Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation
04/24/2024 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 04/24/2024 12:48
Clinch River State Park expands in Russell County
Media inquiries: Please contact Dave Neudeck, [email protected], 804-786-5053.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Date: April 24, 2024
Contact: Emi Endo, Senior Public Relations and Marketing Specialist, 804-786-8442, [email protected]
Clinch River State Park expands in Russell County
Virginia's first blueway state park adds 457 acres along Clinch River
(Editors: Follow this link to download an image. Photo caption: A waterfall at the Owens Preserve tract. Photo courtesy of Schnabel Engineering.)
RICHMOND, Va. - A total of 457 acres of riverfront mountains in Russell County have been added to Clinch River State Park, which will provide new public access to the river for outdoor recreation.
The Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation has acquired a cluster of five parcels along 2.5 miles of Clinch River connecting to the town of Cleveland as part of the park's Artrip Bent Unit.
The largest of the new tracts, 435 acres known as the Owens Preserve, was previously owned by The Nature Conservancy. In 2001, the nonprofit organization donated an open-space easement and dedication of the property to DCR as an addition to Cleveland Barrens Natural Area Preserve. DCR secured total ownership of the property this month, which will be managed by Virginia State Parks.
The site features more than 4,000 feet of river frontage and natural spring-fed streams, one of which forms a waterfall that flows into the Clinch.
"We know outdoor enthusiasts are looking forward to taking in the views of the rugged hills and hollows along the Clinch River, which is a global biodiversity hotspot. This addition to Clinch River State Park will allow us to showcase our natural resources to the millions of individuals who live in Virginia and nearby states and play an even greater role in the expansion of Southwest Virginia's outdoor economy," said DCR Director Matthew Wells.
Clinch River is Virginia's first "blueway" state park, or recreational water trail system. The Artrip Bent Unit and Sugar Hill Unit in St. Paul in Wise County make up the two main anchors of the park.
With additional canoe/kayak access points forming a "string of pearls" along a 140-mile stretch of the river from Tazewell, Virginia to the Virginia-Tennessee state line, the park will offer opportunities for day and overnight trips to explore the Clinch River Valley and its natural treasures.
"The Nature Conservancy seeks to connect our conservation work to the needs of local communities along the Clinch River," said Meg Short, land protection program manager for the nonprofit organization in Southwest Virginia. "Our transfer of the Owens Preserve to Virginia DCR supports both the conservation of an important natural area and the expansion of outdoor recreation opportunities in our region."
The second parcel of the Artrip Bent Unit, about 232 acres in Russell County, was purchased by DCR in 2019. Adjoining the Owens Preserve, these two tracts combine to form a significant land mass of nearly 700 acres, and an area sufficient for establishing resource and natural area protection, trails and other facilities.
"My husband, the late Tom Owens, was born, raised, and lived his entire life in the small Artrip community," said Shirley Owens, the former owner of the two tracts. "As a young man, he had a dream of owning all the land on the south side of the Clinch River from Artrip to Cleveland. Over the years, he purchased tract after tract until his dream became a reality. Since the Owens Preserve will now be part of the Clinch River State Park, it - along with his other properties conveyed separately - and all the land that he loved is together again. He would be pleased that he created a legacy that will be enjoyed and appreciated by future generations."
Under the adopted master plan for the park, the first improvements at the Artrip Bent Unit will include an entrance road, trails, ranger station and maintenance yard. Currently, this property is closed to the public, but visitors are welcome to explore the existing trails at Sugar Hill as well as the Clinch River from the park's day use boat launches at Artrip, Carbo and Old Castlewood.
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