Virginia officials describe Helene recovery for state parks, trails and farms; DCR outlines funding and program changes

Matthew Wells, director of the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation, told the Senate Finance and Appropriations Committee on Oct. 1 that Hurricane Helene caused widespread damage to state parks, long-distance trails and agricultural land in Southwest Virginia, and that the agency and partners have put in new program flexibilities and funding to accelerate recovery.

Wells said the governor declared a state of emergency on Sept. 25 and the president issued a federal emergency declaration by Oct. 1, and DCR staff deployed across the region to help with evacuations and damage assessments. "We probably had — we had over a dozen state parks that were initially impacted and 4 natural area preserves," Wells said. He added that most park facilities were brought back online quickly, but several large sites and longer trails will take months to repair.

DCR emphasized why the damage matters: parks and trails are economic anchors for rural communities and a quick reopening helps local recovery. "All but 4" of the impacted facilities were back open within days, Wells said, and staff worked with the Army Corps of Engineers, the U.S. Forest Service and other agencies on debris removal and repairs.

Key impacts and costs

- New River Trail State Park: Wells said the 57-mile trail, which draws about 810,000 visitors annually and has a stated annual economic impact of about $37 million, suffered washouts, damaged bridges and lost primitive campsites. He estimated approximately $4,000,000 in damage to New River Trail and said 11 miles remained closed, with full reopening expected late this year or early next year.

- Virginia Creeper ("Creeper") Trail: The roughly 34-mile trail that runs from Abingdon and Damascus to Whitetop lost 16 trail bridges and suffered damage to about 14 others. Management responsibilities are shared with towns and the U.S. Forest Service, which has requested federal funds through a relief act for large-scale reconstruction.

- Claytor Lake State Park and marina: Debris extensively blocked the lake; DCR worked with the Army Corps and other agencies on removal. Wells said the Corps will reimburse the state for marina damage and that the Corps was largely demobilizing.

- Hungry Mother State Park: Wells described structural tree damage and estimated just under $200,000 in damage at that park.

- Visitation and revenue: Wells said the storm struck during peak fall visitation. DCR estimated about $400,000 in lost non‑general‑fund revenue and about $16,500 in additional personnel overtime costs; DCR said part‑time staff hours were exhausted and some backfill hiring will be required later in the year.

Agriculture and forestry impacts

Wells described extensive agricultural losses across multiple counties, including washed‑out fields, ruined hay and silage, and farms losing certified organic status because of river silt inundation. He said a Cooperative Extension assessment estimated about $174,000,000 in direct agricultural losses and roughly $225,000,000 in projected future losses, and that broader economic ripple effects could range in the low hundreds of millions of dollars.

Major on‑farm needs identified at DCR's agricultural outreach events included fencing, debris removal, damaged barns and outbuildings, culverts and bridges, and feed shortages. Wells said about $30,000,000 of the direct loss estimate was for fencing.

Program and funding responses

DCR described several changes or actions intended to speed recovery for farms and landowners:

- Microloan program: The governor announced a disaster microloan pool of $6,000,000 for $5,000 to $50,000 loans; Wells said the top loan amount is being increased and that veteran‑owned businesses have access to a lower fixed rate (transcript: "2.51.5%" was cited for veteran‑owned businesses).

- Federal programs: DCR worked with the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The Farm Service Agency Emergency Conservation Program (ECP) will cover 75% of replacement cost for best management practices (BMPs). The Natural Resources Conservation Service Emergency Watershed Protection Program will assist with wet debris removal, while conservation programs cover dry debris.

- State allocation and contract flexibilities: DCR approved a special allocation of about $3,000,000 from unallocated funds in the Southern Rivers watershed to help producers. DCR described three options for producers: (1) pair DCR funds with FSA/ECP at a 25% DCR / 75% FSA cost‑share and, in this disaster instance, waive DCR's usual requirement to extend the practice lifespan; (2) enroll an interim maintenance payment pathway (Continuing Conservation Initiative) to maintain a functional repair beyond its normal lifespan; or (3) sign a full new cost‑share contract. DCR also said it waived the usual requirement that the district board approve contracts before work began and instead will accept simplified contracts for repaired practices that are functional.

- Cover crop and mapping support: DCR extended cover crop planting dates for affected producers and provided enhanced flood maps to the Mount Rogers Planning District Commission. Wells said DCR worked with FEMA and NRCS to accelerate LiDAR overflights for updated mapping and that the overflights were moved up by about one to two years from typical schedules.

Other recovery work and needs

Wells credited a multi‑agency response including DCR, Virginia Department of Emergency Management, Virginia Department of Transportation, Department of Housing and Community Development and numerous federal partners. He said floodplain management staff worked at disaster recovery centers to help local governments with National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) processes and substantial damage determinations.

Committee members asked about accessing RGGI (Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative) funds for flood prevention; Wells said existing state resilience funds (including the Community Flood Preparedness Fund and the Resilient Virginia Revolving Fund) are oriented toward preparedness and future mitigation rather than immediate recovery, though some overlap exists. He said DCR had about $9,000,000 in requests for CFPF from Southwest Virginia and that DCR identified sufficient unobligated funds in the Southern Rivers pot to cover the needs expressed to date.

What remains unresolved

Wells and committee members noted several continuing constraints: the timing of federal reimbursement and application windows, the need for upfront cash for farmers when many federal programs are reimbursement‑based, federal cultural and environmental review requirements for some recovery work, and limits to available recovery‑focused state funds. Several committee members urged exploring RGGI and other state funding sources for recovery and mitigation; Wells said the governor has proposed a disaster recovery fund to address gaps.

Wells concluded by thanking DCR staff and partner agencies for the response and said the agency remains engaged in longer‑term recovery and mapping efforts. "We have been so tremendously fortunate as we come through this thing," he said, while also noting the scale of damage and ongoing work.

Ending

DCR officials told senators they would provide more granular data on some items (for example, crop insurance uptake and certain county‑level impacts) on request and that some federal decisions on large‑scale trail reconstruction funding remain pending.