March 2012 - Parks & Recreation - 9

recognizes the importance of protecting our water
sources and preserving open spaces for parks and
trails. And they want to see action.
I believe the necessary action must germinate at
the local level. Citizens and stakeholders who are
committed to conservation will have the greatest impact by engaging in local, grassroots efforts. And
NRPA is perfectly positioned to help. We can offer
education, best practices, and assistance in identifying funding sources. NRPA can be a resource and
a catalyst, but it is citizens in their local jurisdictions
who will need to drive local land and water conservation objectives.
In your work with the City of Fairfax and
NVRPA, you have provided leadership in the
acquisition of open space in Northern
Virginia-a suburban region that has seen
explosive development over the past 25 years.
What has influenced you and motivated you
in your fight to preserve open spaces in your
community?
Over ten years ago, I served on a small committee
for the City of Fairfax. Our job was to identify over
20 parcels of land that might be dedicated to open
space. Voters had just passed a referendum to raise
funds for the purchase of open spaces. We identified
all the possible parcels of land that could possibly
be used for open space and then prioritized those
that truly offered opportunities to build new parks
and ball fields. Additionally, we recommended that
lands that could remain undeveloped, offering residents groves of mature trees or tranquil green spaces to enjoy. Identifying and buying the parcels was
the easy part. The hard part-actually implementing
the vision-came after the purchase.
Fast forward ten years. This past fall I got to watch
my son play soccer in a brand-new park that took a
decade to become a reality. Otherwise, the property
in question would have likely become just another office building or shopping center. It takes a great deal
of patience and sheer doggedness to advocate the
tangible and intangible benefits of open space, especially when it can take many years to achieve the
final vision. I am proud to know that my role as a citizen advocate will contribute to the well being of the
larger community for many decades to come.
In your work with the NVRPA, you have led in
the success of the 45-mile W&OD Trail-a
walking and biking route that crosses many

Brian Knapp, NRPA Board
member and recently elected
NVRPA Board Chair

jurisdictional boundaries in the Washington,
D.C., metropolitan area. What lessons have
you learned from your experience with this
major trail project?
We are truly blessed in Northern Virginia to have
this beautiful asset-the W&OD Trail. In the past year
alone, over one million people used some portion of
the trail. Our biggest challenge today is the abundance of daily users-a mix of walkers, runners, and
bicycle riders-all competing for the narrow space.
With more folks bicycling to work, we are looking
at options that might include lighting portions of the
trail-especially in the winter months for morning
and evening commuters. Like so many trails around
the country, I have learned that the W&OD Trail is
about much more than recreation. The trail serves
increasingly as a transportation artery for residents
who want to rely less on automobiles and live healthier lives. We want to encourage these uses by maintaining the trail well, making it as safe as possible,
and tying the trail into a larger network through cooperation with local jurisdictions.
I am delighted to be part of an organization like
NRPA which shares the same passion and understanding for the importance of trails. We can certainly lead the way at the national level in educating
our political leaders and legislators about the small,
incremental investments needed now to accommodate our growing population and those who seek trail
networks for multiple uses.

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March 2012 - Parks & Recreation

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