Trail Assessment and Condition Surveys (TRACS)
TRACS is the Forest Service’s required methodology for conducting trail inventory, condition assessment and prescriptions for National Forest System trails. TRACS provides standardized terminology, business rules and data fields which are integrated with the agency’s corporate database and used for planning, management, cost estimation, and reporting.
Refer to the introduction in TRACS User Guide and the TRACS PowerPoint below for a synopsis of TRACS and more information.
TRACS PowerPoint (5/2011)
This PowerPoint slideshow provides an overview of TRACS for trail condition assessments and prescriptions. For an expanded explanation of each slide, view or print Notes Pages within the PowerPoint.
TRACS User Guide (5/2011)
The TRACS User Guide provides TRACS instructions, forms, and examples.
Tip: If printing, assemble the TRACS User Guide in a 3 ring binder using labeled dividers and organized to match the sections in the table of contents. Refer to the enhanced printing instructions below when printing color or multiple copies.
TRACS Forms (10/2008) (.pdf) (.xls)
Click on the links above to open or download copies of all of the TRACS forms (available in a pdf or an excel spreadsheet). Refer to the TRACS User Guide for step-by-step instructions and examples for completing each form.
TRACS User Guide: Enhanced Printing Instructions
Follow these steps to print one or more copies of the TRACS User Guide with color printing of the cover and spine, color printing of photo sections and sub-sections of the Data Dictionary (recommended for clarity), black & white printed tab divider sheets, and black & white version of the main text:
1st Step:
Printing and Compilation Instructions: Print a color copy of the Enhanced Printing Instructions and follow the instructions for printing various components and assembling the TRACS User Guide. This document provides specific instructions regarding printing color versus black and white sections, printing single-sided versus double-sided sections, etc.
If using a commercial printer, provide them with a color copy of these Printing and Compilation Instructions.
2nd Step:
TRACS User Guide Components: Follow the Printing and Compilation Instructions in the document above to print and assemble the following components of the TRACS User Guide.