Tobacco Heritage Trail Plan Slated for Unveiling

Source from:  thenewsrecord.com 09/05/2008

Roanoke River Rails to Trails is rolling out the Master Plan for the Tobacco Heritage Trail. A presentation of the project is being held Wednesday, Sept. 3 at 7 p.m. in the basement auditorium of the Brunswick County Government Building located at 100 Tobacco St., Lawrenceville. The two-year effort was funded by a grant from the Tobacco Indemnification and Community Revitalization Program. The consulting firm, Land Planning and Design Associates, headed the project with assistance by Vanasse Hangen Brustlin (VHB), Whitesell Group, Rivanna Archeological Services, and the National Park Service (RTCA program). In addition to trail design matters, the process included a series of community meetings and workshops in Lawrenceville, Alberta, South Boston and Boydton to address community concerns, as well as inter-jurisdictional management and operational issues. The Tobacco Heritage Trail (THT) is a system of long distance recreational, multi-use, non-motorized trails, being developed through Southern Virginia. The vision is to provide facilities for hikers, bicyclists, and equestrians on the more than 150 miles of abandoned railroad corridor identified within the counties of Brunswick, Charlotte, Halifax, Lunenburg and Mecklenburg. Roanoke River Rails to Trails, Inc., a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt Virginia corporation, was formed for the acquisition of abandoned railroad corridor and to coordinate the development of the trail system. The corporation's Board of Directors consists of appointees from each of the sixteen localities supporting the Tobacco Heritage Trail effort. Sandra Tanner, Tourism Development Specialist for the Virginia Tourism Corporation, is working with counties to the west and east of the THT region to develop connecting trails. Tanner said, "The Tobacco Heritage Trail is pivotal to the Governor's vision of a Cumberland Gap to Chesapeake Bay trail. The economic impact of tourism to our service area is $184 million dollars; the tourism industry generates five million dollars in local tax revenues and employs 2,492 county citizens. Tourism products such as the Tobacco Heritage Trail are beneficial to our citizens for their health and recreational enjoyment." The project is not without challenges - disconnections in the rail corridor, crossings of several four-lane highways, missing and damaged bridges over waterways and, of course, funding. The project is dependant upon a small amount of local funding primarily for operations, grants for construction and donations of money, materials, and volunteer time. Fred Forberg, the RRRT Board member for Mecklenburg County said, "We've received a number of grants; however, budget cutbacks and high fuel costs necessitate innovative thinking and really underline the need for volunteer efforts to get this trail built. It will be a great project for the region once significant segments are constructed." Former Governor Mark Warner's efforts through the Virginia Works program were vital to the regional trail vision that began as a local need for a safe place for children to ride their bicycles. Funding from the Virginia Works program and the cooperative spirit of Norfolk Southern Corporation enabled the purchase of the first 40 miles of abandoned NF&D rail corridor. Construction of this first phase, anticipated to begin in the Fall, consists of two segments - a two-mile section near the town of Lawrenceville; and the other section will upgrade approximately 4 miles of the currently active Tobacco Heritage Trail, connecting the towns of La Crosse and Brodnax. Recently Enhancement funds were approved to begin development of the Richmond & Danville Greenway of the Trail at South Boston. Enditem