Trailkeepers is a new program being piloted by a new non-profit (StreamTrails.org) in Fairfax County. It brings together Scouts, hikers, cyclists, and horseback riders to elevate the stream trails, now a neglected asset, to co-equal status with the more formal trails where taxpayer dollars fund manpower, equipment, and improvement. The core concept is simple: those using the stream trails nominate needed bridges, obstacles, heavy litter (rubber tires, for example); Scouts (and others) do the volunteer work; and the Park Authority, which is in the middle of a Needs Assessment, changes its policies to respect citizen needs while providing the necessary oversight for insurance, legal, and safety in the public interest (under the old policies, footbridges built by citizens are an encroachment subject to destruction at taxpayer expense).
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