WASHINGTON, Va., August 31, 2023 – Land Trust of Virginia (LTV) is pleased to announce two conservation easements in Rappahannock County. These adjacent property owners reached out to LTV independently and coincidentally but have since been introduced and both plan to work on extensive meadow restoration projects in the coming year. We are honored to have protected over 200 acres between these two easements.
LTV Easement #245 is 121.16 acres located within a high density of conservation easements. 18 different open space easements held by VOF, DHR, PEC, NRCS, and Shenandoah National Park are within 1.5 miles of the property. It is also within the viewshed of the Appalachian Trail and Skyline Drive at the Hogback Overlook. Nearly half of the property (56 acres) features soils that are defined as being either “Prime Farmland” or “Farmland of Statewide Importance”. The easement also protects important forest acreage, and water resources including a perennial stream.
"We are very thankful for all of the help that LTV provided in getting our conservation easement recorded," stated the landowner. "We would certainly recommend LTV to anyone who is interested in pursuing an easement. We plan to do meadow restoration to enhance wildlife habitat and biodiversity, protect the watershed, as well as keep prime areas in pasture for horses."
LTV Easement #246, owned by David and Jennifer Aldrich, is 85.99 acres with 1,400 feet of frontage on Riley Hollow Road and is visible from Shenandoah National Park, the Appalachian Trail, and Skyline Drive, also from the Hogback Overlook. The property is mostly forested and steeply sloped. 59 acres of this forest is designated as being “Very High” or “Outstanding” by DOF’s Forest Conservation Value (FCV) model. Other natural resources protected include three small wetland areas, 18 acres of “Prime Farmland” soils or “Farmland Soils of Statewide Importance”, and 60 acres of an ecological core with “Outstanding” integrity according to Virginia Natural Lands Assessment analysis.
"Our Riley Hollow property is our third conservation easement, the first two being with VOF, 120 acres in Woodville (2001) and 204 acres in Huntly (2006), Rappahannock County," said landowner, Jennifer Aldrich. "Before moving to Rappahannock, we lived in New York City, Princeton, NJ and The Plains, VA. I grew up in Princeton, which was very rural in the 1960's (New Jersey was The Garden State), but fell quickly to large scale development as so many farms sold out in the 1980's and '90's. We saw this pattern repeat dramatically in Loudoun County, and on and on, and felt determined to play even a small role defending and preserving open space. Today, the preservation of open space is also paramount to us as a way to both encourage and preserve diversity of habitat for animal populations and to maintain forested land. The Riley Hollow property was of particular interest for its combination of woodlands, open meadow, partially wooded areas and extensive wetlands. I like to say I look to find something new every day 'in the wild' and that's been my experience and good fortune at this property."
“We’ve rarely conserved adjacent properties like this but the added layer of protection by conserving larger acreage is so important,” said LTV Executive Director, Ashton Cole. “The denser a network of easements that we can create strengthens their effectiveness in water quality protection, habitat protection, and more.”
For more information about Land Trust of Virginia, please visit http://www.landtrustva.org.