Helene recovery agreements set aside $13.9 million for trails and recreation sites

Storm recovery in Virginia’s western mountains will extend from trailheads to the drainage systems that keep paths from washing away. In an October 27 announcement, the state said its agreements with the U.S. Forest Service include $13.9 million to rebuild or relocate damaged trails and repair recreation facilities. The work covers roughly 400 miles of trails and associated infrastructure.

Grayson Highlands and Douthat are among the parks identified for work. In places where downed trees and erosion have made a route unsafe, crews can change its alignment as well as repair bridges and approaches. The announcement gives a ten-year funding window. It gives no reopening date for an individual trail.

The recreation work is one part of more than $52 million in agreements. Another $3.5 million is designated for safety concerns at Lexington’s Moore’s Creek Dam, where the people and properties downstream are the focus.

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