Four For Eight
WE DID IT! We reached our goal!
Earlier in November, we shared the New River Land Trust (NRLT) is raising funds for the construction of a multi-use trail system on Brush Mountain for mountain bikers, runners, walkers and horseback riders. The NRVBA, Blacksburg Striders, Blue Ridge Off-Road Cyclists challenged you to match our donations, and you did it in just 36 days. And this week, the Back Country Horsemen of America joined us by contributing another $500. What an amazing community!
NRVBA
$4,000 + $4,000 (Match) = $8,000
Blacksburg Striders
$1,000 + $1,000 (Match) = $2,000
Blue Ridge Off-Road Cyclists
$5,000 + $5,000 (Match) = $10,000
Back Country Horsemen of America
$500 = $500
TOTAL = $20,500
If you want to learn more about the project, visit the Town of Blacksburg’s webpage where you can download a copy of the DRAFT Trails Concept Plan and associated maps.
Background
In 2019, the New River Land Trust (NRLT) received a $1.2 million grant award from the Virginia Outdoors Foundation’s Forest CORE Fund (Fund) -- a fund established for the purpose of mitigating forest fragmentation resulting from the clearing and grubbing activities along the Mountain Valley Pipeline’s right-of-way through Virginia. These grant funds were used to purchase two largely undeveloped properties, comprising 553 acres, on the south face of Brush Mountain (see Figure 1 below.) The NRLT plans to transfer the two properties to the Town of Blacksburg (Town) in 2020, with the Town providing long-term stewardship in the form of viewshed protection, preservation of ecological diversity and recreational opportunities.
Recreation Opportunities
With the addition of these two properties along the southeast face of Brush Mountain, the NRLT and the Town have an opportunity to develop a unique non-motorized, multi-use trail system that adds to and connects the spectrum of recreation opportunities in the Town’s parks system. A future trail system will also provide additional links between the expanding Huckleberry Trail system and the George Washington & Jefferson National Forest and the Pandapas Day Use Area.
To capitalize on this opportunity, a stakeholder group was formed earlier this year to develop a Brush Mountain Parks Trail Concept Plan (Plan). The draft Plan defines core values and objectives and proposes a first phase of trail alignments. The Concept Plan will be shared with the public in an information and feedback session on December 5, 2019, at the Blacksburg Library at 6 P.M.