                                 CODE OF VIRGINIA

(EXPIRES JANUARY 1, 2027) STATE TRAILS ADVISORY COMMITTEE ESTABLISHED; REPORT
(§ 10.1-204.1)

A. The State Trails Advisory Committee (the Committee) is hereby established as
an advisory committee of the Department of Conservation and Recreation to assist
the Commonwealth in developing and implementing a statewide system of
attractive, sustainable, connected, and enduring trails for the perpetual use
and enjoyment of the citizens of the Commonwealth and future generations. The
Committee shall be appointed by the Director of the Department of Conservation
and Recreation and shall be composed of a representative from the Department of
Wildlife Resources, the Virginia Department of Transportation, the Virginia
Outdoors Foundation, the U.S. Forest Service, and the U.S. National Park
Service; the Virginia Director of the Chesapeake Bay Commission; and
nonlegislative citizen members, including representatives from the Virginia
Outdoors Plan Technical Advisory Committee and the Recreational Trails Advisory
Committee and other individuals with technical expertise in trail creation,
construction, maintenance, use, and management. The Committee shall meet at
least twice each calendar year.

B. The Advisory Committee shall examine and provide recommendations regarding
(i) options to close the gaps in a statewide system of trails as described in
&#xA7; 10.1-204; (ii) creative public and private funding strategies and
partnerships to leverage resources to fund the development of trails; (iii)
integrated approaches to promote and market trail values and benefits; (iv) the
development of specialty trails, including concepts related to old-growth forest
trails across the Commonwealth; (v) strategies to encourage and create linkages
between communities and open space; (vi) strategies to foster communication and
networking among trail stakeholders; (vii) strategies to increase tourism and
commercial activities associated with a statewide trail system; (viii)
strategies to enhance the involvement of organizations that promote outdoor
youth activities, including the Boy Scouts of the U.S.A. and Girl Scouts of the
U.S.A. and the 4-H program of the Virginia Cooperative Extension; and (ix) other
practices, standards, statutes, and guidelines that the Director of the
Department of Conservation and Recreation determines may enhance the
effectiveness of trail planning across the Commonwealth, including methods for
receiving input regarding potential trail impacts upon owners of underlying or
neighboring properties.

C. No later than October 1 of each year, the Director shall provide a status
report on the work of the Committee to the Chairman of the House Committee on
Agriculture, Chesapeake and Natural Resources; the Chairman of the Senate
Committee on Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources; and the Chairman
and members of the Virginia delegation to the Chesapeake Bay Commission. The
report shall include (i) current and future plans for a statewide system of
attractive, sustainable, connected, and enduring trails across the Commonwealth
and (ii) any recommendations from the Committee that will be incorporated into
the Virginia Outdoors Plan, which plan shall serve as the repository for
recommendations from the Committee. The Virginia Outdoors Plan updates shall be
used to capture and advance the concepts developed by the Committee.

D. Members of the Committee shall receive no compensation for their service and
shall not be entitled to reimbursement for expenses incurred in the performance
of their duties.

E. For the purposes of this section, &#8220;old-growth forest&#8221; means a
forest ecosystem distinguished by trees older than 150 years and tree-related
structures that naturally contribute to biodiversity of the forested ecosystems
and provide habitat to native Virginia wildlife species, including wildlife
species that have been approved for introduction by the Department of Wildlife
Resources.

F. The provisions of this section shall expire on January 1, 2027.

HISTORY: 2015, c. 461; 2020, cc. 314, 958.