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Canoe group testing waters here
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Paddlers have long enjoyed the Great Rappahannock Whitewater Canoe Race each June. Now, the nation's oldest canoe group may make its home in Fredericksburg.
FILE/ROBERT A. MARTIN/THE FREE LANCE-STAR
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Fredericksburg courting American Canoe Association, which plans to move from its national offices in Springfield
Date published: 5/22/2007
By RUSTY DENNEN
Fredericksburg long has been a premier destination for paddlers who love to float and fish along the spine of the Rappahannock River.
Now all the features that attract them have gotten the attention of the American Canoe Association, which is eyeing the city as a possible new home for its national offices.
ACA would also need a warehouse, and space for a museum to house 127 years' worth of artifacts and boats that it would like to display.
The 50,000-member association, headquartered in Springfield in Northern Virginia, will give a presentation to City Council tonight at 7:30.
The ACA board, according to Pamela Dillon, its executive director, has been looking at sites in eight states for over a year. A final decision is expected within months.
ACA officials have visited Fredericksburg, looked at some sites, and made contact with the city's economic development office, the Fredericksburg Regional Alliance, and local canoe outfitters.
She said the association's lease at a Springfield office park expires next spring and the organization wants to have more space, preferably on a river.
"When people come to visit ACA, they expect to see us in a venue conducive to our mission"--outdoor stewardship, paddle sports, recreation.
"We are interested in Fredericksburg," she said, noting a longtime paddling tradition, its history of stewardship through groups such as Friends of the Rappahannock, and the 2004 removal of the Embrey Dam. The ACA helped push for the dam removal, which made the Rappahannock a rare free-flowing river from its headwaters to the Chesapeake Bay.
Also, Fredericksburg has placed a permanent conservation easement on over 4,000 acres it owns along the Rappahannock and Rapidan rivers--guaranteeing that the land will remain virtually undeveloped.
"As far as the community appeal and knowing the ACA would be welcomed, there is no doubt that it would be a really good fit," she said. "We're very happy with the support and interest so far ."
The association, America's oldest and best-known paddling group, was founded in 1880. It has over 300 affiliates nationwide.
She said the next step would be for the association's board to visit.
"We have received an invitation, but haven't responded yet."
Kevin Gullette, the city's business development director, said he's preparing a proposal for the ACA board to consider.
"Given the physical makeup of the city, with the river, there are a lot of synergies. We think it would make a good home for them," he said.
Gene Bailey, president of the regional alliance, said several other trade associations have relocated to Fredericksburg over the years and that the city has a lot to offer the paddlers' group.
While the ACA has to find the right piece of property, "This makes a lot of sense to me," Bailey said.
Bill Micks, a longtime local canoe outfitter and co-owner of the Virginia Outdoor Center on Fall Hill Avenue, has been involved also in the discussions with ACA.
"Right now, they're in a sterile concrete and pavement environment. I think they would love to be in downtown Fredericksburg on the river," Micks said.
ACA is holding its first-ever Collegiate Canoe and Kayaking National Championships here during the Great Rappahannock Whitewater Canoe Race the first weekend in June.
Rusty Dennen: 540/374-5431
Email: rdennen@freelancestar.com
| ACA AT A GLANCE
The American Canoe Association bills itself as "America's Premier Canoe, Kayak and Rafting Organization."
According to its Web site, americancanoe.org, it was founded in 1880 and has 50,000 members.
It has 300 local affiliates and sanctions 1,400 paddling events each year.
Over 3,000 certified canoe and kayak instructors teach approximately 125,000 students each year.
The organization publishes "Paddler" and Paddle Dealer" magazines.
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Date published: 5/22/2007
Most recent reader comments:
1 comments have been posted.
Fifty more thousand idiots to trample our river. More people equals more trash, crowded scenes and less camping spots for those of us who grew up on the river. They might want to look further south since Fburg is close to reaching the goals of looking like Fairfax and Springfield.
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Great:(
(posted by
lifetimelocal
, Sep. 25, 2007 2:41 pm)
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