Earlier this week, the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation announced the dedication of land comprising Virginia’s sixty-second natural area preserve, known as the Dundas Granite Flatrock Natural Area Preserve. The approximately 11-acre parcel of land is located in northwestern Brunswick County near Fort Pickett. The natural area preserve is distinguished by massive outcroppings of solid granite which occur far from Virginia’s mountains. The natural area preserve was officially dedicated in late January. Continue reading Virginia’s 62nd Natural Area Preserve Is Dedicated in Brunswick County
Conservation Easements
Preserving Viewsheds Efficiently Through GIS Mapping
Usually, when those of us in the land preservation community think of preserving land, we think of placing that particular piece of land under a conservation easement (or perhaps preserving it in some other way). But what if the property is so unique that placing even nearby properties under a conservation easement becomes useful or even necessary? Continue reading Preserving Viewsheds Efficiently Through GIS Mapping
Governor McAuliffe Announces Funding for Farmland Preservation Grants in Six Localities
On Monday, January 12, 2015, Governor Terry McAuliffe announced that six Virginia localities had been awarded a total of more than $1,581,000 in funding to preserve working farmland through the localities’ purchase of development rights (PDR) programs. The named localities include Albemarle County, Fauquier County, James City County, Stafford County, Clarke County, and the City of Virginia Beach. PDR programs provide funding for the purchase of perpetual conservation easements from landowners, as opposed to many conservation easement programs which rely on landowners to donate easements. Continue reading Governor McAuliffe Announces Funding for Farmland Preservation Grants in Six Localities