Virginia >> Members of the Covington-Alleghany Chapter installed a stone bench on the Jackson River Scenic Trail to honor former member Virgil Bartley’s stewardship of the river.

Mr. Bartley lived on the Jackson River, which the Army Corps of Engineers dammed above Covington in the 1980s for flood control and recreation. When the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries wanted to develop a tailwater fishery below the impoundment, Mr. Bartley worked with the agency to ensure the river was treated as a sustainable resource and access to the river was implemented with respect for local landowners. Mr. Bartley enjoyed fishing the Jackson River tailwaters — one of the best wild trout streams in Virginia — and the lake above the dam.

Chapter leaders commissioned the bench — crafted of solid stone — to commemorate Mr. Bartley’s efforts to conserve the river for use and enjoyment by future generations. The 14.4-mile Jackson River Scenic Trail is built on an old railroad bed that runs parallel to the Jackson River. The new bench provides a place to rest and reflect on this amazing resource.