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Clinch Ranger District lassoes $520,000 for horse riding trail

WISE — The Jefferson/George Washington National Forest’s Clinch Ranger District, headquartered in Wise, has lassoed $519,960 to move forward with plans to develop horse riding trails in the High Knob area of Wise and Scott counties.

The High Knob Horse Trail project is one of seven projects statewide selected to receive a total of $3.8 million in special federal transportation funds to be disbursed by the Virginia Department of Transportation.

VDOT announced action taken Thursday by the Commonwealth Transportation Board to allocate federal earmark funds to the U.S. Forest Service and National Park Service for the seven projects. A 20 percent state match is required to receive the federal funds. Virginia’s match was provided by the 2007 Virginia General Assembly.

“Non-traditional projects often are included as earmarks in transportation funding that states receive from Congress,” said Pierce Homer, Virginia’s secretary of transportation and chairman of the transportation board. “The earmarked funds will be transferred so that planning and construction of these very popular projects can move forward.”

Clinch District Ranger Ron Bush on Friday said area equestrian enthusiasts have been behind the High Knob project for quite some time, and the allocation boosts the project forward. USFS planners are currently preparing environmental impact analyses and within a month or so will formally publish the proposal for public comment.

Bush said the project will construct between 35 to 40 miles of multi-use trails with horseback riding specifically earmarked for those trails.

“What you will see real shortly is the actual proposal will come out for public comment, and then we will proceed from there,” Bush said.

Other Virginia projects included in the $3.8 million package are:

•Washington County, Green Cove Station, $69,328 for improvements to an existing USFS facility located at a trailhead of the Virginia Creeper Trail.

•Washington County, Whitetop Station, $69,328 to complete renovation of Whitetop Station that serves as a trailhead facility, and construction of a trail.

•Patrick County, Rocky Knob Heritage Center, $1.04 million for planning, design and site acquisition and construction for a trail system and visitors center on the Blue Ridge Parkway.

•Galax, Blue Ridge Music Center, $1.04 million to install lighting and steps, upgrade an existing trail system, and equip the interpretative center with information for visitors.

•Giles County, Glen Alton, $693,280 for the design and construction of recreation trails, access and visitor information center.

•Green County, Appalachian Trail, $433,202 for High Top Mountain land acquisition.

Federal funds for the projects were provided to Virginia via the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act, A Legacy for Users passed by Congress and signed by President Bush in 2005.

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