Banister River in Pittsylvania County closer to Scenic River designation
By: | GoDanRiver
Published: August 23, 2012
A 38-mile stretch of the Banister River — including a
six-and-a-half-mile portion in eastern Pittsylvania County before it crosses
into Halifax County — qualifies for scenic river designation, according to the
Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation.
County supervisors said Wednesday they were happy with the
department’s decision.
“Whenever we get a designation, that will help attract
tourists,” said Staunton River Supervisor Marshall Ecker.
The department notified the county of the river’s
qualification Tuesday, said County Administrator Dan Sleeper.
Julie Buchanan, spokeswoman with the Virginia Department of
Conservation and Recreation, said DCR officials picked that section of the river
because of buffers along the section, little human development visible from the
water, recreational opportunities, average-to-below-average number of crossings
and parallel roads, historic sites and relative absence of litter.
Notable sites include remnants of wing dams on the batteau
route that was used to transport goods, canals associated with late 18-century
industrial sites and original bridge abutments from the 18th and 19th centuries,
Buchanan said.
To get scenic-river designation for its portion, the board of
supervisors must pass a resolution endorsing the designation and requesting a
local representative to propose a bill in the General Assembly for the
designation. The bill would have to pass the General Assembly and be signed by
the governor.
Sleeper said county staff would need to review regulations
and conditions under the possible designation before the board votes on it.
The Pittsylvania County Board of Supervisors had sent a
letter to the department seeking designation qualification for parts of the
Banister and Staunton rivers. The county has not received an answer regarding
the Staunton River, Sleeper said.
Halifax County and the town of Halifax had also sought the
status for the stretch of the Banister River — which includes a little more than
31 miles that meets the Dan River in Halifax.
Ecker said Halifax’s town manager had asked him if
Pittsylvania County would pursue the designation for sections of the Banister
and Staunton rivers.
Pittsylvania County’s qualifying portion of the Banister
begins at Bearskin and Strawberry creeks, flows between Mount Airy and Riceville
and heads east to the Halifax County line.
http://www2.wsls.com/news/2012/aug/23/banister-river-pittsylvania-county-closer-scenic-r-ar-2149804/
State approves 'Scenic River' designation for Dan River
By: | GoDanRiver
Published: August 22, 2012
Published: August 22, 2012
Danville Vice Mayor Gary Miller announced this morning that
the state has approved the Dan River’s inclusion in its Scenic Rivers
Program.
Miller said the initiative will move forward once council and
the board of supervisors each formally pass a resolution of support endorsing
the designation and ask state representatives to sponsor a bill in the General
Assembly to approve the proposal.
