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Just minutes from the center of the most populous city in Virginia, Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge feels like another world: the refuge on the outskirts of Virginia Beach teems with life across a range of coastal habitats for migratory and wintering waterfowl. The beachfront views and wildlife spectacles draw in over 125,000 visitors to the refuge each year.
The Kuralt Trail, which starts at the main parking lot, is a favorite for families and experienced hikers alike. The short walk takes you through shrubby tree habitat to an overlook onto a cove in Back Bay, where visitors have the opportunity to see wintering ducks and swans, osprey, bobcat tracks, and more.
Unfortunately, years of storms, flooding, and shifting ground left the beloved Kuralt Trail nearly unusable. The wooden planks had warped, sunk and, in some areas, disappeared beneath the muck. The underlying structure structure
Something temporarily or permanently constructed, built, or placed; and constructed of natural or manufactured parts including, but not limited to, a building, shed, cabin, porch, bridge, walkway, stair steps, sign, landing, platform, dock, rack, fence, telecommunication device, antennae, fish cleaning table, satellite dish/mount, or well head.
Learn more about structure had also failed.
If only there was a specialized team that could swoop in and save the trail...
Great American Outdoors Act Great American Outdoors Act
This landmark conservation law, enacted in 2020, authorizes the use of up to $1.9 billion a year in energy development revenues for five years for needed maintenance to facilities and infrastructure in our wildlife refuges, national parks, forests, recreation areas and American Indian schools.
Learn more about Great American Outdoors Act (GAOA) team – Earth’s Mightiest Maintenance Team
Stationed throughout the Northeast, the nine-member U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Great American Outdoors Act team is a mix of heavy equipment operators, maintenance workers, and conservationists. Funded through the act, the GAOA maintenance team’s purpose is to restore trail systems and impoundments and tackle other mission-oriented projects to benefit the American people, improve recreation on public lands, and protect wildlife that call it home.
Led by project coordinator David Miller, the team had one major goal at Back Bay NWR: to create a new elevated boardwalk trail, well above the historic high-water mark, and ensure it would withstand future storms and flooding.
“Our dedicated GAOA team tackles 12 to 18 projects a year, travelling primarily from January to October to address deferred maintenance projects in the region,” Miller explained. “The GAOA team regularly saves the Service’s national wildlife refuges valuable time and resources.”
The GAOA team travels to project sites approximately every two weeks, where they build everything from bathrooms and bunkhouses to fishing piers, viewing platforms, and boardwalks. Their work saves the Service roughly 50-60% on costs of hiring contractors to complete equivalent projects.
GAOA Team – Assemble!
The Kuralt Trail project was strategically set for March to avoid disturbing migrating birds and emerging reptiles and amphibians. The GAOA team members traveled from their home stations to assemble at Back Bay and tackle the crumbling trail.
Working through miserably cold, windy conditions - and sometimes in 10 inches of water - the crew carefully removed the old trail structure, making sure to minimize disturbance to the surrounding habitats. Using hand augers, the team dug new post holes and inserted heavy timbers deep into the ground, assisted by a mini excavator and post pounder.
Eco-friendly composite boards made of recycled plastic, known to have a longer lifespan and require less maintenance than wooden decking, made up the surface of the boardwalk. The deck platform was raised 26 inches off the ground to withstand future storms and flooding.
With great trails, comes great responsibility
The new Kuralt Trail boardwalk stretches 500 feet across to the bay overlook. The Americans with Disabilities Act-compliant trail gently slopes back to the parking lot where it invites everyone, from birdwatchers to families with strollers, to experience the refuge and wildlife.
Refuge manager Megan Davis Reed shared how the new trail will benefit more than just visiting families and birders.
“The Kuralt Trail is a favorite stop for our environmental education programming,” she said. “The restored trail is already a hot spot for school field trips, especially the fourth graders participating in Every Kid Outdoors.”
As the Kuralt Trail continues to inspire the next generation of conservationists, our gratitude goes out to the GAOA team and their work to improve and restore access to nature for generations to come.
