Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

KENBRIDGE – The Town of Kenbridge has been awarded $79,750 through the Virginia Outdoor Foundation’s Preservation Trust Fund to fund the construction of a connector trail in the Town Park. 

“We are working on completing a walking path that will go all the way around our park to give everyone a more scenic walking experience,” said Kenbridge Town Manager Tony Matthews.

Matthew said this would complete a .6-mile loop, giving citizens just over a mile with two trips around. The trail will also include benches and trash cans placed periodically at intervals for walkers convenience. 

“The Commonwealth Regional Council has been intricate in obtaining funding for the project,” Matthews said. “The Virginia Outdoor Foundation has helped provide the funds that will help our citizens have a better experience while at our park and while exercising outside.”

Matthews said the details are still being finalized, but Town of Kenbridge officials are looking forward to getting the trail plans accepted and work to begin. 

The Town of Kenbridge was one of 21 counties and cities that received grants for projects from the VOF in 2022. In total, VOF awarded $1.9 million in grants to increase access to public open spaces.

Established by the Virginia General Assembly in 1997 and administered by the Virginia Outdoors Foundation (VOF), the Open-Space Lands Preservation Trust Fund (PTF) provides grants for acquisitions, easements, rights of way, and other methods of protecting open space for farming, forestry, recreation, wildlife, water quality, and more.

According to VOF, approximately $1.8 million is available for the first Fiscal Year 2023 grant round. Historically, grant awards, on average have not exceeded $150,000 per project