BLACKSBURG - The nonprofit Friends of the Huckleberry Trail has raised about $26,000 to plan and build a new extension that would connect the popular walking and biking trail to the Hethwood subdivision and its trail system.

The extension, which Friends president and local developer Bill Ellenbogen says will probably measure "a little longer than a mile," will not only provide more recreation opportunities, but will also help provide an alternative transportation route for those who commute from Hethwood to Virginia Tech. All of the land for the trail extension belongs to the university and if the necessary easements are approved by the Board of Visitors this winter, it should be ready for commuters by fall 2005, Ellenbogen said.

The trail spur will begin at a gravel road where the current Huckleberry Trail passes under U.S. 460. There the current trail turns south and heads to Christiansburg. The spur will wind north through some of Tech's research facilities to the east side of Stroubles Creek, eventually ending in Hethwood.

Half of the $26,000 raised so far went to Blacksburg engineering firm Andersen & Associates, which is designing the trail. The other half will go toward construction.

The biggest contributor to the project so far is HHHunt, the real estate development company that manages much of the Hethwood subdivision. The company has contributed $10,000 to the project so far, Ellenbogen said.

Fewer than five years ago, Blacksburg's parks were "islands of green space," Parks and Recreation director Dean Crane said. Now many are connected by existing trails, and other trails are scheduled to come to fruition in the coming years. The Friends want the Huckleberry to eventually connect to Blacksburg's Gateway Trail into the national forest.

The town's comprehensive plan lists 12 new trails as high priorities and nearly two dozen more as medium and low priorities.

Ellenbogen estimates that this extension, called Hethwood Greenway in the plan, will cost about $150,000 or less, depending on how many in-kind donations of labor and materials the Friends can round up for the effort.

But the trails are not just connectors. Crane calls them "linear parks" that allow runners, walkers, wildlife watchers and bikers to enjoy the outdoors.

As Blacksburg urbanizes, it becomes more and more important to preserve green spaces and recreational corridors because, Ellenbogen said, it's hard or impossible to go back and build trails and parks after an area is developed.

He hopes to provide a legacy of "places to get away and find butterflies" for Blacksburg citizens "200 to 300 years from now," he said.