By the end of the calendar year 2021, the State Trails Advisory Committee (STAC) will have met twice. The first meeting was held on May 17, 2021 and the second meeting will be held on October 26, 2021. The STAC met virtually in May during the declared state of emergency issued by Governor Northam by Executive Order 51 on March 12, 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. STAC will meet again virtually in October under the provisions adopted in the recent budget bill (HB 7001), effective August 10, 2021 which specifically states in 17.a., “That notwithstanding any other provision of law, any permanent or interim legislative study or advisory commission, committee, or subcommittee, other than a standing committee of the General Assembly to which bills and resolutions are referred during a legislative session pursuant to Article IV, Section 11 of the Constitution of Virginia, or any executive advisory board or council may conduct a meeting by electronic communications means without a quorum of the public body physically assembled at one location if the meeting is being held solely to receive presentations, updates, public comment, or conduct other forms of information gathering. If a quorum is not physically assembled, the commission, committee, subcommittee, board, or council shall not take any votes or make any formal recommendations at such meeting."

The following report summarizes staff initiatives and committee work for the calendar year.