On behalf of the Montgomery County Board of Supervisors, we welcome you to the first Regional Trail Forum. We are pleased to see so many trail enthusiasts and hope today’s events will heighten the excitement and spark new creativity in ways to innerconnect our trail systems through Southwest Virginia.

When we first started looking at how to interconnect our various localities in a trail network, we learned things—lots of things… Trails are VERY popular There are different types of trails Many localities and groups have been working on trail plans in their areas But the main thing we learned is there is still a lot of work to be done.

Today we want to explore possible trail interconnections, To share with you current trail plans, To discuss funding sources for trail projects in your localities, and End with a vision for linking our communities through a network of trails.

Let’s hear from guest speakers State Trail Plans Beaches to Bluegrass Trail Master Plan Jennifer Wampler, Trails Coordinator, Department of Conservation and Recreation John Bolecek, Statewide Bicycle and Pedestrian Planner, VDoT New River Trail State Park Sam Sweeney, Park Manager Regional Trail Plans Roanoke Greenways Commission, 2018 Greenway Plan Wayne Strickland, Executive Director, Roanoke Valley-Alleghany Regional Commission Elizabeth Belcher, Greenway Coordinator Mount Rogers Planning District Commission Aaron Sizemore, Executive Director New River Valley Regional Commission, Walkway/Bikeway/Blueway Plan Kevin Byrd, Executive Director Funding Sources Department of Conservation and Recreation, Jennifer Wample VDOT, John Bolecek

To complete this vision for an interconnected trail network, each of us within our localities will need to focus on projects that will help build this linked trail network. Supporting each others’ projects is key to making this vision a reality. As we go forward, we intend to reconvene this forum in the future to share our accomplishments as well as our challenges.

Happy Trails To You! Insert music, etc. THANK YOU all for being here today to share in our first Regional Trail Forum. A fitting way to end this Forum is to say… Happy Trails to you!