Five-Year Strategic Plan 2021-2025
The Florida Greenways & Trails Foundation (FGTF) was established as a 501(c)(3) organization at the beginning of the 21st century to advocate for a statewide system of greenways and trails. Initially, the FGTF was a strategic partner to the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) Office of Greenways and Trails, but broadened its commitment in 2019 to collaborate with the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT).
To guide its work, the Board of the FGTF adopted its first Strategic Plan in 2014 to champion long-distance multi-use trails and support the proposed SUN Trails legislation and regional paved trail efforts.
The Board is now poised to update and adopt a second Strategic Plan to establish a framework for the FGTF to continue to champion for a statewide connected paved trail system, but also to advocate for the completion of the Florida Ecological Greenways Network.
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Mission, Vision, and Purpose
Mission
The mission of the Florida Greenways & Trails Foundation is to advocate for and help create a statewide system of connected trails and greenways.
Vision
The FGTF, together with its partners and supporters, envisions a statewide connected system of trails and greenways for Florida’s residents and visitors. These trails and greenways will provide public access to Florida’s unique natural environment and will promote transportation, recreation, health, tourism, wildlife protection, and economic development.
We imagine a day when this system of trails and greenways for people and wildlife will link our communities and provide connections to nature preserves, wildlife corridors, parks, beaches, rivers and springs via walking, biking, paddling and equestrian trails.
The FGTF is particularly committed to Florida’s long-distance paved SUN Trails network. This network will connect Florida’s major cities to state, regional, and national parks and recreational areas via separated greenways and trails corridors. These greenways and trails will provide citizens and visitors a scenic and healthy transportation choice that will create business opportunities and revitalize communities along these planned corridors spanning the state.
Adopted 7/1/21
Purpose
The FGTF will inform the citizens and elected officials of Florida about the public importance of our existing trails and greenways and raise awareness of the opportunities to connect these trails and greenways into a unique statewide system that will benefit citizens, visitors, and wildlife.
To foster this connected system, the FGTF will serve as a catalyst for sound ideas, develop strategic alliances with other not-for-profit organizations in Florida and nationwide as well as public-private partnerships and collaborations with state and local government agencies and for-profit private businesses. The FGTF will also offer assistance to the FDOT, the FDEP, the Office of Greenways and Trails (OGT), the Florida Greenways and Trails Council (FGTC), the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity, metropolitan planning organizations (MPOs), regional planning councils (RPCs), and other related organizations. The FGTF is committed to work with FDOT and other partners to achieve Florida’s safety vision of eliminating all transportation-related fatalities and serious injuries for all modes of travel.
The FGTF will raise funds and invest resources to promote our mission to create the statewide system of connected trails and greenways especially supporting greenways and trails that generate economic benefits, offer a less stressful transportation alternative, and enhance healthy recreational opportunities for our citizens and visitors.
Five-year Goals and Objectives
GOAL ONE: Inform the people of Florida and their elected officials about the public importance of our existing trails and greenways and raise awareness of the opportunities to connect these trails and greenways into a unique statewide system.
The Board of the FGTF recognizes that improved public awareness of the recreational, economic, ecological, transportation and health benefits of trails and greenways for people and wildlife is critical to our ability to reach its other strategic goals. An expanded public relations effort directed to Florida citizens, elected officials, tourist development councils, business leaders, environmental organizations and public agencies of government will continue to be essential not only to support the SUN Trails program administered by FDOT, but also to champion the Florida Ecological Greenways network administered by the FDEP.
Objective #1 Develop a public awareness program on the multiple values of trails and greenways.
Objective #2 Upgrade the FGTF website to include critical maps and effective links to other statewide trail and greenway organizations.
Objective #3 Continue to develop video and podcasts about different trails in Florida and the value of trail and greenways connections
GOAL TWO: Protect the SUN Trails Program and Advocate for Expanded Funding.
The Board of the FGTF acknowledges the extraordinary value of the SUN Trails program being administered by FDOT and pledges to work to protect this program and to expand the funding available for paved multi-use trails statewide.
Objective #1 Work collaboratively with FDOT to strengthen the SUN Trails program.
Objective #2 Encourage the involvement of RPCs and local governments in cooperation with FDOT Districts and MPOs to improve both design and operation of regional trails.
Objective #3 Inform state legislators and other elected officials as to the multiple benefits of trails and greenways for residents and visitors.
Objective #4 Work with the Governor and Legislature to seek increased funding for all phases of SUN Trails.
Objective #5 Promote a statewide greenways and trails summit that showcases “best trail practices” in Florida and the United States.
GOAL THREE: Advocate for the Florida Ecological Greenways and Regional Greenway Connections.
The Board of the FGTF acknowledges that the future of wildlife in Florida is dependent on the completion of the statewide adopted “Florida Ecological Greenways Corridor” plan. We propose to accomplish this goal by creating a series of maps, in cooperation with the FDEP and OGT, that highlight the existing partially completed wildlife corridors and the critical gaps that need to be closed to guarantee a continuous connected greenway system.
Objective #1 Develop a series of regional Ecological Greenway maps, in cooperation with OGT, that highlight critical greenway gaps.
Objective #2 Schedule a series of presentations to Florida’s RPCs regarding these Ecological Greenway maps.
Objective #3 Participate in the multi-year update process of the Florida Greenways and Trails System Plan by collaboratively working with OGT and the FGTC during the statewide public workshops and evaluation process.
GOAL FOUR: Expand the Foundation’s Statewide Strategic Alliances and Collaborations.
The task of advocating for and helping to create a statewide system of connected trails and greenways requires a broad coalition of statewide, regional, and local organizations working cooperatively together. We propose to expand our efforts by recruiting the leadership of supporting groups and organizations to join our Board and support our efforts.
Objective #1 Recruit state greenway and trail organizations to serve on the FGTF Board.
Objective #2 Recruit private business and philanthropic organizational involvement in the long-term mission of the FGTF.
