Wintergreen Emergency Egress Act

The Wintergreen Emergency Egress Act aims to address a long-standing public safety concern for the Wintergreen resort and residential community in Nelson County, Virginia. Currently, the mountain community relies on a single road for both entry and exit. Local officials and residents have expressed concern that this lack of an alternative route could trap thousands of people during a wildfire or other natural disaster. The bill would require the Secretary of the Interior to grant a right-of-way across a small section of the Blue Ridge Parkway to allow for the construction of a secondary emergency-only exit.

Before the road could be built, the legislation proposes that several safety and environmental conditions must be met. The Department of the Interior would be required to evaluate whether any non-federal alternatives exist, analyze how a fire might behave in the area, and complete all necessary environmental and historic preservation reviews. If enacted, the bill would provide a legal mechanism to bypass previous administrative hurdles that have prevented the construction of this 400-foot gravel emergency connection for over 25 years.