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INDIANAPOLIS– Gov. Eric J. Holcomb today announced that the first round of the Next LevelTrails grant program has received 82 applications requesting a total of nearly$144 million in funding.

Theapplicants are from 42 of the state’s 92 counties and their requests total morethan 240 potential miles of hiking, biking and riding trails.

“Thenumber of applications in the first round far surpassed our expectations andshows Indiana’s enthusiasm for trails,” Gov. Holcomb said. “This sends a bigmessage that Hoosiers are invested in improving quality of life across thestate.”

The NextLevel Trails grant program is the largest infusion of trail funding in statehistory, dedicating $90 million to connect communities. The grant program ispart of Next Level Connections, Gov. Holcomb’s $1 billion statewideinfrastructure program. Up to $20 million in regional projects and up to $5million in local projects will be granted in this opening round. Next LevelTrail funds will be awarded in rounds until all funds have been allocated.

The grantprogram is divided into two components: a $70 million fund for regionalprojects and a $20 million fund for local projects. Each fund will require a 20percent project match, which can include monetary contributions, land value,and in-kind donations of materials and labor. Projects funded through thisprogram must be open to the public. Eligible applicants include units ofgovernment or 501(c)(3) non-profit organizations.

TheIndiana Department of Natural Resources will review the applications to ensurethey met requirements and then a multi-agency committee will evaluate theproposals. The first awards are expected to be announced in early spring.

Moreinformation regarding Next Level Trails is at on.IN.gov/nextleveltrails.

Moreinformation regarding Next Level Connections is at in.gov/gov/nextlevelconnections.htm.

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