Southwest Virginia's First Regional Trails and Green Infrastructure Conference Is Right Around the Corner!

RADFORD, Va. - "Building Trails to a Greener Future: Linking the Economy, Healthy Communities, and the Environment" will take place May 17-19th at Radford University. Sponsored by the Virginia Department of Forestry and the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation, the conference will focus on trail and green infrastructure development within Virginia.

The goal of the conference is to provide tools and networking opportunities to a variety of stakeholders, to help them implement trails and green infrastructure in their own communities.

"This is a great opportunity to learn more about programs and funding opportunities for developing trails and green infrastructure in Southwest Virginia,” said conference coordinator Abigail Convery. “The conference committee has worked hard to keep registration fees low to reach a broader audience. We know that the local elected officials have a strong influence in shaping our communities, therefore we are targeting them with free registration."

The conference will bring together state and federal agencies, elected officials, locality staff, outdoor enthusiasts, non-profit organizations, recreational businesses, citizen action groups, academics and more.

Conference topics will include funding opportunities for trail development and maintenance; Virginia Tourism Corporation's small business assistance program; trails along active railroad lines, and recreational liability and easement acquisition. There will also be workshops on river access, and trail and site design.

Speakers will include Chuck Flink, one of the nation's leading greenway planners; James Marion, a founder of the Leave No Trace program and an authority on river recreation; and Patrick Miller, an expert from Active Living by Design.

The highlight of the conference will be a series of outdoor activities, to give participants a chance to see how conference concepts translate to real programs -- and also a chance to enjoy spring in the great outdoors. These activities include a hike on the Appalachian Trail to view a proposed re-alignment; birdwatching and bicycling in Radford's Bisset Park; a horseback or bike ride on the New River Trail; a canoe/kayak trip on the New River; a Pandapas Pond trek, and tubing on the New River from Bisset Park.

The conference kicks off with a free dinner Thursday night in downtown Radford, following activities in Bisset Park. The fun continues Friday night with a BBQ dinner at the Selu Conservancy, with traditional mountain music from the Crooked Road.

A comprehensive listing of all topics and activities is available in the online conference program.

Be sure to register online.

For further information on registration, please contact Tanya Ridpath at 540.831.6037.

For all other inquiries, please contact Abigail Convery at 540.639.9313.