The Union Sportsmen's Alliance (USA) Adopt-a-Park initiative is ensuring that outdoors enthusiasts with mobility issues will be able take full advantage of a dedicated trail at Virginia’s York River State Park near Williamsburg.  

The Adopt-a-Park program, announced earlier this year, calls on the 60,000 USA members to volunteer their time and unique skills to renew, rebuild and restore America’s state parks that are continually faced with budget cuts and have a backlog of repair and restoration projects.

The York River Trail runs along the river and through native plant gardens but has fallen into disrepair, especially in areas where large pine roots have heaved and broken the asphalt. From now through September, union volunteers will remove the broken asphalt and replace it with concrete to make the popular trail accessible to all visitors.

The repairs began earlier this week with volunteers from Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local 666, Plumbers and Pipe Fitters (UA) locals 10, 540 and 110, and the Virginia State Building and Construction Trades Council.  

Russell Johnson, York River State Park manager, says:

As a day-use park, our nearly 30 miles of trails are an integral part of York River’s offerings. It is rare to have a project like this one that enhances those offerings for all of our guests, no matter their physical capabilities.

The union volunteers in the Adopt-a-Park program have made significant improvements at a number of state parks this year, including parks in Tennessee and Texas. USA Executive Director Fred Myers says the group will host its first annual Conservation Dinner in Richmond to begin raising funds to implement additional Adopt-a-Park projects in Virginia State Parks.