For more information, contact: Jason McGarvey, (804) 382-2241, jmcgarvey@vofonline.org

VOF Protected 55,000 Acres in 2009

The Virginia Outdoors Foundation permanently protected 55,000 acres across 61 localities through conservation easements in 2009, making it the fourth straight year that VOF protected more than 50,000 acres.

“VOF now protects 580,000 acres across 102 cities and counties—an area three times the size of Shenandoah National Park,” said VOF Board Chairman Hank Hartz, a resident of Goochland. “About 285,000 of those acres were recorded within the past five years—many on working farms and forests.”

For the second consecutive year, Amelia County led all counties in VOF protected land with 5,280 acres. Also in 2009, VOF completed its largest project ever—more than 11,000 acres of Carvins Cove Natural Reserve in Roanoke. Other highlights included 5,000 acres placed under easement on Smith Mountain spanning Pittsylvania and Bedford counties, 1,271 acres that protect the drinking water supply of Purcellville in Loudoun County, and about 1,000 acres on two of the state’s historically significant properties, James Madison’s Montpelier in Orange County and Ingles Ferry Farm in Pulaski County.

For a breakdown of acreage recorded by locality, visit http://www.virginiaoutdoorsfoundation.org/VOF_pub-statistics.php.

Conservation easements are voluntary agreements between private landowners and a qualified land trust such as VOF that restrict future development while allowing compatible uses such as farming, forestry, and recreation. Landowners who donate easements can receive state and federal tax incentives. Virginia’s Land Preservation Tax Credit for a conservation easement is 40 percent of the appraised value of the easement. Landowners who cannot use the state tax credits themselves may sell them to another taxpayer.

VOF was established by the Virginia General Assembly in 1966 to encourage the preservation of the Commonwealth’s natural and cultural heritage lands. It currently holds more conservation easements than any other land trust in the nation. It also holds the title to 3,516 acres of public land, including 2,500 acres in the Bull Run Mountains. VOF operates through eight regional VOF offices across the Commonwealth.