On Saturday, September 24th, 2016, the Natural Bridge of Virginia officially became Natural Bridge State Park. The area had been privately owned since the 1700’s. The Bridge, hotel, visitors center, caverns and 1531 acres were put up for sale in 2014. There was a very real chance that the property could be subdivided and sold as exclusive residential or resort parcels. Many people, representing numerous organizations and agencies, worked diligently with the owner and interim buyer to put together an extremely complex solution to ensure that this natural and historical treasure would remain unblemished and open to the public. Although the Izaak Walton League was not directly involved in this effort, our chapter did send a letter to former governor McDonnell urging him to do what was within his authority to support the effort to preserve Natural Bridge. Other Ikes’ s, as individual citizens, may have likewise contacted their representatives.
In April 2015, the Suffolk-Nansemond Chapter and the Virginia Division hosted an awards ceremony at Natural Bridge to honor seven of the key people responsible for this successful effort. Our current governor, Terry McAuliffe, and many others went all out to ensure that things stayed on track so the tentative deal did not collapse.
At the request of the Virginia Division of the IWLA, SNIWLA chapter members Mike and Cindy Lane attended the reception on the eve of the opening and the opening day ceremony, as representatives of the Division. It was quite an event, some media accounts indicated that over 1000 people were in attendance. During the ceremony, Governor McAuliffe designated Natural Bridge the 925th Virginia Treasure, which is a program that concentrates on conserving land and creating opportunities for outdoor recreation. Amid the hustle and bustle of the event, Mike and Cindy were able to personally thank Governor McAuliffe and others for their perseverance. Best of all, at 8:01 Sunday morning, Mike and Cindy became the first PAYING visitors to Natural Bridge, Virginia’s 37th State Park!
