FreeLists / va-richmond-general / [va-richmond-general] Update: Virginia Birding and Wildlife Trail

[Larry R Lynch <birder6@xxxxxxxx>]

From: "BirdingTrail BirdingTrail" <BirdingTrail@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>

Greetings to all of our Virginia Birding and Wildlife Trail 
friends from the Virginia Department of Game and Inland 
Fisheries. Our monthly e-update is designed to keep you 
current on the happenings with the Trail.  If you would 
prefer not to receive this update, please let us know and 
we'll remove your e-mail address from our list.

In this issue you will find:
1.  Wildlife Diversity Public Input Meetings.
2.  TEA-21 grant proposal submitted for the Central 
      Piedmont Phase.
3.  Western Phase site visitations planned.
4.  Coastal Phase finishing touches being added.

**************************************************
1. Wildlife Diversity Public Input Meetings  - The 
agency reviews its regulations on a regular rotating 
schedule.  As part of this process, all regulations coordinated
by f the Wildlife Diversity Division (e.g., wildlife permits,
threatened and endangered species, taking of non-game
wildlife, and exotic wildlife) will be reviewed during 2002.  
If you would like to comment on a particular current
regulation or propose new regulations, we encourage you
to join us at one of our eight schedule public meetings
next month.  These meetings are great opportunities to 
learn about the Department's wildlife diversity programs
and discuss your thoughts with Agency personnel.   At
each meeting, there will be a short presentation, followed
by a question-and-answer period.  We look forward to
seeing you there!

Monday, March 4, 2002, 7:00-9:00 p.m.
Marion, Smyth-Bland Regional Library, Copenhaver Meeting 
Room , 118 South Sheffey Street , Marion, Virginia 24354, 
(540) 783-2323

Tuesday, March 5, 2002, 7:00-9:00 p.m.
Forest (Lynchburg), Forest Public Library, 15583 Forest Road, 
Forest, Virginia 24551, 434-525-1817 

Verona, DGIF Verona (Staunton) Regional Office, 4725 Lee 
Highway, Verona, VA 24482, 540-248-9360 

Wednesday, March 6, 2002, 7:00-9:00 p.m.
Onley (Eastern Shore), Nandua High School, Home Economic 
Dept. classroom, 26350 Lankford Highway, Onley, VA 23418, 
757-787-4514

Chesapeake, Deep Creek Middle School, Room 804, 1955 Deal 
Dr., Chesapeake, VA 23323, 757-494-7570

Thursday, March 7, 2002, 7:00-9:00 p.m.
Stafford, Porter Branch of the Central Rappahanock Regional 
Library, Room A, 2001 Parkway Boulevard, Stafford, Virginia 
22554-3972, 540-659-4909

Hampton, Sandy Bottom Nature Park, Visitor Center, 1255 Big 
Bethel Rd., Hampton, VA 23666 757-825-4657

Monday, March 11, 2002, 7:00-9:00 p.m.
Richmond, VDGIF, 4000 W. Broad St., Richmond, VA 23230, 
804-367-1000

2.  At the end of January, we submitted our application to
to the Virginia Department of Transportation for federal funding 
for the development of the Central Piedmont phase of the Trail.  
The Commonwealth Transportation Board and VDOT personnel
have been strong supporters of the first two phases of the 
VBWT, providing nearly $800,000 in federal TEA-21 funding to 
date. We have been contacting organizations, regional and local 
governments, and business leaders, encouraging them to show
their support for the Trail through letters and resolutions of 
support, particularly for this final phase of the trail.  On behalf 
of the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries, we 
would like to thank all of you who are supporting this initiative. 
To date, we have received about 90 nominations for sites
throughout central Virginia.  If you know of additional sites in 
the Piedmont which have not been nominated, please check 
our website for the nomination form and information about
nominated sites.  We will continue to accept nominations 
through late August 2002.

3.  In western Virginia, we are currently organizing a plan 
of action so our site evaluation team can visit the 300+ 
sites nominated in this phase of the Trail this spring.  
Once the schedule has been established, our site evaluation
team will notify site owners so they are aware of when the 
visits are expected to occur.  We will be holding a series of 
meetings throughout western Virginia in late March or early
April to discuss the site evaluation process and how sites are
organized into thematic driving loops. Exact dates and 
locations will be announced in our next e-update. We look 
forward to seeing you soon!

4.  Final touches are being added to the Coastal phase of the 
Trail.  We are in the process of restructuring several of the loops 
in response to your comments and suggestions resulting from our 
November meetings.   It is our hope that these changes will 
increase the thematic integrity of the loops and therefore increase 
their marketability.   During the next few weeks, Fermata
representatives will also be visiting about 30 new sites in the 
region that were submitted to us in November 2001.  As with other
sites, Fermata will assess and evaluate each site for potential
inclusion on the Trail.  When the site assessments are completed,
the new and updated information will be posted on the Fermata 
website for your review.  Please visit  www.worldnaturetrails.com 
to stay abreast of all the latest developments.
   We have also been experimenting with several drafts of map 
designs to determine how to best present the Coastal phase of
the Trail.  We hope to have the finished maps and road signs 
ready to unveil this spring.  Shortly, we will be asking site owners
to review the specific wording we plan to include for their sites
on the maps.  Site owners should review these carefully and 
return any corrections quickly.  This step will help assure that the 
information on the maps is accurate before publication.

The Virginia Department and Game and Inland Fisheries would 
like to thank the individuals and communities of Virginia for their 
continuing support of their Virginia Birding & Wildlife Trail.  We 
welcome your comments and questions!  Please contact us at:

Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries
Virginia Birding and Wildlife Trail
4010 West Broad Street
P.O. Box 11104
Richmond, VA  23230
(804) 367-4335
birdingtrail@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

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