BELCOURT — The North Dakota Parks and Recreation Department has announced the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians Department of Natural Resources’ Sky Chief Park Trail bridge linkage project has received the 2026 Tom Petri Recreational Trails Program Annual Achievement Award for Accessibility Enhancement from the Coalition for Recreational Trails.

The project was completed with support from an North Dakota Parks and Recreation Department (NDPRD) Recreational Trails Program (RTP) grant and was nominated for the award in recognition of its exceptional design, construction and years of thoughtful planning.

Selected from trail projects across the country, Sky Chief Park’s trail project earned the national achievement award for Accessibility Enhancement, one of only 10 projects honored nationwide.

“The project demonstrates how thoughtful infrastructure can strengthen community well-being, support cultural preservation and promote sustainable tourism,” said Char Langehaug, NDPRD grant coordinator, in the announcement. “These enhancements have improved safety, maintenance and connectivity throughout the park with expanded opportunities for walking, hiking, wildlife viewing and cultural education.”

The awards, honoring former U.S. Congressman Tom Petri of Wisconsin, recognize outstanding use of RTP funds. This year marks the 35th anniversary of RTP, which has enabled nearly 35,000 successes across the nation, serving all types of trail activities. Administered by the Federal Highway Administration, RTP demonstrates the power of partnerships linking federal agencies, state trail programs, local governments and trail enthusiasts.

“This is an amazing honor, and we’re truly thankful for the partnership with North Dakota Parks and Recreation,” said Natural Resource Director of the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa, Jeff Desjarlais Jr., in a news release. “We’re very fortunate to have an impressive team of people who came together to complete this project, resulting in year-round access to this trail throughout all four North Dakota seasons.”

The 10 projects will be honored at a ceremony in Washington, D.C. on June 25 with participation by award recipients and key trails champions, including members of Congress.

Sky Chief Park, located in Rolette County, is a 1,313-acre natural landscape that encompasses diverse prairie and forested habitat in the Turtle Mountains. It is a place where visitors and the surrounding community enjoy various opportunities for outdoor recreation.

The Trail Linkage Project was developed to improve accessibility and expand recreational opportunities throughout Sky Chief Park. To achieve this, the Department of Natural Resources transformed a series of narrow wildlife trails into a connected recreational trail system, constructing five steel bridges and a floating walkway to link previously separated sections and create 4.5 miles of continuous trail across varied terrain and wetland areas. The agency procured CTI Metal Works to ensure the durability and accessibility of the steel framed bridges. From there, the Department of Natural Resources milled its own aspen wood planks by sourcing the trees from Sky Chief Park and using its on-site wood mill facilities, allowing the team to utilize local materials and in-house craftsmanship.