Accessibility Guidebook for Outdoor Recreation and Trails

Terminology

Some phrases and words as used in the context of FSTAG and FSORAG may not be familiar. Examples include:

Conditions for an exception from a technical requirement are circumstances found in natural environments, construction practices, or certain laws that may make compliance with the requirements difficult.

Exceptions to the requirements are allowed under certain circumstances and are identified in paragraphs labeled exception in FSTAG and FSORAG.

Practicable means work that can be completed within the limits of the applicable conditions for exception and results in a useful improvement for all.

Provisions are the sections of accessibility guidelines and standards that explain what is required for specific situations and facilities (parking, picnic tables, trails, and so forth).

Scoping means figuring out when, how much, and where the guidelines apply.

Technical requirements state the specific numbers, conditions, and measurements that are required (percent that must comply, dimensions, reach ranges, grades, trail width, and so forth).

Specific phrases and words include:

Construction is building a new trail, recreation site, or facility where there was none before.

An alteration of a trail is a change in the purpose, intent, or function of the trail.

An alteration of a recreation site, building, or facility is a change to a portion of a recreation site, building, or facility that is addressed by the accessibility guidelines and that affects the usability of the site, building, or facility.

Maintenance means routine or periodic repair of existing trails, recreation sites, or facilities. Maintenance doesn't change the original purpose, intent, or function of a facility. Maintenance isn't covered by FSORAG or FSTAG. Maintenance includes but isn't limited to:

• Repairing or replacing deteriorated, damaged, or vandalized trails, facilities, or components, such as repainting, removing graffiti, and repairing or replacing components of facilities with new components similar to the original ones. Components can be sections of bridges or boardwalks, signs, fencing and railings, siding, windows, and roofing.

• Removing debris and vegetation, such as fallen trees or broken branches; clearing encroaching vegetation from trails, pathways, lawns, or landscaped areas; and removing rock slides.

• Maintaining trail tread and access routes, such as filling ruts, reshaping a trail bed, replacing or reshaping surfacing material, repairing washouts, installing riprap to retain cut and fill slopes, constructing retaining walls or cribbing to support trail tread, and repairing concrete or asphalt paving.

• Performing erosion control and drainage work, such as replacing or installing drainage dips or culverts and realigning sections of trail to reduce erosion or avoid boggy areas.

While FSORAG and FSTAG don't apply to maintenance, it is Forest Service policy to improve accessibility wherever the opportunity arises. Where practicable, resource managers are encouraged to improve accessibility through maintenance and repair activities as explained in MAINTENANCE TIP— Improve accessibility through maintenance.

The word "reconstruction" isn't used in Federal accessibility guidelines or FSORAG and FSTAG, even though it is frequently used in the recreation and trails communities. For the purposes of FSORAG and FSTAG, actions are categorized as construction, alteration, or maintenance.