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Department of Conservation and Recreation
A project to develop a mile of new public trails around Riverview Farm Park in Newport News has won a 2025 gold Governor’s Environmental Excellence Award.
The Hampton Roads Sanitation District, in partnership with the City of Newport News, accepted the award at the Environment Virginia Symposium at Virginia Military Institute in Lexington on Tuesday, April 8.
Along with the installation of aquifer replenishment wells, the project includes boardwalks along Flax Mill Creek, Deep Creek and the James River and provides expansive views of the water and surrounding natural areas. It was supported in part by the Recreational Trails Program.
The awards, sponsored by the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality and the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation, recognize the significant contributions of environmental and conservation leaders.
The trails project won in the category for implementation of the Virginia Outdoors Plan, for developing community recreation access to a municipal area and barrier-free accessible trail design..
Other winners included:
Giles County received a silver award for the newly opened trail center at Mountain Lake Lodge, which provides information on the rich diversity of outdoor recreation opportunities in the county.
The center highlights recreation activities that help drive the county's tourism industry, including over 50 miles of the Appalachian Trail, 37 miles of the New River and world-class fishing and hunting. It is designed to help reduce excessive visitation to some locations.
The project, which has statewide and regional significance, was supported by multiple jurisdictions and addresses needs identified in the Virginia Outdoors Plan survey. It won in the category of VOP implementation.
In the category for land conservation, Historic Germanna won a silver award for its 164-acre open easement that safeguards the historically significant Germanna Ford area along the Rapidan River.
Siegen Forest, with known archaeological sites, preserves portions of two Civil War battlefields and is now accessible to the public year-round.
The site contains trails and a new public boat launch at Germanna Ford with access to the Rapidan River. The project received a grant from the Virginia Land Conservation Foundation.
Marstel-Day, along with partners New River Land Trust and The Nature Conservancy, won a bronze award for their Eastern Divide Partnership GIS Strategic Conservation Plan.
The plan uses a data-driven framework for prioritizing conservation efforts. Through GIS analysis, the project evaluated critical factors including biodiversity, water quality, forest resilience, scenic viewsheds and agricultural value.
The conservation planning tool helps to ensure long-term sustainability and resilience in managing natural landscapes given limited resources.
For the full list of winners, visit the DEQ website.
Categories
Conservation | Land Conservation | Nature | Recreation Planning
