Appalachian Trail Vanity Tags Fund State Grants

Home News Appalachian Trail Vanity Tags Fund State Grants

Published Dec 4, 2014

Do you ever wonder why people who drive Hummers pay for vanity tags that say, "Hummer"? Do you ever wonder why people who love the Appalachian Trail (AT) don't pay for vanity tags that promote the AT, fund the Appalachian Trail Conservancy (ATC), help preserve the AT in individual states and provide funds for grants to local intra-state groups to protect the AT? I do.

Yes, an AT tag costs a few extra bucks annually, but it's probably less than the amount we all waste on ATM fees every month or two. Why not get something worthwhile for your money?

The ATC is accepting applications for their 2015 Appalachian Trail (A.T.) Specialty License Plate grant program. The deadline is Friday, Jan. 9, 2015. Both Tennessee and North Carolina are eligible for grants. The grant funds for Tennessee and North Carolina must be spent in their respective states. Individual grant requests should not exceed $5,000.

The ATC will award a total of $15,000 for a broad range of AT-related projects in Tennessee, from funds are generated from the sales and renewals of Tennessee AT vanity tags. The ATC will also award a total of $30,000 for a broad range of AT projects in North Carolina.

The ATC encourages individuals and partner organizations, including Trail clubs, schools, botanists, ecologists, environmental and conservation groups as well as civic organizations, to submit applications to the grant program. Projects can be related to the physical Trail and its facilities; the enhancement of Trail clubs' long-term A.T. management abilities; natural heritage and environmental monitoring; education and outreach; Appalachian Trail Community(TM) partnerships; and major public-service projects.

Specialty license plates for the A.T. are a way to support the ATC in its work to sustain the Trail into the future. Twenty dollars from each license plate in North Carolina is returned to the ATC to support its work in the state. Last year, AT license plate sales in North Carolina generated approximately $115,000, which supported the Specialty License Plate grant program, the ATC's land acquisition efforts and the work of its Southern Regional Office located in Asheville.

From each license plate purchase or renewal in Tennessee, $15.62 is donated to the ATC to support Trail-related work in the state. Last year, A.T. license plate sales in Tennessee generated approximately $44,877 helping to support the grant program, the ATC's land acquisition efforts and the Tennessee work of its Southern Regional Office located in Asheville.

Go for it. Spring for a vanity tag that supports the Appalachian Trail.

Tags: Appalachian Trail Conservancy, Appalachian Trail, News, and Appalachian Trail Clubs