Revised 6/14/2016

Implementation Guidance for the 

Federal Lands Planning Program

Purpose

The purpose of this document is to provide guidance for implementing and administering funds 

provided for transportation planning for Federal Lands Transportation Facilities, Federal Lands 

Access Transportation Facilities, and other federally owned roads open to public travel.

Framework

Recognizing the need for all public Federal and tribal transportation facilities to be treated under 

uniform policies, 23 U.S.C. 201(c) requires that the Secretary of Transportation, in consultation

with the Secretary of each appropriate Federal land management agency (FLMA), implement 

transportation planning procedures for Federal lands and tribal transportation facilities that are 

consistent with the planning processes required under 23 U.S.C. 134 (Metropolitan 

Transportation Planning) and 135 (Statewide and Nonmetropolitan Transportation Planning). 

Therefore, the transportation planning program provides opportunities for inter-governmental 

cooperation in performance-based transportation planning, programming, and decision-making.

To carry out eligible transportation planning and programming activities for Federal Lands 

Transportation Facilities, Federal Lands Access Transportation Facilities, and other federally 

owned roads open to public travel (as defined in 23 U.S.C. 125(e)), 23 U.S.C. 201(c)(8) requires 

the Secretary to combine and use each fiscal year not greater than 5 percent of the funds 

authorized for the Federal Lands Transportation and Federal Lands Access Programs (FLTP and 

FLAP, respectively) under sections 203 and 204 of title 23, United States Code.

Eligibility Requirements

The Secretary of Transportation shall combine and use each fiscal year up to 5 percent of the 

funds made available under the FLTP and FLAP to carry out the long-range system-wide 

transportation planning and coordination, asset management, and data collection activities 

described in 23 U.S.C. 201(c). For example, these resources may fund bridge inspections for 

public bridges owned by Federal agencies, and support applicable FLMAs required to implement 

safety, bridge, pavement, and congestion management systems for facilities funded under the 

FLTP. These latter activities support and inform the many performance goals and targets that are 

foundational to the administration of the FLTP. 

Section 1120 of the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation (FAST) Act added eligibility for 

Cooperative Research and Technology Deployment Program activities under 23 U.S.C. 201(c). 

Such activities are to be carried out by the Secretary of Transportation in coordination with 

FLMAs, as determined appropriate by the Secretary. 
Revised 6/14/2016

All eligible activities described in 23 U.S.C. 201(c) must be funded within this 5 percent

setaside, and not with core FLTP or FLAP contract authority. 

Funding

23 U.S.C. 201(c)(8) caps the obligation of funds for eligible activities at 5 percent of the amount 

authorized from both the FLTP and FLAP for each fiscal year. Although the law permits up to 5 

percent, the decision to leverage the full 5 percent will be made in coordination with eligible 

FLMA partners. 

FY2016 FY2017 FY2018 FY2019 FY2020

5 percent

Planning 

Setaside

$29,250,000 $30,000,000 $30,750,000 $31,500,000 $32,250,000

The annual and/or multi-year funding levels will be coordinated in partnership with FLMAs. 

To assist in ensuring compliance with the funding limitation, each agency that received planning 

funds subject to the 5 percent setaside should provide FHWA with data on unobligated planning 

funds at the end of each fiscal year. The amount carried over is subject to the next year’s 5 

percent setaside and must be considered each year in determining how much new funding to set 

aside. 

Period of Availability

The funds made available under this program are available for obligation for three fiscal years 

after the fiscal year for which the funds were authorized.

Federal Share

The Federal share for activities funded by the 5 percent setaside is 100 percent.

Transfers or "Loan" Provisions

Upon agreement between FLTP recipients and the Secretary, the Secretary may lend funds from 

the 5 percent planning setaside between FLTP recipients of planning funds to advance planning 

projects more timely and efficiently. Planning funds usage cannot be lent or reimbursed for 

construction projects funded by FLTP and/or FLAP. An agreement must be developed and 

signed by the pertinent parties to document any loan arrangement. The terms of such agreement 

will, among other things, include a repayment term. The borrower must pay back the funds to 

the lender from unobligated balances of funds that have not lapsed and are available to the 

recipient for the program to which or within which the loan was made, whether current year 

funds or carryover balances. 
Revised 6/14/2016

During the last year of the FAST Act (i.e., 2020), new loan-reimbursement arrangements will 

generally cease since the expiration of the FAST Act is imminent and the length and funding 

levels of possible extensions are unpredictable.

Program Administration 

Work Plan

FLTP partners, in cooperation with the Office of Federal Lands Highway (FLH), will develop a 

work plan and proposed budget of planning activities (for both agency and FLH) by suspense 

dates agreed upon by FHWA and partners. Work plans enhance transparency, accountability, 

and coordination; reduce duplication of similar activities; and strengthen our joint stewardship 

and oversight of planning funds. The work plan and budget will include planning 

projects/activities of both the partner and FLH to be implemented in the next fiscal year and/or 

over the course of multiple years within the FAST Act authorization period. 

Annual Accomplishment Report

Following the completion of the work plan and budget, partners will provide the FLH 

Headquarters Planning Program Manager with annual accomplishment information for the 

previous year. This information will provide visibility on the uses of planning funds and provide 

potential areas of opportunity to work and leverage funds together across agencies for similar 

activities.