking state policy and organizing regional summits to publishing local success stories, this work helps ensure that lawmakers, town officials, and taxpayers understand the immense return on investment that trails bring to our local economies. MTC's Leadership Group is at the forefront of this effort currently, with plans underway to reorganize our advocacy team over the coming year to meet emerging needs.
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Workforce Development: Trails Skills and Industry Team
To build great trails, Maine needs a skilled, sustainable workforce. This program focuses on mapping out career pathways in the outdoor economy, connecting job seekers with hands-on field experience, and providing centralized resources for seasonal trail crews, youth conservation corps, and professional trail builders.
