The Carson Valley Trails Association has been awarded a technical assistance grant from the National Park Service's Rivers, Trails and Conservation Assistance program.

The grant will provide the assistance and expertise of a National Park Service outdoor recreation planner to work with association for one to two years. No direct funding is provided by the grant.

The planner will help create strategies for working together with both the private and public sectors to reach the organization's goal of establishing the Carson Valley Trail, a continuous, nonmotorized recreational trail system circling the Carson Valley.

This trail will be completed by connecting segments of existing trails with new trails to be constructed over mostly public and potentially some private lands where property owners are willing to provide trail access.

The park service planner will guide the association in planning meetings with public and private stakeholders to identify trail opportunities, discuss issues and find solutions for connecting segments of the Carson Valley Trail. When completed, this trail will implement most of Douglas County's Comprehensive Trails Plan.

Work on developing the meeting process will begin in January 2010. For more information visit info@carsonvalleytrails.org. More information about National Park Service grants is available online at www.nps.gov/ncrc/programs/rtca.

More information about the organization is available online at www.carsonvalleytrails.org.