Virginia Coastal Program: 2000 Coastal Grant Project Description and Final Summary
Project Task:
FY2000 Task 13
Grantee:
Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries
Project Title:
Coastal Phase Maps for the Virginia Birding and Wildlife Trail
Project Description as Proposed:
The
Virginia Birding and Wildlife Trail will be a driving trail linking
a series of natural areas, with proximate sites grouped into organized
loops. Sites may be parks and recreation areas, Wildlife Management
Areas, National Wildlife Refuges, privately owned lands, or other
lands with opportunities for public access. Loops will generally
be designed to accommodate a three-day trip, but visitors may choose
the length of time they wish to spend at any particular site, and
on the Trail. Maps will guide the visitor from one site to the next
with descriptions of sites and their wildlife viewing opportunities.
Maps will also offer information on local visitor services using
the regional tourism information number for the communities closest
to each loop. The Trail is proposed as a statewide project, with
the first phase running along the Coastal Plain, within the counties
bisected by and east of I-95. Future phases will include a Mountain
Trail and connecting Central Trails.
The Coastal Trail (phase I of the Virginia Birding and Wildlife
Trail) will include counties bisected by and east of Interstate
95 and will extend along coastal Virginia and the Eastern Shore,
taking advantage of Virginia's existing highway system. Future phases
of this statewide Trail include a Mountain Trail and connecting
Central Trails. Routes will feature both popular and lesser-known
locations, including state parks, wildlife management areas, national
wildlife refuges, and a variety of privately managed lands.
Federal Funding:
$100,000
Project Contact:
Rebecca Wajda, 80.367.8351
Project Status:
Grant Closed
Final Product Received:
Project Summary Provided by Grantee:
Coastal
Phase: The entire trail guide for the Coastal Phase of the Virginia
Birding and Wildlife Trail is available online. Several exciting features
include loop discussion lists for travelers to post information
about unusual and interesting sightings, and and an online tool
for service providers to use to add themselves to the list of Services
for a loop (check at the bottom of the Services section of any site).
We welcome your comments and suggestions for enhancements.
Within the past two decades, interest in birdwatching has increased by more than 260% across the United States, with participation in southern states increasing by nearly 400%. By 2001, one in every three Americans was participating in birdwatching. Total expenditures on wildlife watching have reached nearly $40 billion annually. In 1999, the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries (VDGIF) initiated development of the Virginia Birding and Wildlife Trail (VBWT). This statewide driving trail links together many of the state's public and private wildlife viewing areas and scenic and historic byways to facilitate nature-oriented travel, enrich the lives of Virginia's residents and visitors, increase awareness about Virginia's diverse wildlife resources, and provide economic benefits for the state's communities. The VBWT will be a key long-term tool for involving Virginians and visitors in wildlife and habitat conservation and restoration as it provides easy and exciting access to birds and other wildlife.
While the Trail is intended as a statewide project, VDGIF is completing it in phases, beginning in the Coastal Plain of Virginia. Through a series of public meetings and solicitations, VDGIF received over 220 nominations for sites throughout the region. An independent expert contractor visited each site, assessing it using a wide range of intrinsic and extrinsic values, organizing the final 210 selected sites into 18 loops.
To facilitate visitor travel throughout the VBWT, VDGIF prepared the Discover Our Wild Side - Virginia Birding and Wildlife Trail Guide - Coastal Area in 2002 under this project. The color publication includes detailed maps of the loops, travel information, and detailed site information (contacts, access, descriptions). The Guide also includes viewing tips and wildlife facts, a wildlife viewing diary, and original artwork by a nationally-known wildlife illustrator. Its spiral-bound format is designed to facilitate use while traveling, avoiding difficulties encountered by comparable folded map products. VDGIF printed 150,000 copies of the Guide. The Virginia Tourism Corporation is fulfilling requests for Guides made via a special toll-free number (1-866-VABIRDS) and their Web site (www.virginia.org) at no cost to VDGIF and free to any requestor.Using fulfillment databases, we know that requests for Guides have already come from more than 30 states and several foreign countries. The VBWT and Guide have been featured in numerous publications and promoted via a variety of media outlets, including Southern Living (March 2003); the Virginia Explorer (news magazine for tour and meeting planners); USA Today (September 27, 2002); numerous other newspapers (Virginian-Pilot, Richmond Times-Dispatch, Rappahannock Record, Suffolk News-Herald, Northern Neck News, Gloucester-Mathews Gazette-Journal, Eastern Shore News, Eastern Shore Post, and News & Advance); Frommer's online travel information Web site; VDGIF's Web site; VDGIF Virginia Wildlife magazine; the 2003 Virginia is for Lovers Travel Guide and other outlets. The Guide also functions as an educational tool for use by the local communities in which VBWT loops occur to education them about the "wildlife watching" industry and associated economic opportunities; to date, over 2,000 copies have been provided to local governments and economic development groups in coastal Virginia.
Disclaimer: This project summary provides the federal dollars initially awarded to the grantee. Due to underexpenditure or reprogramming of grant funds, this figure may change. For more information on the allocation of coastal grant funds, please contact Laura McKay, Virginia Coastal Program Manager, at 804.698.4323 or email: Laura.McKay@deq.virginia.gov
A more detailed Scope of Work for this project is available. Please direct your request for a copy to Virginia.Witmer@deq.virginia.gov
