Rec Ready NH – Partnerships and Regional Collaboration Tool

Forging partnerships in outdoor recreation planning involves three key steps - initializing, formalizing, and maintaining.

First, it starts with initializing connections. This entails reaching out to potential partners, building trust, and finding shared goals. Next comes formalizing collaboration, where roles, responsibilities, and communication plans are clearly defined. Finally, it's important to focus on maintaining the connection by keeping partners engaged, informed, and involved over time to ensure long-term success and shared stewardship.

Initializing Connections

Start by identifying local organizations, community leaders, businesses, and agencies who care about outdoor spaces. This tool offers guidance on identifying the types of organizations to consider as potential partners.

Reach out through meetings, emails, or community events to introduce your outdoor recreation planning goals and explore shared interests. Consider presenting goals established during public meetings and community visioning workshops, as outlined in the Community and Stakeholder Engagement Guidance tool.

Formalizing Collaboration

Once mutual interest is established, set up a clear plan that defines each partner's role in furthering outdoor recreation planning goals and how decisions will be made.

Create formal or informal agreements that outline goals, responsibilities, and communication methods for the partnership.

Maintaining Connection

Keep the partnership strong by providing regular updates, holding check-ins, and celebrating shared wins. Consider establishing regular meetings or a commission with representatives from multiple partners with shared goals.

Be open to feedback and adapt as needed to keep the collaboration responsive and relevant over time.

A street view of a small town center with a row of historic commercial buildings and cars parked on the side of the road.

The Purpose of Partnership

Creating partnerships with community members, local organizations, businesses, and nearby regional partners strengthens local outdoor recreation planning. These partnerships create a united community front for grant applications, minimize user group tensions, and maximize workforce and financial capacity.

United Front for Grants

When applying for a grant, building partnerships with local groups can make your application stronger. It shows that people across the community, including planners, business owners, residents, and tourists, are all working toward the same goals. This teamwork tells grant reviewers that the project is supported by the whole community and is less likely to face delays from internal disagreements. The Funding Strategies and Grant Database offers more guidance on the significance of grants in the outdoor recreation planning process.

Minimize User Group Tensions

Starting partnerships early in the recreation planning process can help reduce future conflicts over tourism, trail development, and other outdoor projects. Including local recreation organizations in planning gives a variety of trail user groups the opportunity to share their views on how outdoor recreation should be planned, financed, and managed. When voices from different parts of the community are included, there's a better chance of avoiding disagreements and making sure everyone feels represented.

Maximize Workforce and Financial Capacity

Many towns have limited workforce and financial capacity to support outdoor recreation projects. Partnering with local organizations and businesses connected to the outdoor industry can help alleviate the burden on individual communities. These partners -- such as nonprofits, companies, and landowners -- can provide capital, gear, land, and workforce in the outdoor recreation planning process.

Partner Opportunities

There are many types of organizations and groups that can serve as partners in outdoor recreation planning. The following table outlines different partnership opportunities, reasons for partnering, and additional notes.

Partnership & Reason	Notes
Local outdoor recreation groups Host group runs, rides, hikes, etc. with local outdoor recreation	Existing recreation groups can serve as an opportunity to increase involvement of underrepresented groups in outdoor recreation (ex: women's MTB groups, BIPOC run club, aging athlete group, etc.)
Parks and recreation departments / committees Local parks and recreation can hold programming at local recreation areas - hikes, bikes, foraging, fairy house building, day camps, birdwatching. Collaboration with local parks and recreation offers an opportunity to provide the community with educational and interpretive information on historical and ecological facts, as well as safety and preparedness information. See the Interpretation, Education, and Programming tool for further guidance on developing this signage.	Locally hosted events offer another opportunity for age-group or other identity-specific programming (ex: field trips for elderly residents, afterschool programs)
Schools Connect with teachers to encourage age-appropriate outdoor learning and activities. Outdoor recreation areas can give students the chance to help with projects like building trails, creating signs, tracking plant and animal species, writing poetry, and more. Partnering with schools also helps students build a connection with nature and develop a love for the outdoors -- even if they don't live close to outdoor recreation areas	Students may also help with maintenance and other volunteer opportunities in outdoor recreation areas
Higher learning institutions Partner with nearby higher education institutions for timber management, sugaring, forest management, ecology, natural resource management, and other curricula that can benefit from access to outdoor spaces	Contact the relevant department heads
Kids camps and youth groups Coordinate to plan field trips and programming in outdoor recreation locations. Older scouts and campers can help with trail maintenance	Consider mutually beneficial program like Slate Valley Trails' TrailBlazers program where teens work while also gaining certifications for longterm career in trailbuilding
Religious organizations Explore interest in worshipping or volunteering on recreational lands. Trail maintenance and other volunteer opportunities can help fulfill service requirements	Outdoor recreation areas can serve as the setting of outdoor services, spiritual walks, etc.
Libraries Develop a story walk, hold a local history event, or host a community walk through the woods	Libraries are also a good place to advertise local outdoor recreation events
Outdoor education non-profits Similarly to school, outdoor education non-profits may be interested in organizing events on recreational lands and can assist with outreach
Small or local businesses Partnership with small or local businesses, such as co-hosting an event, increases foot traffic while helping share workload and financial capacity
Large businesses in the recreation industry with local locations (ex: ski resorts, REI, outdoor gear brands, etc) These higher-capacity businesses can provide grants, as well as access to physical goods such used gear. It's a win-win relationship--when more people get interested in outdoor recreation locally, they're more likely to spend money later at outdoor gear stores or on trips to recreation-based resorts and vacations.
Land trusts and conservation groups These organizations provide expertise around land acquisition, landowner relationships, and related grants They may also be able to assist with outdoor recreation management on land trust-owned land.
Bordering or regional towns with outdoor recreation economies These communities can offer learning opportunity for strategies that do and do not work. They can also serve as important land management connections for trails, rivers, and recreational lands that cross town or county boundaries and require communication to align development and management strategies.	For ideas of local partners, consider the Collaborative Economic Development Regions - NH Economy
Outdoor recreation non-profits (ex: New Hampshire Snowmobile Association, Coos Cycling Club, etc) These organizations can help recruit volunteers for trail maintenance and other efforts. Outdoor recreation non-profits can also help by hosting events, building trails, supporting funding efforts, running youth programs, and doing other community-focused work. This helps increase the community's ability to get things done.
Local economic and business development association A locally-focused economic or business development group can help ensure that outdoor recreation drives business development and that the town successfully captures the economic impacts of local tourism.

Relationship Building with the Public

Strong relationships with the public are important in outdoor recreation planning. This includes connecting with local landowners, volunteers, and community members. Open communication, early conversations, and clear expectations help build trust and long-term support.

For further guidance on building relationships with the public, see the Steering Committee Guidance tool and the Community and Stakeholder Engagement Guidance tool.

Landowner Relationships

It is important to start conversations with landowners early in the planning process. Following best practices and being respectful of their concerns helps build trust. Good landowner partnerships are key to maintaining access to trails and recreation areas.

Several resources outline best practices establishing positive landowner relationships. In their Landowner Relationships Program, New Hampshire Fish and Game outlines guidance for hunting and fishing on private land. Much of this guidance can also be adapted to other forms of outdoor recreation. The New Hampshire Bureau of Trails also provides a Landowner Partnership brochure outlining landowner rights. Vermont Trails and Greenways also offers guidance on gaining landowner permissions and thanking landowners, much of which applies in the New Hampshire context.

People visiting a sunflower field with a vintage dark blue pickup truck parked in the foreground.

Additional Resources:

Landowner relationships: Landowner relationships - VMBA
Landowner relationships: Considerations When Planning a New Trail - Bike Borderlands
NH Fish & Game Landowner Relations: Landowner Relations Program | State of New Hampshire Fish and Game
SPNHF Landowner stewardship: Landowner Stewardship Reference Library | Forest Society
Access Fund Risk Management and Landowner Support: Risk Management & Landowner Support — Access Fund
Ammonoosuc Conservation Trust Options for Landowners: Options for Landowners — Ammonoosuc Conservation Trust
Upper Valley Land Trust Landowner Stories: Landowner Stories - Upper Valley Land Trust

Volunteer Recruitment and Management

A strong volunteer base is essential for trail maintenance and outdoor projects. Creating a trail collaborative that includes all types of users -- like hikers, mountain bikers, snowmobilers, horseback riders, and outdoor educators -- can help bring people together and share responsibility. These groups can lead trail work and strengthen the recreation community.

The Trail Groupie Training Guide offers skills, tips, and advice for working on New England trails. New Hampshire State Parks provides worksheets and printable tools for tracking and training volunteers.

A group of people interacting with an attendant at an outdoor event booth set up under a blue tent on a sunny day.

Community Events and Work Days

Hosting events in recreation areas is a great way to help people connect with the land and inspire them to volunteer. Organizing work days with local groups such as scout troops, churches, and businesses can increase participation and community support.

The New Hampshire Bureau of Economic Affairs offers guidance on connecting companies to a culture of outdoor recreation. One example is hosting company volunteer days.

Outdoor festival on a grassy field with tents, a brick pathway, and an American flag.

Posting Volunteer Opportunities

Sharing volunteer opportunities in public places like trailhead kiosks, community forums, and online platforms helps attract more people. Offer a range of activities that match different skills and physical abilities, such as trail work, graphic design, or trail mapping. Make sure to include both ongoing and one-time opportunities.

Engaging Part-Time Residents

In areas with many part-time or seasonal residents, short-term volunteer jobs can help get more people involved. One-time opportunities, like helping with parking at a trail race, can allow people with limited time to still make a difference.

Thanking Volunteers

Always thank volunteers in meaningful ways. Personal thank-yous to volunteers can go a long way in recognizing and retaining these community efforts.

Ideas for recognizing volunteer efforts include:

Tiered Recognition: Honor volunteers at milestones such as 50, 500, or 1000 hours with badges, small gifts, or public mentions.
Awards & Public Ceremonies: Host a local volunteer recognition event or nominate standout contributors for statewide awards like the Spirit of NH Awards.
Celebrate in Print & Online: Promote volunteer stories in newsletters, on social media, and local newspapers.
Engraving/Recognition Plaques: For long-term volunteers or high-impact roles, consider a plaque or display in a community space.
Partner with local businesses: Local businesses may also want to offer small rewards, such as coupons or discounts, to show appreciation for volunteer efforts.