Draft plans for bike and pedestrian facilities in Isle of Wight County have been posted online for resident feedback. According to Karen Casey, a manager for the county's Parks & Recreation Department, residents are telling her "they'd do more without cars if the facilities were there and they were safe."

The maps are expected to come before the Isle of Wight Board of Supervisors in mid-August. If the board approves the plans, some development of the plans could begin in time for the Jamestown 2007 celebration.

Scholarships to ProWalk/ProBike for reduced registration of $375 (a $155 savings) are available for individuals who work for and with pedestrian nonprofit advocacy groups. Please send your request for the reduced rate along a statement of how you are involved in pedestrian advocacy to Anne Geraghty at ageraghty@walksacramento.org.

America WALKS Congress of Pedestrian Advocates will be held September 5th from 2-5 p.m. in in Madison, Wisconsin in conjunction with the 2006 ProWalk/ProBike Conference, the biennial pedestrian- bicycle conference (note: registration for the America WALKS Congress is free.) America Walks will be actively participating in the ProWalk/ProBike Conference with panels of America Walks member groups on topics such as Safe Routes to School, Pedestrian Advocacy 101 and will be hosting a “Pedestrian Advocates Information Café”. More information on the Congress will be forwarded to member groups soon.

We hope this will help to increase the number of individuals that can participate in the ProWalk/ProBike Conference as well as at the America WALKS Congress.

On June 25, Governor Tim M. Kaine signed legislation that adds a section of the Meherrin River in Brunswick County to the Virginia Scenic River System. The designation provides the Meherrin with official recognition of the natural, scenic, historic, and recreational value of the river.

House Bill 104 and identical Senate Bill 527, introduced by Delegate Thomas Wright and Senator Frank Ruff, designate the 37-mile segment of the Meherrin River which runs through Brunswick County as a state scenic river.

“It’s great to see people from across the Lawrenceville community work together to designate the Meherrin as a Virginia Scenic River,” Governor Kaine said. “This river is a vital part of the community’s character, and this partnership will help to see that our children will enjoy the river for generations to come just as we enjoy it today. These scenic river designations help localities, like Lawrenceville, increase ecotourism, promote the area’s natural beauty and quality of life, and add protections for water quality.”

Governor Kaine was joined for the ceremonial bill signing by Brunswick County officials at the historic Gholson Bridge, spanning the Meherrin River. The bridge is listed on both the Virginia Landmarks Register and the National Register of Historic Places.

The Governor's signing in Lawrenceville coincided with his family's participation in the "Tour de Love," our 19th Annual Bike Virginia tour.

The Virginia Conservation Network (VCN) has recently announced that Nathan Lott will serve as Executive Director beginning July 27.

Nathan comes to VCN from the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR), where among other things he managed the agency quarterly, Grassroots, and coordinated development of Capt. John Smith's Trail , a project that benefited from the assistance of VCN members the James River Association, Chesapeake Bay Foundation and Garden Club of Virginia.

Nathan is also author of the guide book 60 Hikes within 60 Miles: Richmond. Researching the book deepened his appreciation for Virginia's natural landscapes and diverse wildlife. And as he sometimes remarks, he needed to walk the dog anyway.

Nathan holds a mass communications degree from Samford University in Birmingham, Alabama. It was there he met his wife Elizabeth. A minister, it was her seminary education that brought the couple to Virginia. They now reside in Richmond's Church Hill with their young son W. Turner Lott.