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Written by Administrator
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Sunday, 19 December 2010 23:14 |
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Fountainhead Project Update: December 14, 2010
The Fountainhead Mountain Bike Trail system is awarded a Recreational Trail Program grant in the amount of $100,000 from the Virginia Department of Conservation & Recreation.
The Northern Virginia Regional Park Authority (NVRPA) has been awarded a 2010 Recreational Program Award in the amount of $100,000 to rehabilitate the Fountainhead Mountain Bike Trail system. The Funds will be used to continue implementation of the Fountainhead Regional Park Mountain Bike Trail Enhancement Project. NVRPA will sponsor the grant, while partnering with the Mid Atlantic Off Road Enthusiasts, Inc. (MORE), to implement the trail enhancement project. This project will rehabilitate and expand the current seven mile mountain bike trail system to become a sustainable trail that provides diverse mountain biking opportunities.
The RTP money will need to be spent within the next two years. In partnership with MORE, NVRPA submitted the grant proposal in March of 2010 and since that time has been working with MORE to make sure all of the relevant paperwork was submitted to comply with DCR requests for more information. Finally, at the end of November, NVRPA was awarded the grant and informed MORE to move ahead with planning. Due the scope of work that will be completed with the RTP funds, a majority of the trail project will need to be permitted through the Fairfax County Department of Public Works. This process may take some time which MORE hopes to complete by early summer of 2011. Once the permitting is complete MORE will work with NVRPA to request RFP’s to begin the building portion of the project. The RTP funds will be used to hire professional trail builders to assist in designing and constructing the Green and Blue loop of the Fountainhead Conceptual Plan. These sections of trail are the most important segments to NVRPA to help establish a sustainable stacked looped trail system that will appease beginner and intermediate riders at Fountainhead. There will also be a small section in the Black loop designed to introduce a trail section for more advanced riders. Each loop will build on the other to help riders learn new skills to advance to the next section of trail.
MORE is very excited that NVRPA was awarded the RTP funding. While the entire Fountainhead Project will not be completed through the RTP funding, MORE hopes it will help leverage other funding resources and hopefully generate donations to complete the entire project. Once this project is complete, the Fountainhead Trail system will become a premiere destination for mountain bikers all over the region.
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