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Greenways and Trails Program
                     E-News
IN THIS ISSUE
Dangerous by Design
Community Preference Survey
Blueprint for Livability
Calendar
Native Plants vs. Invasives
JRHT signs go up!
Buzz about Dick & Willie
159 trail miles complete!
DCR updates Toolbox
Connecting our State Parks
Upcoming Grants
Due 8/1/11

 

American Rivers - EPA 

Potomac Highlands

 Implementation Grant Program  

Augusta, Clarke, Fauquier, Frederick, Loudoun, Page, Rockingham, Shenandoah, and Warren counties
Due August 5, 2011

Livable Transit Corridors
Research Plan
Due 7/6/11


Funding opportunities in Virginia


Grants.gov is the federal funding site for 1000 grant programs offered by 26 agencies.

Dangerous by Design

Transportation for America found that 873 people were killed while walking in Virginia between 2000 and 2009. Their

Dangerous by Design 

2011 report compares deaths by county, ethnicity and age.  Virginia's overall Pedestrian Danger Index ranks 22nd out of 50 states.

 

Read more Traffic Safety Facts from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. 

Community Preference Survey 

What are people looking for when they choose where to live?  Find out in the 2011 Community Preference Survey conducted for the National Association of Realtors.

Blueprint for Livability

Livable communities planning is the process through which a community focuses on supporting the lifelong wellness of its population through both the design of the spaces people use and the services that support them to do so. Two strategies to make communities more livable are increasing the availability and accessibility of multiple transportation modes- including walking, and making more space available for public use.  Read more about this issue in Virginia's  Blueprint for Livability report.   

 

On a related topic, the American Public Health Association has developed health, equity and transportation resources.  Check out their Web site and the Transportation and Health Toolkit.  

2011 Calendar

 June 24-29 

Bike Virginia Tour
New River Valley

July 1-8, 2011  

Appalachian Trail Conservancy's 38th Biennial Conference  

Emory, VA

 

July 7-10, 2011 

Subaru/IMBA Trailbuilders School Knoxville, TN

 

July 9, 2011 

James River Run-Off Run-Down and Splash and Dash

 

July 21-23 ~  Southeastern Equestrian Trails Conference � Auburn, AL

Sept. 17-20, 2011
VRPS Annual Conference
Norfolk, VA

September 24, 2011
Public Lands Day

October 1, 2011 

Take a Kid Mountain Biking Day

 

October 5, 2011 

International Walk to School Day  

 

Nov. 1-3, 2011

NRPA Congress and Exposition

Active Minds, Healthy Nation

Atlanta, GA 

 


Native Plants vs. Invasives

Several new resources are available to help identify invasive plants.  If you studied horticulture over 20 years ago, as I did, you will be surprised how many "recommended plants" are now listed as invasives. Read more about this topic in

 Plant Invaders of Mid-Atlantic Natural Areas

 

At the Native Plant Center,

you can find native plants of the same type, shape, color, size, and other desirable plant characteristics for creating attractive and more natural landscapes along your trail.

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: 12Summer 2011  
   Welcome to the DCR Greenways and Trails Program News Group.  Scroll down for information on how to unsubscribe or update your profile.

Initial James River Heritage Trail Signs Installed 

Working with the Towns of Scottsville and Buchanan and Douthat and James River state parks, DCR has completed four "Plan Your Trip" signs for the James River Heritage Trail.  These large signs provide smart phone links to recreation and agritourism amenities in the local area, as well as information on river miles between take-out points.  The signs also encourage responsible use of the river, and respect of private property.   These signs were funded by the Department of Forestry through the Urban and Community Forestry program.  The photo below was taken by Twin River Outfitters in Buchanan. 

sign  

Yellow Jackets Buzzing about the Dick & Willie  

A dinosaur has been located at the Doyle Street trailhead for the Dick and Willie Passage in Henry County.  This news was reported by a bike group called the Yellow Jackets, who are biking this beautiful trail at least once a week and loving it.  Activate Martinsville-Henry County  has a "Bike Barn" that loans out bikes, as part of their mission to help make the community a fun, healthy, and desirable place to live by promoting walking, bicycling, and increased physical activity.  If you haven't checked out this part of southern Virginia lately, you are missing out on some outdoor adventure!

D

Two-thirds of the PHNST in Virginia Complete!    

By Don Briggs

 

Over the past 15 years, communities in Northern Virginia have invested in the development of trails, bicycling routes and related facilities.  The Potomac Heritage National Scenic Trail has been a valuable tool for coordination, for making connections, and for increasing opportunities for outdoor recreation, transportation, conservation and heritage tourism.    

 

Based on a recent corridor analysis, two thirds of an approximately 159-mile trail network in Northern Virginia is complete.   

PHNST 

The Northern Virginia Regional Commission, with support from Prince William County Supervisor Frank Principi and the National Capital Region,  organized a workshop at Belmont Bay, the site of a Trail segment near the scenic Occoquan River.  Participants reviewed the national significance, regional context and local value of the Trail network and broke into smaller groups to identify specific actions needed to eliminate gaps in the network with the most scenic corridors. 

 

Attendees included Trail segment volunteers, government agency planners, elected officials, and representatives from Virginia's Departments of Conservation and Recreation and  Transportation.   A week earlier, the Washington Sustainable Growth Alliance identified the Trail network between Mount Vernon Estate and Gardens and Prince William Forest Park as a regional conservation priority, "offering the most promise to preserve working open space, parkland, natural areas; promote green infrastructure; and benefit the natural environment."   

 

Click here for more information on PHNST's corridor analysis.


DCR Updates the Greenways and Trails Toolbox
Working with a team of planners, trail builders and agency reviewers, DCR has updated the design, construction and maintenance sections of the Greenways and Trails Toolbox.
The final version is online in "draft" form to allow the wider trail community an opportunity to catch any mistakes, so be sure to take a look.
 toolbox
Chapter 4 includes helpful field guides for each trail type that summarize design guidelines, as well as links to resources that provide more in-depth discussion on a variety of topics.

Land Planning and Design Associates was hired to prepare the updates of Chapter 4 and 5, in collaboration with the trail advisory team.  You can read more about their other greenway and trail projects here.

The International Mountain Bicycling Association provided some illustrations and their staff served on the review team.  To view a list of other contributors, click here

Connecting our State Parks to the Community 

In this issue, we are highlighting Grayson Highlands State Park This park features some of the most unique natural resources and fascinating landscapes in Virginia. The park was established in 1965 as Mount Rogers State Park because it is situated adjacent to Mount Rogers, the highest mountain in Virginia at 5,729 feet. The new name was derived from the name of one of Virginia's first Senators, William Grayson, and the mountainous "highlands" location.

 

The park hosts significant events that highlight the culture and history of the area. Annually the Wayne C. Henderson Music Festival and Guitar Competition is scheduled in June and a Fall Festival is held on the last weekend in September.  A pony herd grazes throughout the Wilburn Ridge and Massie Gap areas of Grayson Highlands State Park.   Each year the ponies are rounded up at the Fall Festival and some are auctioned off.

 

As the master plans for State Parks are updated, there will be more emphasis on connections to other resources in the community.  For example, the 2011 Grayson Highlands plan update states: 

 

"Nearby public lands include the George Washington and Jefferson National Forest (which includes Mount Rogers National Recreation Area and Little Wilson Creek Wilderness Area) and the Blue Ridge Parkway.  The Appalachian Trail is one of the park borders, and other trails in close proximity to the park include Iron Mountain Trail, Virginia Creeper Trail, and Virginia Highlands Horse Trail. The park is listed as a site on the Department of Game and Inland Fisheries' Birding and Wildlife Trail, as well as the Crooked Road-Virginia's Heritage Music Trail."

 


Grayson Highlands State Park itself has over 23 miles of trails!  If you haven't had a chance to visit this amazing State Park and nearby attractions, book your campsite today!