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Volunteers install bridges at Music Center
August 30, 2007 - Blue Ridge Parkway Superintendent Phil Francis is delighted to announce the completion and dedication of a trail system for the Blue Ridge Music Center at Fisher Peak. Four years ago, FRIENDS of the Blue Ridge Parkway was asked to undertake a new project: trail construction. FRIENDS was already engaged in trail maintenance through their Adopt-A-Trail Program. A small group of interested community volunteers in Galax, VA sat around the kitchen table of FRIENDS founding board member, Mary Guynn, to establish FRIENDS' first community chapter and commit to the construction and maintenance of the Fisher Peak Trail. The project plan grew to include the installation of two footbridges and 3.6 miles of footpaths through meadows and woodlands for hikers and music fans alike. On July 11 and 12, Fisher Peak chapter volunteers joined forces with the newly formed Rocky Knob chapter to complete the installation of the bridges just south of Galax. "Getting the bridges installed completes what we have been working on for the last four years," says Fisher Peak chapter member, Dottie Bramley. "People walked the trails, even without bridges, but they had to go down creek banks and try to walk over stones or wade through water. It has been a long time in coming but now that the bridges are in we can look back on our accomplishments and be proud to tell folks that we truly do have walking trails at the Blue Ridge Music Center." A ribbon-cutting ceremony to dedicate the trail is scheduled for September 8 at 11:30 a.m. to celebrate FRIENDS' chapter volunteers for their outstanding accomplishments and to thank Congressman Rick Boucher for his support of the Music Center. Congressman Boucher notes that, "The Blue Ridge Music Center has attracted thousands of visitors to our region who are eager to experience our rich cultural and musical heritage. Thanks to the countless hours which FRIENDS of the Blue Ridge Parkway Fisher Peak Chapter have devoted to the development and construction of the Fisher Peak trail system, visitors and residents alike will now be able to take advantage of the natural and scenic beauty which surrounds the Music Center. I commend FRIENDS of the Blue Ridge Parkway for their extensive efforts in support of this trail network." Student Conservation Association (SCA) youth volunteers assisted with the trails for five weeks in the summer of 2006. These students logged 1690 hours while living in tents. In addition, students from Notre Dame University and Fairfield Preparatory worked long and hard, removing stumps, blazing trails, and hauling gravel to repair eroded sections of trail. Pete Bramley, Fisher Peak chapter member, will guide volunteers in carrying out the NPS Landscaping Plan around the visitor center. This will involve the Fisher Peak chapter volunteers and is a project towards which FRIENDS members' contributions can be put to good work. Along the trails, the volunteer team has already constructed several boardwalks. These cross smaller, protected trout feeder streams or sensitive wetlands where common and threatened wildflowers grow in profusion during the cool mountain summers. The mission of the National Park Service is to preserve and protect the natural, cultural and historic features of the southern Appalachian Mountains. FRIENDS shares this mission and believes that the building and maintenance of trails throughout the Music Center property will link the music and history of Fisher Peak with its landscape and wildlife.
Contributions can be made by calling the FRIENDS office at 1-800-228-7275 or by mailing a check to FRIENDS, P. O. Box 20986, Roanoke, Va. 24018. Please note on your check that the contribution is for the Blue Ridge Music Center trail project. Online contributions can be made by visiting the FRIENDS website at www.BlueRidgeFRIENDS. org.
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