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Board agrees to let DCR build trails on county parcels at Crow’s Nest, using ARPA funds
Summary
Stafford County will pursue a memorandum of understanding with the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation to let DCR build a parking lot and about 2.5 miles of natural‑surface trail on county‑owned lots at Crow’s Nest, using ARPA funds to complete construction before the funding deadline.
The Stafford County Board of Supervisors authorized staff to move forward with a memorandum of understanding with the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) to permit construction of roughly 2.5 miles of natural‑surface trail on county‑owned lots within the Crow’s Nest Natural Area Preserve.
DCR has ARPA funding to construct a parking lot on Raven Road and to complete trail connections between an existing interior parking lot and a new lot. Planning staff told the board that because ARPA funds must be obligated before the end of the year, county staff and DCR proposed an interim MOU that would allow DCR to build the trail on county‑owned parcels while conveyance and due diligence work continues.
Michael Lott, DCR’s Northern Regional Supervisor, told the board he expects several parallel processes — a survey and due diligence, vacation of paper rights‑of‑way, and construction. "The hope is... we'll build the trail in the parking lot this year," Lott said, adding his goal is for the parcels to be conveyed to DCR in early 2026 and for the trail to open to the public in spring of 2026.
Why it matters: Crow’s Nest is a 3,000‑acre preserve jointly owned by DCR and Stafford County; increased parking and trail access are intended to reduce overcrowding at the preserve’s primary entrances and spread visitation across the preserve. County staff said trails will be natural surface with minimal impacts and will not open until conveyance and any necessary administrative steps are completed.
Board action and next steps: Supervisors expressed broad support for the plan and for the partnership with DCR and nonprofit partners that have helped preserve Crow’s Nest. The board authorized staff to have DCR draft the formal MOU for future consideration. DCR and county staff said they will pursue the surveys, vacation of paper rights‑of‑way where necessary and a schedule for construction that aligns ARPA spending deadlines with the due diligence timeline.
Ending: DCR and county staff will return with the MOU and updates on surveys and easement vacations; DCR projects opening the new parking and trail connections after conveyance and final approvals.
