De. Franlin presenting HB1402 to Transportation Infrastructure and Funding subcommittee
On February 3, 2026, five people from Prince William, Fairfax and Loudoun counties testified in favor of HB1402. That bill, introduced by Del. Margaret Franklin, directed the State Trails Office within the Virginia Department of Transportation to include the Potomac Heritage National Scenic Trail in the Statewide Trails Plan.
Currently, six trails are listed as General Assembly-identified trails. None of them are located north of the Rappahannock River.
The Transportation Infrastructure and Funding subcommittee voted 8-2 to kill the bill. The members first ensured that the trail would be included in the soon-to-be-released State Trails Plan, so the primary objection was that the legislation was unnecessary.
The testimony and lobbying in advance was the first time the opportunity to complete the Potomac Heritage National Scenic Trail through Virginia was highlighted in the General Assembly. While no special designation was achieved in 2026, the “consciousness raising” set the stage for future efforts to obtain state funding.