Want to have an impact in the future of Northern Virginia's parks?

The Northern Virginia Regional Park Authority recently released a draft of its five-year strategic plan.

The draft can be downloaded from the PDF attached to this article or obtained online.

Residents are invited to a public meeting to discuss the plan at 6:30 p.m. Sept. 20 at the NVRPA headquarters in Fairfax Station. Residents can also send comments via email to executiveoffice@nvrpa.org.  

NVRPA's parks include the W&OD Trail, which runs through Herndon and Reston. 

Some highlights of the 2012-2017 Vision and Plan:

• More than 50 percent of households walk for pleasure, visit historic sites, visit local parks and visit natural areas, according to the 2011 Virginia Outdoor Survey. In response, NVRPA plans to acquire new parkland to expand its inventory of trails, natural areas and historic sites.
• In an attempt to help families find more ways for children to spend more time outdoors, the authority developed an initiative called Nature Nuts with the goal of providing a meaningful outdoor experience to 500,000 children through NVRPA parks during the five covered by the strategic plan. The intended result is to improve the physical and mental health of our youth.

The authority controls 100 miles of trails, including some of the longest in the region—W&OD at 45 miles, and Bull Run/Occoquan at 18 miles—and has plans expand its role as a leader in developing and promoting major trail systems in Northern Virginia.

The group considers itself an economic engine for the region’s tourism economy by attracting visitors to the region.

NVRPA parks include the following:

• Aldie Mill Historic Park
• Algonkian Regional Park
• Ball's Bluff Battlefield
• Blue Ridge Regional Park
• Brambleton Regional Park
• Bull Run Regional Park
• Bull Run Marina
• Bull Run Public Shooting Center
• Cameron Run Regional Park
• Carlyle House Historic Park
• Fountainhead Regional Park
• Gateway Regional Park
• Gilbert’s Corner Regional Park
• Meadowlark Botanical Gardens
• Mt. Defiance Historic Park (soon to be an NVRPA property)
• Mt. Zion Historic Park
• Occoquan Regional Park
• Pohick Bay Regional Park
• Potomac Overlook
• Red Rock Wilderness Overlook Regional Park
• Rust Sanctuary (soon to be leased by NVRPA)
• Sandy Run Regional Park
• Temple Hall Farm Regional Park
• Upton Hill Regional Park
• W&OD Trail
• White’s Ford Regional Park

To see the full listing of NVRPA Parks, events and more, click here. To learn more, visit www.nvrpa.org.