Spotsylvania County needs 104 miles of trails to meet its parks and recreation guidelines. 
So it came as no surprise when the Board of Supervisors recently decided to partner with the local grass-roots group Spotsylvania Greenways Initiative, with the goal of meeting the growing need for outdoor recreation. 
The partnership is designed to keep down the costs,

which are still not known, while moving forward on what will be a years-long process.

"I think the crown jewel for some of us would be to extend a Virginia Central rail-line trail as far east and west as possible," said Supervisor Gary Jackson. "The real challenge in terms of acquiring easements will be Gordon Road and Fawn Lake."

Jackson said the group of energetic and knowledgeable local residents can help the county in this effort. He said the county is dusting off a goal to connect the area's Civil War battlefields with trails.

"That has always been a holdup for us. Is it doable?" Jackson said. "I hope it is, because it would really be a wonderful part of our parks and recreation offerings."

County Administrator Doug Barnes said the partnership with the SGI calls for the the county to provide legal resources and own easements needed for the trails.

Chris Folger, chairwoman of the SGI, said the group's growing number of volunteers will approach landowners to gauge what interest there may be in donating or selling the easements. She said the group will help build and maintain the trails, which will save the county money.

"You get there by a piece at a time," she said. "You've got to work with the landowners to be sure that they feel like this is going to be an asset to them. That education process might take time. Some people may say no, and then we will just go a different way with the trail."

Folger said a demonstration trail is being built across from Massaponax High School on U.S. 1 on property owned by Luck Stone.

Luck Stone Development Partners, the real-estate arm of the company, is working with the SGI on the trail construction. The company this month applied for a rezoning for property across from the high school to build various types of homes, offices and retail along the Ni River, which it is calling Ni Village.

The Ni River corridor is being eyed as a good place to start a trail, and so is the Virginia Central rail corridor, Folger said.

County staff said the Utilities Department is considering acquiring easements to extend public utilities along the Ni River and segments of the historic Virginia Central Railroad.

Wanda Parrish, the county's Planning Department director, said that a Trailways Master Plan should be completed in six months. This document will show the proposed routes of the trails, the easements the county will need and other details--including how much the project could cost.

Similar trails finished in the area are the Dahlgren Railroad Heritage Trail in King George County and Fredericksburg's Rappahannock Canal path.

Folger said trails not only improve communities, but also help boost property values and tourism.

"When you ask people in surveys what is their decision criteria for moving to a place, the No. 2 criteria they want is trails," she said.

Dan Telvock, FLS

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