New River Conservancy (NRC) is pleased to announce Kathleen Armstrong has been hired as Director of Trail Planning and Community Engagement. Armstrong’s role is to collaborate closely with federal, local and state governments, non-profit organizations, and community members to envision a future where all people and our shared resources are protected.
Kathleen has spent her whole life on the New River- up and down the banks, sunning on big rocks, counting macro invertebrates and soda bottles, floating on the currents, and finding nourishment on the water. Her first experience with the New was very close to the headwaters in Southern Ashe County, before she could even walk. In the subsequent years she has kept a close connection to the New.
Armstrong moved from North Carolina to Virginia’s New River Valley in 2021 to join the team at the New River Valley Regional Commission where she led the New River Water Trail Expansion Project. She also facilitated the New River Watershed Roundtable, helped coordinate the regional ReNew the New clean-up efforts, conducted parks planning, and worked with partners to access environmental and recreational funding. NRC Executive Director Andrew Downs says “”The New River is a defining element in so many communities, bringing on someone with Kathleen’s experience and vision will drastically increase our ability to support these communities and their economic and cultural connections to the river they love”.
This year NRC kicked off the New River Water Trail Action Plan project, which will guide the expansion of the New River Water Trail, currently a 37 mile trail in Giles County, further into Southwest Virginia, and North Carolina and West Virginia. Acting as the lead convening facilitator for the New River Water Trail Action Plan process, NRC is working with partners in all three states, throughout the watershed, to create a plan for the trail’s 360 mile implementation. The vision for a three state comprehensive water trail has been growing for decades, from the headwaters to the confluence. The project is funded through the Appalachian Regional Commission ARISE program, the One Foundation and local matching funds. Alongside local partners, NRC will host public engagement opportunities, stakeholder meetings and site visits with subject area experts. Community input is a key component of the Action Plan, as it will be used as a guide for the coalition that will oversee the trail’s management and the implementation of future access facilities.
Feedback from the engagement sessions will inform implementation strategies and priorities, as well as shovel ready design concepts that align with the unique conditions of our various communities. Through the planning process, a coalition of partners will formalize and act as the governing body for long term trail management, operations and the next phase of implementation. The culmination of the project will be an action plan document that reflects the grassroot efforts that have supported the concept of a comprehensive New River Water Trail, both formally and informally, for over twenty years.
Kathleen attended Appalachian State University where she explored the history of the region through academic pursuits in the Arts, Sustainable Development, and Appalachian Studies. Captivated by the complexity and abundance of the Appalachian Mountains, she sought to dedicate her life to the enrichment and enhancement of this very special place. To strengthen her skills and advance her passions, Kathleen joined the North Carolina State University Master of Landscape Architecture and Environmental Planning program in the Spring of 2017 focusing on the intersection of participatory planning, public space design, and distributed intelligence.
Kathleen is excited to be a part of the New River Conservancy and to serve as Director of Trail Planning and Community Engagement. She says “The way we care for the river will ripple through our communities for generations, it’s wise to gather together to share stories of the New River. Stories help provide critical context for envisioning the future and meeting the present moment- challenges and all!”
The New River Conservancy organization has worked every day since the early 1970’s to protect the woods, waters and wildlife of the iconic New River and its watershed. NRC is a 501©3 nonprofit. Donations are welcome and tax deductible. For more information, please visit their website at newriverconservancy.org, or any of their social media pages.
Armstrong participates in the annual ReNew the New river clean up in Giles County, Virginia.
