Showing posts with label National Park Service. Show all posts
Showing posts with label National Park Service. Show all posts

Wednesday, August 27, 2014

Governor McAuliffe Affirms Virginia’s Commitment to River, Chesapeake Bay Public Access

Map of .
Map of . (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
RICHMOND — Governor Terry McAuliffe today joined officials from the National Park Service and the Chesapeake Conservancy, as well as local and state partners, on the banks of the Potomac River at Caledon State Park in King George County to affirm Virginia’s commitment to increasing public access to rivers and the Chesapeake Bay.

“Protecting the health and vitality of Virginia’s waterways and promoting their use means we can connect people from all over the world with our Commonwealth’s natural resources and grow our economy as well,” said Governor McAuliffe. “My team and I want to continue to provide Virginia’s residents and visitors more places to swim, fish, put in a canoe and just be in nature. By partnering with the National Park Service, the Chesapeake Conservancy and others to increase access to our waterways in the Chesapeake Bay region, Virginia will create opportunities for more people to enjoy and appreciate the countless natural, cultural and historic treasures found here.”

The Commonwealth of Virginia and the National Park Service have agreed to a memorandum of understanding to advance mutual commitments to the Captain John Smith Chesapeake National Historic Trail and the Star-Spangled Banner National Historic Trail. A focus of the trails is to bring to the region new opportunities for public access, recreation, education and heritage tourism.

Today’s event at Caledon State Park dedicated a new canoe-in campground enabling paddlers to rest or stay overnight in a primitive campsite. Development of the campground was a collaborative effort among the National Park Service, the Chesapeake Conservancy, and the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation, which manages Virginia state parks.

“Development of this canoe-in site increases people’s access to the river and to one of the country’s most significant summering spots for bald eagles,” said Virginia Secretary of Natural Resources Molly Ward. “This contributes to both the state park’s and the trails’ goals of allowing visitors to experience this area’s unique natural treasures.”

Canoe-in campgrounds were identified as a key need during development of the Chesapeake Bay Watershed Public Access Plan. The plan, which calls for adding 300 new public access sites in the bay watershed by 2025, is part of the broad federal, state and nongovernmental strategy to protect and restore the Chesapeake Bay.

Members of Virginia’s Youth Conservation Corps built the campground with financial support from the National Park Service. Each campsite measures 20 feet by 30 feet and offers a picnic table, fire ring and lantern post.


Tuesday, April 8, 2014

Virginia Releases Comprehensive Plan for Outdoor Recreation, Land Conservation

English: The state seal of Virginia. Српски / ...
 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
RICHMOND — Today Governor McAuliffe and First Lady Dorothy McAuliffe announced that theVirginia Outdoors PlanVirginia’s official guide for the planning of public outdoor recreation and land conservation has been revised and is now available online. The plan, which is updated every five years, is a product of the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation and highlights the beautiful natural resources and historical attractions Virginia has to offer.

“Virginia’s parks, natural areas, historic sites and scenic views help define the Commonwealth as a great place to live, work and raise a family, and they play a critical role in supporting Virginia’s second largest industry: tourism.” Gov. Terry McAuliffe said. “The Virginia Outdoors Plan is our five-year guide for protecting and enhancing our natural resources and outdoor recreational assets and this updated plan will help keep our economy growing and our communities thriving.”

This is the 10th plan to be produced since the 1965 publication of “Virginia’s Common Wealth,” the first comprehensive study of Virginia’s outdoor recreation facilities and resources. It is the first to be completely paperless, and its publication marks the debut of VOP Mapper, a user-friendly online tool for mapping outdoor recreation resources and conserved lands. The plan can be viewed atwww.dcr.virginia.gov/vop.

Speaking about the launch of the plan, First Lady Dorothy McAuliffe said, “The online plan as well as our new map tool will enable more Virginians and visitors from across the globe to identify recreational sites in Virginia. These innovative and user-friendly resources will raise awareness of the assets our great state has.” To view a video featuring the First Lady introducing the new outdoor plan, click here.

This plan’s theme is “Virginia is for Outdoor Lovers,” and recommendations focus heavily on expanding tourism opportunities and the economy through outdoor recreation and land conservation.

The Virginia Outdoors Plan is a requirement for Virginia to participate in the federal Land and Water Conservation Fund program. Since that program’s inception nearly 50 years ago, Virginia has received more than $76 million in LWCF grants through the National Park Service. DCR is tasked with dispersing these grant funds statewide for public outdoor recreation. More than 400 projects across the state have been made possible through this funding. These projects range from improvements at existing parks to land acquisitions for developing new parks.

The Virginia Outdoors Plan is developed using the results of the Virginia Outdoors Demand Survey. The survey helps gauge the level at which Virginians are participating in specific outdoor recreation activities. It also measures respondents’ attitudes about the importance of outdoor recreation and land conservation, their use of technology to find outdoor recreation opportunities, and the outdoor amenities they prefer.

The survey cited in this plan was administered in 2011 by the University of Virginia Center for Survey Research. The plan was developed using the responses from 3,100 Virginia households. In addition to the survey, input about outdoor recreation and land conservation was collected during 42 public meetings around the state.

“The Virginia Outdoors Plan reflects a vast undertaking to gather and analyze information about the public’s use and perceptions of outdoor recreation,” said Danette Poole, DCR’s director for planning and recreation. “Working in concert with other planners at local, state, regional and federal levels, we’ve used that information to formulate recommendations for outdoor recreation and land conservation across the state. Those recommendations are listed in the plan.”

Select findings from the survey:
  • Virginians have a high regard for the importance of outdoor recreation opportunities and a strong commitment to the protection of natural areas. The survey finds strong support for public funding and public management of lands in pursuit of the protection of natural areas and the availability of public access to those areas.
  • More than nine out of 10 respondents consider access to outdoor recreation “very important” or “important,” especially those aged 18 to 24.
  • Trails for hiking and walking were cited as the most needed outdoor recreation amenity in Virginia by 68 percent of respondents, followed by public access to state waters for fishing, swimming and beach use (60 percent) and access to natural areas (55 percent).
  • Nearly a quarter of respondents said they had camped at least once in the 12 months prior to taking the survey.
  • The top four outdoor recreation activities in Virginia are walking for pleasure (82 percent), visiting historic sites (64 percent), visiting local, state or national parks (51 percent), and visiting natural areas, preserves or refuges (50 percent).
  • The top three reasons Virginians don’t participate in outdoor recreation are lack of personal/family time (40 percent), lack of information (28 percent) and recreational opportunities are too far away from home/no public transportation (20 percent).
Enhanced by Zemanta

Saturday, December 7, 2013

Governor McDonnell’s Biennial Budget to Include Significant New State Funding for Fort Monroe Authority

Reception of the wounded soldiers by the natio...
Reception of the wounded soldiers by the national authorities at Fortress Monroe, Va (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
RICHMOND - Governor Bob McDonnell’s biennial budget will include significant new state funding for the Fort Monroe Authority. Fort Monroe was deactivated as a United States military installation in the fall of 2011 and the Fort Monroe Authority will be responsible for the property and land returned to the Commonwealth. Additional portions of Fort Monroe were declared a National Monument by President Barack Obama in 2011 and will be administered by the National Park Service. The Fort occupies a prominent place in Virginia and America history dating back to the arrival of the first colonists in Virginia. During the Civil War it became known as “Freedom’s Fortress” as thousands of slaves sought refuge at the Union-held installation.  Fort Monroe has remained a symbol of our nation’s struggle to protect those seeking freedom.

The governor’s budget provides the following funding for the Fort Monroe Authority:
·         $701,620, from the general fund, in supplemental funding in FY 2014. 
·         $6.7 million in FY 2015 and $5.5 million in FY 2016, in general fund support, for the operations and management of the fort, including staff. Funding will address the primary drivers of expenditures, such as utilities and maintenance.

·         The governor’s budget amendments also authorize the issuance of $22.5 million in bonds through the Virginia Public Building Authority.  It is anticipated that over the next five or six years the authority needs to make approximately $26 million in capital improvements to buildings and infrastructure on the property. The authority has funding from other sources to address the difference.
o   The bond funds will allow the authority to act on critical infrastructure needs at the Fort, such as significant repairs to roofs and elevators, improvements to the gas, water, sewer, and stormwater systems, and improvements to roads, bridges, sidewalks, and parking lots.
o   The improvements that the bonds will finance will allow the authority to rehabilitate residential units.  This will permit the authority to collect market rents. 
o   The improvements that the bonds will finance will also allow the authority to address roof leaks and non-functioning HVAC and elevators that currently make the units unusable for commercial tenants.

The proposed Fort Monroe Master Plan provides for a combination of mixed use of residential and commercial property, including new construction and adaptive reuse. The operating and capital expenses the Authority will incur in the current fiscal year, and fiscal years 2015 and 2016, are necessary to implement that Master Plan.

The governor will continue to make other budget-related announcements in the days leading up to the formal unveiling of his biennial budget during his Address to the Joint Money Committees on December 16th in Richmond.
Enhanced by Zemanta