Greenways and Trails Program E-News
IN THIS ISSUE
New Online Resources
SETC Goes National
Local Trails in the News
Calendar
ECG Guides are Here!
Hot News for Hikers
The Clinch River Initiative
In the News at VDOT
Building Momentum along the GET
Connecting our Parks to the Community
Upcoming Grants
New Online Resources 
Chesapeake Explorer Moblie App
Looking for information about national parks, state parks, Chesapeake Bay Gateways.and other  sites along three national historic and scenic trails in the watershed?  Check out the Chesapeake Explorera free app that works with both iPhones and Android devices. 

Landscope Chesapeake
The Chesapeake's restoration and protection has a new online resource. LandScope America has focused in on the Chesapeake Bay, a watershed with a direct impact on millions of people. 
 
Developed in collaboration by NatureServe, the National Geographic Society, and many partner organizations, LandScope America is designed to increase the pace and effectiveness of conservation action and investment throughout the United States.
 
Managing Invasive Species
Also check out   iMapInvasives, an online tool for invasive species reporting and data management. Affordable, sustainable, and collaborative tools developed by this partnership provide a flexible platform for aggregating invasive species data from many sources.
SETC GOES NATIONAL

The 13th annual
was held in Lexington, KY, in July and a decision was made to move SETC to a national meeting. The new organization will be known as the National Equestrian Trails Conference. 
 
Virginia Horse Council Board Member Sally Aungier has been asked to serve on a new national advisory committee for the 2013 conference. The next conference will be held in South Carolina July 18 - 20, 2013.

 

Local Trails in the News
Award Winners
Congratulations to Roanoke County Parks, Recreation, and Tourism for their VRPS "Best New Facility" Award for Walrond Park Trail.
 
Radford Parks and Recreation also received the "Distinguished Private Sector Service Award" for Pathways for Radford.
 
Other trails in the news in Virginia :
2012 Calendar

 

October 17-19

Rural Planning Caucus of VA

Mountain Lake 

 

October 17 at 1:30

Nelson AT Trail Community

Celebration

Nelson Center, Lovingston

 

Oct. 24-25

VDOT Local Programs Workshop

Holiday Inn Koger Center

Richmond

 

Nov. 5-9

2012 National Scenic Trails Workshop 

Shepardstown, WV

 

Nov. 6-7

World Town Planning Day

Online Conference

 

Nov. 7 Webinar: 

Good Practices to Encourage Bicycling & Pedestrians on Federal Lands 

 

Nov 8, 9 a.m.-3 p.m.

Winning with Sports:  What you Need to Know

Hilton Garden Inn Richmond Downtown 

 

Nov. 10-15

America's Wild Spaces:  The Appalachian Trail 

Nov 10- The Grandin Theatre, Roanoke

Nov 15- Avalon Theatre, Washington, DC 

 

Nov. 17 9 a.m. -5 p.m.

East Coast Greenway Alliance Trail Council Meeting

Virginia War Memorial 

621 S. Belvidere St., Richmond, VA

 

 

 

  

DCR Trails Program Mission:  Provide assistance and education to encourage the development, maintenance and promotion of attractive, sustainable and connected trails throughout the state.
 
Jennifer Wampler
Trails Coordinator
Virginia Dept of Conservation & Recreation, Division of Planning and Recreation Resources

Issue: 17
Fall 2012 
   Welcome to the DCR Greenways and Trails Program News Group.  Scroll down for information on how to unsubscribe or update your profile.
What you have been waiting for...

The East Coast Greenway Guide is Here!

 

The East Coast Greenway Alliance and DCR are pleased to announce the availability of the East Coast Greenway: Virginia Guide to Bicycling and Walking. This guide was produced with financial support from the Federal Highways Administration's Transportation Enhancement program and significant in-kind support from the Virginia Bicycling Federation.  This is the latest in a series of East Coast Greenway publications, joining guides for New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Delaware, and the pending guide for Maryland and Washington D.C.

 

The guide will encourage sustainable tourism in Virginia, bringing dollars to local businesses along the East Coast Greenway route and helping to reduce road congestion and air pollution. The guide provides all one needs to plan a successful journey along the Greenway: detailed text directions (cue sheets) and maps of the route, future off-road routing, alternate and linking routes, as well as information on services, points of interest and other vital information for travelers.

 

A limited supply of Virginia guides will be available free of charge at all 12 Virginia Welcome Centers. They also will be available at the East Coast Greenway Alliance trail council meeting Nov. 17 at the Virginia War Memorial, 621 S. Belvidere St., Richmond. The meeting is scheduled from 9 a.m.-5 p.m., and is open to the public.  To order guides by mail, contact the East Coast Greenway Alliance (info@greenway.org or 919-797-0619);  a $5 fee will be charged to cover shipping and handling costs. For more information on the East Coast Greenway, visit www.greenway.org.

Hot News for Hikers
 
America's Wild Spaces:  The Appalachian Trail
COMING TO A THEATER NEAR YOU 

In celebration of the 75
th Anniversary of the completion of the Appalachian Trail (A.T.), the Appalachian Trail Conservancy (ATC) will be hosting a membership drive called "DISCOVER THE APPALACHIAN TRAIL" across the USA.
The event will feature the National Geographic film - America's Wild Spaces, the Appalachian Trail. Several special guest speakers will also share their story of the Trail and free prizes will be awarded to the public. All proceeds will go directly to preserve and protect the Appalachian Trail.
 
Nov 10- The Grandin Theatre, Roanoke

Nov 15- Avalon Theatre, Washington, DC

 

Order tickets here. Admission includes a one-year free ATC membership or gift membership. The events will also include  the winning video from ATC's "Why I Love the A.T." contest.

 

A New Appalachian Trail Community™ Celebration 

 

Nelson County joins the Appalachian Trail  Conservancy in cordially inviting you to participate in their official designation as an Appalachian Trail Community™.

 

WHEN:  October 17, 2012 - 1:30pm


WHERE: Nelson Center  8445 Thomas Nelson Hwy, Lovingston, VA, 22949
 
Please RSVP by October 12th to Emily Harper
eharper@nelsoncounty.org , 434-263-7130
 
National Trails Day Report
 
Thanks to everyone who participated in National Trails Day. With 120 registered events, Virginia was one of the state leaders.  Read the 2012 National Trails Day Report and save the date for next year--June 1, 2013!
The Clinch River Initiative

 

 

The Clinch River Valley Initiative is an innovative, pioneering, and collaborative multi-year planning effort to build local economies in the coalfields of Southwest Virginia, focusing on the Clinch River - one of the most biodiverse river systems in North America.  Working at a watershed scale with several local partners, this grassroots effort has developed significant ownership and momentum with applicability for communities in Appalachia and beyond.

Read more!  

 

In the News at VDOT

 

Safe Routes to School Grants

The Virginia Department of Transportation's Safe Routes to School Program has issued a call for grant applications for both infrastructure projects and non-infrastructure activities.  VDOT is also providing additional technical support for local SRTS programs through three Local Technical Assistance Coordinators (LTAC), a Starter Kit for new local SRTS programs, and a program to recognize great SRTS work.  Click here for more details.

 

The Virginia Safe Routes to School Program (SRTS) assists interested localities and schools in the development of plans, activities, and infrastructure improvements to make bicycling and walking to school a safe and appealing transportation option for students in kindergarten through eighth grade. 


 

The Official 'Bicycling in Virginia' Map is Available!

VDOT has released their updated statewide bicycle map. Use it to enjoy our beautiful commonwealth, to visit natural and cultural attractions, to ride for transportation, health, and fun and to reduce traffic congestion and air pollution.  Download your copy here.  

  

Local Programs Workshop:  October 24-25

This two-day workshop will focus on providing an overview of local programs and provide training for program management and project development. The workshop will feature 20 breakout sessions, scheduled in four concurrent
tracks. The four tracks are Federal Program Requirements, Project Development and Financials, Funding Programs
and Project Delivery.    
Visit the UVA Center for Transportation Studies- Transportation Training Academy's website for more information and how to register.

Building Momentum along The Great Eastern Trail 

Volunteers nail up a GET logo on the GET section behind

Mountain Creek Lodge at Pipestem State Park in WV

 

by Tom Johnson

 

Substantial progress has been made on the Great Eastern Trail over the past year.  The GET now has its first corporate sponsor, Woolrich Corporation of Woolrich, Pennsylvania.  New temporary routes have been designated through Chattanooga, Tennessee, and south of Chattanooga in northwest Georgia.  An MOU was signed between the GET Association and the National Park Service land on Lookout Mountain to designate 8.5 miles of existing trail as part of the GET.  Agreement is nearing on an MOU with the Forest Service to support the GET.  A new agreement has been reached with a wildlife management area in Virginia.  The trail has been rerouted in West Virginia and Virginia, and in the space of only a year, the Potomac Appalachian Trail Club has built four new shelters on its GET section in Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Virginia.  A new shelter has appeared on the Standing Stone Trail in Pennsylvania, the first shelter on that trail.  Substantial progress is being made by the VISTA volunteer in West Virginia to get a route established across the state, and two new agreements have been signed by local towns to designate the trail through their town.  
Connecting our Parks to the Community

 

New Equestrian Campgrounds

The equestrian campground at Fairystone State Park opened on October 1.  Finishing touches are being made to the equestrian campground at Staunton River State Park--look for an announcement later this fall.

Holliday Lake State Park
Deep in the heart of Appomattox-Buckingham State Forest, Holliday Lake State Park is a paradise for the outdoor enthusiast. The park has five hiking trails and one aquatic trail, and there are over 20 miles of trail in the adjoining state forest.  Trails at James River, Twin Lakes and High Bridge Trail State Parks are not far away.
 
The nearby Holiday Lake 4-H Educational Center has a full-service conference facility along with overnight bunk style accommodations for 130 in the cooler months and 250 in the warmer months.
 
Other nearby attractions include 
Fall is a great time to visit your state parks.  Reserve today!