Preservation of a large chunk of forested mountainside that serves as the backdrop for the Town of Blacksburg and Virginia Tech’s campus is one step closer to reality.
A team of stakeholders including the Poverty Creek Trails Coalition and the U.S. Forest Service has released a draft Concept Plan and proposed trail alignments for two properties totaling 553 acres along the southeastern face of Brush Mountain. The properties were acquired earlier this year by the New River Land Trust with $1.2 million from the Virginia Outdoor Foundation’s Forest CORE Fund.
The Concept Plan and alignments can be found on the Town of Blacksburg’s website. The stakeholder group is seeking feedback from the public through Wednesday, December 11. They will use this feedback to develop a final draft to present to the Mayor and Town Council early next year.
The properties are slated to one day become part of the Town of Blacksburg’s park system, and present “an opportunity to develop and manage a non-motorized trail and park system to benefit the residents of Blacksburg, the wider region, and visitors to the area,” according to the Town’s website. Recreational plans include hiking, biking, horseback riding, and exploring. The community also intends to use the property for outdoor education.
Feedback on the Concept Plan and alignments may be sent via email to sustainability@blacksburg.gov.
