The $3 million dollars earmarked in governor Tim Kaine’s recently announced budget will not be enough to construct overnight facilities in Powhatan’s planned state park, according to Virginia’s State Parks Director Joe Elton.

“The funding that has been proposed by the governor would only include basic day use facilities,” said Elton, including hiking trails, riding paths and picnic shelters.

While Elton describes the money allocated as a positive step, he said “it would not come anywhere close to making it an overnight park.”

Any future plans for the facility will now need to wait until the second phase of development, said Elton.

Rather than view this recent development as a hindrance however, Elton insisted that he is pleased the project was able to get the funding it did.

Powhatan was one of only two park projects that received any funding, the other being High Bridge State Park which runs from Burkeville to Pamplin City, Va.  That project received $4.5 million.

Elton said that the governor’s proposal is still subject to the legislature’s approval, but he is pleased that the park received the support it did from the administration.

He also credits the work of Delegate Lee Ware and the Powhatan County Board of Supervisors, among other supporters, for getting behind the project.

“We’d always like to have enough to build an entire park,” Elton said. “But normally that takes about 20 years. So this is a good start.”