Summer jobs building trail on Virginia's National Forests

Last summer they announced $3.2 Million from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) would go towards multiple trail projects in the George Washington and Jefferson National Forest.

This summer the work will get done. They haven't posted the Feb 8, 2010 press release yet, but it goes something like this -

Title -U.S. Forest Service and SCA to Partner on ARRA Trailwork
Subtitle - National Forest Trails To Benefit from Federal Stimulus Funding

The U.S. Forest Service and the Student Conservation Association (SCA) will partner to improve numerous trails on the George Washington and Jefferson National Forests, using funding from the ARRA. SCA is currently recruiting to fill nine project leader positions and 37 trail team member positions for seven SCA trail teams. During the summer and fall of 2010, these teams will improve up to 175 miles of national forest trails in Alleghany, Augusta, Bath, Botetourt, Craig, Highland, Montgomery, Roanoke and Smyth Counties.

This is for the Team Leader Positions:

This is for the Field Staff Positions: 

Detailed information and applications are available on the SCA website http://www.thesca.org/

Alert : Virginia State Forests permit required to bicycle on trails as of 1/1/2010

The Virginia Department of Forestry approved a fee for Mountain Biking on Trails on Department of Forestry managed property. The fee is for Equestrians (horses) and Mountain Bikers but not for Hikers. More information is available HERE on the Virginia Bicycling Federation website - http://www.vabike.org/

George Washington National Forest - Planning Process to Resume March 2010

Exciting news!

The Headquarters for the George Washington National Forest in Roanoke, VA is working hard so they can resume the collaboration with the public as they design the new GW Forest Management Plan.

They plan to publish a Notice of Intent (NOI) (to use the 82 regs and do an EIS) in the Federal Register in mid-Feb. That opens a 60 public comment period. They intend to publish in the NOI a 'proposed action' showing where they left off, preliminary issues and some alternatives that they will be looking at. Then we'll have some public meetings in mid-March.

Expect to see a lot of information on the GW Planning website in mid-Feb for reference to use in these March 2010 meetings. Please check this GW USFS Planning Link often to stay in touch with the process.


Mountain Bike Representatives have spent 2 years working on this revision previously using 2 different sets of planning regulations that the Bush Administration created. Both sets of Bush planning regulations were eventually stopped by US Courts. We will now be using the 1982 planning regulations.

EIS is an Environmental Impact Statement

Happy Trails

Hope everyone has some time to enjoy a bicycle ride on their favorite trail over the holidays.