On the first day of firearms deer season, I experienced the negative impacts that the Dahlgren Railroad Heritage Trail can have on adjoining landowners.
My 9-year-old daughter and I were in a tree stand about 70 yards from the old railroad. After sitting still for two hours, we heard a rumble among the beautiful "natural" sights and sounds of the woods.
As the rumble came closer, birds went fleeing and squirrels disappeared. Along came a white Jeep revving and spinning tires. Just past my property, he fired up a chain saw and proceeded to ruin the rest of my daughter's long-awaited hunt.
This got me thinking about the negative impacts of the proposed "rails to trails." Now, granted, my neighbor could have done the same thing, but he would only have annoyed me; whereas this guy in the Jeep likely drove through several "hunts" that morning.
So if the trail increases in popularity and traffic, so will its negative impact on all the adjoining properties.
Along with more use comes more maintenance, and, before long, Saturdays become filled with those using the trail and those maintaining it. That means more Jeeps and chain saws, trash pickup, brush clearing, gravel laying, and "un-natural" noises.
Most folks hunt and enjoy their property on Saturdays because of they work during the week. Likewise, most trail users and maintainers will be out on Saturday,
So in the end, the users
Frank Lagano
King George