WASHINGTON, D.C. — Federal lawmakers from Virginia and North Carolina on Thursday urged expedited service for funds to repair public lands damaged by Hurricane Helene, including the Virginia Creeper Trail.
U.S. Sens. Mark Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-Va.) and Thom Tillis and Ted Budd (both R-N.C.) wrote to U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins and U.S. Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum, urging them to speed up allocation of moneys previously approved by Congress, according to a written statement.
The American Relief Act of 2025 contained $6.4 billion for the U.S. Forest Service and $2.3 billion for the National Park Service to facilitate repairs to areas significantly damaged last September by Hurricane Helene.
“Public lands managed by USDA and DOI are crucial economic engines for communities throughout western North Carolina and Southwest Virginia,” the senators wrote.
They cite extensive damage to the 469-mile Blue Ridge Parkway which supports dozens of communities in both states. In 2023, 16.7 million visitors spent nearly $1.4 billion in communities surrounding the Parkway, which supported over 19,000 jobs.
They also cited damage to National Forest Service-managed property in Virginia, North Carolina and Tennessee.
“Perhaps no Forest Service asset in the country suffered more damage from Hurricane Helene than the Virginia Creeper Trail, a 34-mile recreational trail that is co-managed by the Forest Service and the towns of Damascus and Abingdon in Southwest Virginia. The storm obliterated 18 miles of the Creeper Trail from Damascus to Whitetop, Virginia, destroying 18 trestles and washing away extended segments of the trail itself,” the senators wrote.
“The Creeper Trail is the most significant driver of economic activity in Damascus and one of the significant tourism destinations in the entire region. The trail attracts more then 200,000 visitors annually, supporting local bike shops, restaurants, and lodging.”
The act included $600 million to facilitate Creeper Trail repairs and restoration.
“In all, the Creeper Trail contributes nearly $13 million annually in tourism spending to the region’s economy. A prolonged closure of the trail could have devastating consequences for Damascus and the entire region. It is critical that USDA and the Forest Service move quickly to allocate appropriated funding to rebuild the Creeper Trail to ensure Damascus and other localities that depend on the trail can fully recovery from Helene,” they wrote.
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