STAFFORD, Va. (AP) — Public access to a nature preserve in Stafford County remains limited nearly five years after it was created.

The 2,872-acre Crow’s Nest Natural Area Preserve has 10 miles of hiking trails. But most of the trails are only open twice a year on field days when residents are led on guided hikes.

Mike Lott with the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation says a one- and-a-half-mile entrance road needs to be upgraded to give residents full access to the preserve.

Lott tells The Free Lance-Star (http://bit.ly/SBy0U7 ) that the project would cost $2 million to $3 million. He says the agency has requested funding from the General Assembly for the project for several years.

The conservation department acquired the property in 2009.

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Information from: The Free Lance-Star, http://www.fredericksburg.com/

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