Senator Robert "Bob" Venables was an admired and influential legislator who served 26 years in the Delaware General Assembly and, as co-chair of the state's Bond Bill Committee for many years, helped secure support for state parks projects including restoration at Cape Henlopen's Fort Miles, creation of the Trap Pond Nature Center, a new entrance road and parking lot beside the Nature Center, and Open Space funding for Trap Pond and the James Branch expansion. Born in Bethel, Delaware, he lived nearby in Laurel with his wife Laura, was an avid fisherman, and frequently visited Trap Pond. In 2015, Department of Natural Resources and Environment Control Secretary David Small renamed the Loblolly Trail the Bob Trail in recognition of Venables's long-term support of Trap Pond State Park. His support for the Trails and Pathways initiative also brought unprecedented investment in trail creation statewide and helped Delaware rise to become the third most bike friendly state in the country from a ranking in the mid-30s just five years earlier.