Virginia Announces $14.4 Million in Land Conservation Grants

RICHMOND, VA — Governor Glenn Youngkin today announced $14.4 million in Virginia Land Conservation Foundation funding to conserve 11,220 acres around the Commonwealth.

The 28 projects receiving grant awards for fiscal year 2025 include investments in new parks for the public, conservation easements to protect working timberland and farmland and two land acquisitions by Virginia’s Tribal Nations.

“We take pride in sharing the rich beauty of Virginia’s natural resources and historical places and remain committed to increasing public access so more Virginians can enjoy them,” said Governor Glenn Youngkin. “Our parks, open spaces and other vital outdoor recreation assets drive tourism and economic growth, and they provide residents a place to connect with nature. Supporting Virginians so they can continue to work their farmlands and forests helps our key agriculture and forestry sectors continue to thrive.”

Grants were awarded in the following categories: farmland preservation, forest preservation, historic preservation, natural area protection, and open spaces and parks.

“By making significant investments that not only protect natural resources, but also our historic resources, we are able to ensure that Virginians can benefit from visiting these special places,” said Virginia Secretary of Natural and Historic Resources Travis Voyles. “When we increase public access opportunities, we allow Virginians and those visiting to experience all that the Commonwealth has to offer.”

“These projects selected for VLCF grant funding will help protect ecologically important habitats around the Commonwealth that support rare plant species as well as a variety of wildlife,” said Director of the Department of Conservation and Recreation Matthew Wells. “Virginians will benefit from the improved water quality of our rivers, creeks and karst landscapes resulting from these strategically targeted land conservation projects.”

VLCF board members are appointed by the governor, the Senate and the House of Delegates. The board includes the Secretary of Agriculture and Forestry. DCR provides staff support to the board.

A full list of the fiscal year 2025 VLCF Awards can be found here:

Amherst County

Monacan Indian Nation, Monacan Indian Nation – Daisy Adcock Property | $285,367

Acquisition of 100.4 forested acres by the Monacan Indian Nation on Bear Mountain in Amherst County, the home of the Monacan people for more than 10,000 years. Adjacent to the Monacan Museum and Culture Center, this property contains an Outstanding Forest Conservation Value hardwood forest.

Caroline County

The Conservation Fund, Hazelwood Farm | $440,750

Conservation easement through the Army Compatible Use Buffers program to protect 339 acres of prime, active farmland within Fort Walker’s Priority IA area for buffering the Army’s training installation. Managed under conservation and nutrient management plans, the farm has significant frontage on the Rappahannock River. Virginia Outdoors Foundation will hold the easement.

City of Chesapeake

City of Chesapeake, City of Chesapeake Open Spaces and Parks Application | $800,000

Acquisition of 96 acres along the Southern Branch of the Elizabeth River to protect wetlands, which encumber 68% of the property. This project seeks to protect the ecological integrity along the Elizabeth River and provide recreation opportunities and public waterfront access.

Dinwiddie County

Virginia Department of Forestry, Tank Hill | $810,000

Conservation easement to protect 1,491.54 acres of working forestland. The project will protect riparian lands along White Oak Creek, designated as Threatened & Endangered Species Water by the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources due to the presence of Roanoke Logperch, a state and federally endangered fish.

Dinwiddie County

Virginia Department of Forestry, Working Forests Between Battlefields | $775,000

Conservation easement to secure 797.8 acres of timberlands and protect connectivity of a rural landscape situated between three Civil War battlefields. Managed under a professional forest management plan, the land supports water quality, wildlife habitat and scenic views from the East Coast Greenway.

Henrico County

Capital Region Land Conservancy, Seven Pines at Broad Water Creek | $271,750

Conservation easement to protect 23.99 acres that include predicted habitat for a rare plant and fall within the core battlefield area of the Battle of Seven Pines. Upon recording the conservation easement with the Board of Historic Resources, CRLC plans to transfer the property to the Richmond Battlefields Association to own and operate as a public park.

King and Queen County

Middle Peninsula Chesapeake Bay Public Access Authority, Robinson-Baker’s Creek Acquisition | $255,000

Acquisition of 513.32 acres to protect coastal and waterfront areas that contain significant ecological value. The project will provide underserved communities with recreational opportunities such as hunting, fishing, swimming and wildlife watching.

King George County

Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation, Lake Caledon – Caledon State Park Expansion | $500,000

Acquisition of an undeveloped, mostly forested 468-acre tract immediately south of Caledon State Park to increase the park by nearly 20%. In a partnership with Trust for Public Land and the U.S. Navy, the project will increase recreational opportunities at the park.

Loudoun County

Virginia Outdoors Foundation, Beaver Dam Legacy LLC | $125,000

Conservation easement to protect 138.32 acres along Beaverdam Creek, a tributary of Goose Creek, to ensure the agricultural viability of this farm. The property contains structures eligible for listing in the Virginia Landmarks Register and the National Register of Historic Places.

Loudoun County

The Conservation Fund, Oak Hill | $2,000,000

Acquisition and easement to preserve and protect 86 acres of James Monroe’s Oak Hill, a National Historic Landmark. The land will be open to the public for historical interpretation, walking, hiking and wildlife watching. The Board of Historic Resources will hold an open-space easement on the property.

Louisa County

Virginia Outdoors Foundation, Panamint Farm | $389,700

Partial funding for a conservation easement to protect 533 acres of active farmland and forestland. The property also contains frontage on Nunn, Goldmine and White creeks. A grant for $110,300 was awarded for this project for FY24.

Mecklenburg County

Virginia Outdoors Foundation, Jatt Farm ~ Musapatike | $480,715

Conservation easement to protect 353.56 acres. More than half of the acreage of the farm – which produces cattle, hay and timber – is in Prime Soils, and 87 acres are considered farmland of statewide importance. The property also contains 90 acres of Ecological Cores as delineated in the Virginia Natural Lands Assessment.

Montgomery County

Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation, Ellett Escarpment Natural Area Preserve – Supplemental Funding | $165,254

Supplemental funding to acquire 34.38 acres to establishing a new Ellett Escarpment Natural Area Preserve and protect the most at-risk cave adapted species in Virginia. A grant for $293,500 was awarded for FY23 to successfully initiate this project, but land values were appraised higher than expected.

Montgomery County

Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation, Ellett Escarpment – Eastern Divide North | $800,000

Acquisition of 36 acres. The underlying karst landscape supports a portion of Virginia’s best population of one of the commonwealth’s most imperiled species. The property also supports habitat for a significantly rare species confined to Virginia and contains mature calcareous forests and approximately 2,000 feet of tributaries to the North Fork Roanoke River.

Montgomery County

Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation, Ellett Escarpment – Eastern Divide South | $975,219

Acquisition of 84 acres. The underlying karst landscape supports a portion of Virginia’s best population of one of the commonwealth’s most imperiled species. The property also supports habitat for a significantly rare species confined to Virginia and contains mature calcareous forests and approximately 1,100 feet of tributaries to the North Fork Roanoke River.

Orange County

American Battlefield Trust, Jackson at Wilderness | $162,406

Conservation easement to protect 36.17 acres located entirely within the Core Area of the Wilderness Battlefield, a Priority I.2 (Class A) battlefield. The project will protect the viewshed of the adjacent Wilderness Battlefield, part of the Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania National Battlefield Park. The Virginia Board of Historic Resources will hold the easement.

Patrick County

Virginia Department of Forestry, Shooting Creek | $286,875

Conservation easement to protect 674.68 acres of mountainous forestland located along the Patrick and Franklin County border. Almost the entire property lies within the “C1: Outstanding” ecological core distinction. It contains tributaries that feed the DCR-designated Smith River North Stream Conservation Site, classified as B2: High Priority, due to the state and federally endangered occurrences of the Roanoke Logperch.

Smyth County

Virginia Outdoors Foundation, Greg and Kyli Waddle Property | $914,017

Conservation easement to protect 850 acres of working farmland in Smyth and Washington Counties, to be held by Virginia Outdoors Foundation. The project will protect karst geology, with nearly 200 mapped sinkholes within a few hundred feet of the Middle Fork Holston River, and habitat for Loggerhead Shrike (a state threatened bird) and Bobolink (a rare bird).

Southampton County

Virginia Department of Forestry, Southampton 900 | $340,000

Conservation easement to protect a 900-acre site that contains working forestlands. The property, which is part of a larger privately owned property of 1,200 acres, contains wetlands and frontage along the state scenic Blackwater River. A grant for $164,450 was awarded for this project for FY24.

Stafford County

Stafford County, William Long Farm | $254,000

Conservation easement to protect 69.25 acres under the County Purchase of Development Rights (PDR) Program. The property falls within an Ecological Core and has predictive suitable habitat for Threatened and Endangered species and DWR Species of Greatest Conservation Need and is located within a wildlife biodiversity resilience corridor in DWR’s Wildlife Corridor Action Plan.

Stafford County

Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation, Crow’s Nest Natural Area Preserve – Crow’s Nest Harbor Partnership Phase 1 | $153,500

Acquisition of over 101 individual previously subdivided parcel totaling 262 acres. In a partnership between DCR, Stafford County and the Northern Virginia Conservation Trust, this project will further protect one of Virginia’s essential conservation sites. Public access at the preserve, already the most visited in the commonwealth, will be expanded with new hiking trails and a new parking area.

Stafford County

Patawomeck Indian Tribe of Virginia, Patawomeck Tribe Land Grant | $390,932

Acquisition of 14.24 acres located on the state scenic Rappahannock River, just downriver from the Patawomeck community’s Tribal Center across the Rappahannock River from Fredericksburg at Little Falls. The Patawomeck Tribe intends to create a public access trail from McDuff Park to the property as well as a small boat loading area along the river.

Suffolk

Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation, South Quay Sandhills NAP – Biodiversity, Climate Resilience & Public Access in Chowan River Basin | $1,300,000

Acquisition of 1,900 acres of contiguous forest in the Albemarle-Pamlico watershed region, which includes nearly 250 acres of freshwater wetlands and 10 miles of stream reaches. The property will be dedicated as part of Virginia’s natural area preserve system. The VLCF grant is needed to leverage a $5.6 million federal grant for the project.

Virginia Beach

City of Virginia Beach, Hancock North Landing Open Space FY25 | $650,000

Acquisition of 28 acres as an addition to Munden Point Park. From the site, there are over 220-degree views of the North Landing River, a designated Virginia Scenic River. Daily public access will be provided for land-based and water-based recreation, wildlife viewing, education and research opportunities.

Virginia Beach

City of Virginia Beach, Pleasure House Point Access/Waterfront Area | $100,000

Acquisition of 0.57 acres at Pleasure House Point, part of a network of conserved areas along Crab Creek, Pleasure House Creek and Lynnhaven Bay. The complex includes 1.25 miles of shorelines and wetlands, tidal mudflats and maritime forests. In 2012, a significant portion of the property was conserved, and the City of Virginia Beach currently manages 108 acres of the property.

Warren County

Shenandoah Valley Battlefields Foundation, Funk Tract at Cedar Creek | $415,274

Acquisition and easement to protect a 45.56-acre farm that is entirely within the Core Area of the Cedar Creek Battlefield and adjacent to lands already preserved by the Shenandoah Valley Battlefields Foundation. The project will allow for visitor access via mowed trails to the property, which contains open space and 17.5 acres of forested lands along with waterways.

Washington County

Virginia Outdoors Foundation, Richard Rolen Property | $354,875

Conservation easement to protect 697 acres located along the North Fork Holston River. The property contains 600 acres of prime forestland and numerous ponds and streams, supporting many species of fish and insects, including the Virginia springfly. The whole forest is being managed under a stewardship plan and is scheduled for selective cut timbering.

Wise County

Land Trust of Virginia, Huff Rock | $45,000

Supplemental funding for a conservation easement to protect 647 acres on Powell Mountain, including mountaintop rock formations such as Huff Rock and cave portals. The property also contains 1.6 miles of perennial streams and supports habitat for species of greatest conservation need. A grant for $182,000 was awarded for this project for FY23 but the cost for the required boundary survey for this exceptionally mountainous property was unexpectedly high.