Conservation Program Updates, Summer 2006

Conservation Easements: Steven and Lois Kerchner have granted to the Virginia Outdoors Foundation a conservation easement protecting their 73-acre property on Crest Hill Road east of Flint Hill. Granted to and accepted by VOF before the end of 2005, the easement was not recorded until February 22, 2006. It merges two tax-map parcels that may never be redivided, and protects 1,450 feet of frontage along Route 647, a designated Virginia By-way. The Kerchner gift brings total easement protection in Rappahannock to 23,158 acres—17 percent of all private land in the county. According to the Rappahannock County Conservation Alliance, which focuses on easements, the county now ranks second in the region served by the Piedmont Environmental Council—and no doubt in the commonwealth as well—in percent of private land now protected by easements. The total percentage of land in easements across the nine counties is 11.6 percent.

Tier III Designation of the Hazel River: The effort to have the Hazel designated as a Tier III river lost ground after the Rappahannock Board of Supervisors revisited the issue.

Farmland Preservation Program: The Farmland Preservation Program is looking forward to finalizing its first purchase of development rights sometime in early June with the Meadow Grove Farm Easement. This project, formally supported by RLEP, is a joint effort of Rappahannock County, the Piedmont Environmental Council, the Krebser Fund, the Virginia Land Conservation Fund, and the Open Space Lands Preservation Fund. The easement will permanently protect a little more than 340 acres of Rappahannock County from development. "Important farmland, protected for generations by the family of James Massie—including rich riparian areas and scenic high meadow—combine with sensitive environmental areas and important historic dwellings and farm buildings to make this an excellent first step in the county's taxpayer-funded efforts," says County Administrator John McCarthy.

RappFLOW Upper Thornton Project: Of the 162 residents and landowners in the Upper Thornton River Watershed who responded to RappFLOW's recent “Upper Thornton Watershed Survey," the majority said they value their views and scenery, privacy and lack of traffic, and quality of life. In contrast, very few choose "market value of property"' or "income from farm or forest" as their most important values. About half of them most value wildlife and diversity of plants and animals. Water issues that concern people the most are "quality of well water" and "adequate supply of good drinking water." The three threats to the watershed of most concern include population growth, subdivision of land parcels, and discharge of to streams from public sewage treatment plants. The survey was mailed by RappFLOW volunteers in January to 998 residents and landowners in that 93-square-mile area of Rappahannock County, the headwaters of the Rappahannock River Basin. To read the preliminary report or obtain the survey instrument, go to www.rappflow.org and click on "New on RappFLOW."

Alternative Energy Project: Attendance at the first Piedmont Alternative Energy Expo May 20 exceeded expectations, with more than 600 people showing up. This timely event attracted a wide spectrum of visitors and alternative energy vendors. See page 6 for details.

Biodiversity Task Force: The Task Force's Spring Nature Series was also well received. After a presentation on Shenandoah National Park's peregrine falcon restoration program and a series of wildflower walks, the program ended with a flourish with the Spring Bird Walk on May 20. The falcon pair featured in the first event has come back for the second year. After the pair's own eggs were destroyed in a storm, the program's staff brought in two chicks at risk from a nest near Richmond, which are being successfully fostered by the adult pair. Thanks to modern technology, the program's staff and the public have been able to monitor the progress of the chicks through the program's solar-powered "FalconCam."