Virginia Outdoors Plan 2018 BRINGING VIRGINIA THE BENEFITS OF OUTDOOR RECREATION Virginia Outdoors Plan 2018 BRINGING VIRGINIA THE BENEFITS OF OUTDOOR RECREATION 600 EAST MAIN STREET 24TH FLOOR RICHMOND, VIRGINIA 23219 MATTHEW J. STRICKLER SECRETARY OF NATURAL RESOURCES CLYDE E. CRISTMAN DEPARTMENT DIRECTOR DANETTE POOLE PLANNING AND RECREATION RESOURCES DIRECTOR The preparation of this plan was financed in part through a Land and Water Conservation Fund planning grant. The plan was approved by the National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior, under the provisions for the Federal Land and Water Conservation Fund Act of 1965 (Public Law 88-578). The Commonwealth of Virginia is an equal opportunity employer. INTRODUCTION Virginia Board of Conservation and Recreation W. Bruce Wingo, Chair Andrew C. Jennison Patricia A. Jackson, Vice Chair Kat Maybury Vincent M. Burgess Harvey B. Morgan Nancy Hull Davidson Esther M. Nizer Danielle Heisler Vivek Shinde Patil, PhD Dexter C. Hurt ONE VACANCY Acknowledgements Citizens Input from citizens, private partners and organizations who attended one of 42 public meetings held across the Commonwealth was instrumental to developing this plan. Planning District Commissions and Regional Councils Staff enabled extensive public outreach and identified featured regional projects in this plan. State and Federal Agencies Cooperative relationships with sister natural resource agencies, along with state health and tourism agencies, are essential to outdoor recreation and land conservation. Technical Advisory Committee An array of stakeholders and representatives from outdoor recreation and conservation interests helped shape the plan and continue to provide direction and vision for outdoor recreation and land conservation. Deanna Beacham Carl Espy Ursula Lemanski Mark Smith Liz Belcher John R. Eustis Laura McKay Mike Sorice Cyrus Brame Johnny Finch Rita Miller Debbie Julie Buchanan Jayne Flowers Millicent Miller Spiliotopoulos Chris Burkett Carolyn France Brian Moyer Carol E. Steele John Carnifax Richard Gibbons Pat O’Brien Ryan Stewart Terry L. Clements Paul Gilbert Vivek Patel Jim Stutts Ted Coffman Corena Green Beth Polak Judy Watkins Harvey Darden Carla Hegwood Leighton Powell Patrick Wiggins Nancy Davidson Pete Irvine Sarah Richardson Stephanie Williams Fulton deLamorton Shannon Johnson Kathy Rocco Irvine Wilson Theresa Duffey Larry Land Nikki Rovner Michelle Workman Barbara Duke Lewis Lawrence Kelly Smith 2018 Virginia Outdoors Plan ii www.dcr.virginia.gov INTRODUCTION Virginia’s Plan for Outdoor Recreation and Land Conservation Contributors from the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation Project Managers Robbie D. Rhur and Janit Llewellyn Allen David Boyd Theresa Duffey Jennifer Wampler Jason Bulluck Sarah Richardson Synthia Waymack Bill Conkle Debbie Skeens Irvine Wilson Lynn Crump Tom Smith Chuck Wyatt Weldon Cooper Center for Public Service at the University of Virginia Center for Survey Research James M. Ellis, Ph.D. Editor Julie Buchanan and Beth Reed Document Design Virginia Department of General Services, Office of Graphic Communications Paris Ashton, Creative Director Diana Plasberg, Graphic Designer Cover Photo Credits Kayaking the Roanoke River | Sam Dean/Virginia Tourism Corp. 2018 Virginia Outdoors Plan iiii www.dcr.virginia.gov TABLE OF CONTENTS CHAPTER 1 VIRGINIA’S PLAN FOR OUTDOOR RECREATION AND LAND CONSERVATION ............................................................................................... 1.1 CHAPTER 2 SURVEY RESULTS .................................................................................................................................................................................... 2.1 CHAPTER 3 OUTDOOR RECREATION TRENDS ............................................................................................................................................................. 3.1 CHAPTER 4 FUNDING FOR OUTDOOR RECREATION AND LAND CONSERVATION .......................................................................................................... 4.1 CHAPTER 5 ECONOMICS AND TOURISM ..................................................................................................................................................................... 5.1 CHAPTER 6 RECREATION AND HEALTH ...................................................................................................................................................................... 6.1 CHAPTER 7 PARKS AND RECREATION ........................................................................................................................................................................ 7.1 CHAPTER 8 TRAILS .................................................................................................................................................................................................... 8.1 CHAPTER 9 WATER ACCESS AND WATER TRAILS ....................................................................................................................................................... 9.1 CHAPTER 10 SCENIC RESOURCES ............................................................................................................................................................................. 10.1 CHAPTER 11 NATURAL HERITAGE RESOURCES .......................................................................................................................................................... 11.1 CHAPTER 12 LAND CONSERVATION ........................................................................................................................................................................... 12.1 CHAPTER 13 REGIONAL ANALYSIS AND RECOMMENDATIONS .................................................................................................................................... 13.1 REGION 1 LENOWISCO ......................................................................................................................................................................... 13.4 REGION 2 CUMBERLAND PLATEAU .................................................................................................................................................... 13.10 REGION 3 MOUNT ROGERS ................................................................................................................................................................. 13.15 REGION 4 NEW RIVER VALLEY ............................................................................................................................................................. 13.21 REGION 5 ROANOKE VALLEY-ALLEGHANY ........................................................................................................................................... 13.27 REGION 6 CENTRAL SHENANDOAH ..................................................................................................................................................... 13.33 REGION 7 NORTHERN SHENANDOAH VALLEY ..................................................................................................................................... 13.40 2018 Virginia Outdoors Plan iiiiii www.dcr.virginia.gov TABLE OF CONTENTS REGION 8 NORTHERN VIRGINIA ........................................................................................................................................................... 13.46 REGION 9 RAPPAHANNOCK RAPIDAN .................................................................................................................................................. 13.52 REGION 10 THOMAS JEFFERSON ....................................................................................................................................................... 13.59 REGION 11 REGION 2000 ................................................................................................................................................................... 13.65 REGION 12 WEST PIEDMONT .............................................................................................................................................................. 13.71 REGION 13 SOUTHSIDE ...................................................................................................................................................................... 13.77 REGION 14 COMMONWEALTH ............................................................................................................................................................ 13.83 REGION 15 RICHMOND REGION .......................................................................................................................................................... 13.89 REGION 16 GEORGE WASHINGTON ..................................................................................................................................................... 13.95 REGION 17 NORTHERN NECK ........................................................................................................................................................... 13.101 REGION 18 MIDDLE PENINSULA ....................................................................................................................................................... 13.107 REGION 19 CRATER .......................................................................................................................................................................... 13.112 REGION 22 ACCOMACK-NORTHAMPTON