Washington County Conservation’s efforts to pave the Kewash Nature Trail from west of Willow Pond to the historical Crooked Creek Bridge is in a holding pattern.

Executive Director Zach Rozmus informed the conservation board that they continue to wait for federal approval on the environmental impact of the project, which has caused continual delays in opening up the project for bids, “As things sit right now, we’re set for a June letting date which, when we originally starting talking about this, it was going to be February, then it was March, it keeps getting pushed back and it’s really getting pushed back to where we are right now.”

Rozmus says delays in federal go-ahead for the project is most likely due to COVID-19. Still, he says approval could come any day. Rozmus says the project is already in their budget and if they can put the project up for bid in June, they hope to have most of the trail paving work completed before winter 2021.