The public comment period for the Virginia Outdoors Plan (VOP) closes this Friday, December 15th. The VOP is
“the state’s official document regarding land conservation, outdoor recreation and open space planning. It helps all levels of government and the private sector meet needs pertaining to those issues. The plan provides guidance for the protection of lands through actions of the Virginia Land Conservation Foundation (VLCF), and the plan is required in order for Virginia to take part in the federal Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) program.”
I encourage anyone who uses Virginia’s parks to take a few minutes to let the VA Department of Conservation and Recreation know what you think should be priorities in your area. Read the section for the area that you use (look toward the end of the linked page for a Table of Contents), and then send an email addressed to vop@dcr.virginia.gov. Include an simple explanation of where you’re from, what you use the parks for, and what you’d like to see them make a priority. At the end of the email make sure you include your name and address.
The Northern Virginia section of the plan is here (PDF). My own comments will expand on those proposed by the Mid-atlantic Off Road Enthusiasts (MORE – an active and effective mountain biking advocacy org). If you’re interested in those MTB-related suggestions for NoVA, see here. (MORE represents interests throughout the region, so let them know if you need help putting together comments related to MTB’ing in your area).