Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, June 5, 1994 TAG: 9406060136
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: CURRENT2 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: Steve Kark
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
It was with a spirit of welcome relief that my wife and I spent one afternoon of the long weekend canoeing a section of the New River in Giles County.
More accurately, we ``floated'' the river. Although we had paddles, we rarely used them except to orient ourselves through an occasional riffle.
We were content to let the river carry us along; ``going with the flow'' seemed especially appropriate under the circumstances.
We had plenty of time as we floated between Ripplemead and Pearisburg to admire the scenery, which invariably leaves me with a deeper appreciation for the river.
I found myself thinking about the river in the context of the proposed Giles County-New River Greenway Project, which would preserve this stretch and limit, to some degree, development along its banks.
For anyone who takes the time to notice, the value of this approach seems obvious. The whole length of the river between Ripplemead and Pearisburg remains largely undeveloped. There are no houses or factories. Instead, there are lots of trees and scenic limestone bluffs.
Of course, development already exists in the form of Norfolk Southern's railroad tracks on either side of the river. But this seems somewhat acceptable to boaters like us since trains pass by only occasionally. Besides, without them there likely would have been more development long before now.
Despite the tracks, one doesn't have to look hard to notice that a uniquely different biological community exists along the river. We noted, for instance, a number of birds that we don't see in Rye Hollow - or anywhere else in the county, for that matter.
When you get right down to it, Giles County has a number of different biological communities: from what we found along the river to what we typically see in Rye Hollow, for instance, to what one might find on top of Salt Pond Mountain or along Big Walker Creek. And it seems to me that this is what makes this county special. We need to do all we can to preserve such places, whose value is immeasurable to us all.
On the other hand, there are a lot of people out this way who automatically grow suspicious when they hear the word ``preserve'' because it might mean outsiders telling them how to use their land. And I can't say I blame them for feeling that way.
People who've lived off the land all their lives don't need to be told its value. They already know. Besides, folks don't live out this way to be crowded by others.
They may not know, however, that there are ways of developing the county with an eye toward preserving it at the same time. And this, I'm told, is the approach taken by the planners of the Greenway project.
It's especially important that county residents get involved in this project, whether you agree or disagree with the idea. Attend the information meetings. Find out what it's all about, and tell your county officials how you feel about it.
It's our county and our future. Let's make sure we do it right now, or we'll regret it later.
A series of informational meetings on the Greenway will be held July 25 and 26th and July 28 at 7 p.m. The first meeting will be in the Giles High School cafeteria; the second, Eastern Elementary School cafeteria; the third, Narrows High School cafeteria.|
Steve Kark, a coresprondent for the New River Valley bureau, reports from Rye Hollow in Giles County.|
by CNB