Saving Nearby Nature®
One year for NVCT: Nine new conserved properties
Conservation land can be measured in many ways, including acres conserved, appraised value, and public benefits. But what can’t be
measured—until it’s too late—is what happens if land is not conserved.
Across the Commonwealth, almost 3.8 million acres or 15.6% of Virginia’s land area is conserved. But within our region, the tremendous
growth and development pressures makes conserving land even more urgent. The trust has added new easements in Fairfax, Prince
William, Loudoun, and Fauquier counties in the past fiscal year, and purchased three lots adjacent to the Crow’s Nest Natural Area
Preserve in Stafford County.
The View from the Sidewalk
The View across the Vistas
The Trust’s three new urban easements are important examples of how
protected land benefits the community and conserves precious natural
resources.
Prince William County. Conservation
values and conservation development
come together at the Villages of Piedmont
at Leopold’s Preserve. This new community
of single-family homes and town homes
in Haymarket set aside a conservation
easement on 380 acres, or 75% of the
area, with a vision of connecting people to
nature. The Preserve, named for legendary conservationist Aldo Leopold,
includes hardwood forests, wetlands, wildlife habitat, and open fields,
as well as historically significant features. There are seven miles of hiking
trails with public access in the Preserve, and interpretive signs explain the
significance of the conserved land. The community holds an annual 5K on
the trail, and young and old enjoy the beautiful path through the woods.
Conserved land as part of the cityscape
Fauquier County. The easement on 5-1/2
acres near downtown Warrenton is an oasis
in the midst of development. It protects
open space and a historic home listed on
both the Virginia Landmarks Register and
the National Register of Historic Places.
The land with large, mature trees fronts
the street and enhances the special
features of historic Warrenton. This conservation easement benefits the
community with tree canopy, wildlife habitat, and an important connection
with nature—the view from the sidewalk.
In Fairfax County, the rapid pace of growth
makes natural lands all the more precious.
A 5-1/2 acre conservation easement in the
center of the county is a prime example:
it buffers the Indian Run Stream Valley
Park, yet is next to office buildings and a
street. For landowner Tom Cafferty and
Cafferty-Indian Run LLC, that presents
an opportunity to get people out to enjoy nature. He maintains a walking
trail with a natural, mulch surface through the wooded property so office
workers and nearby resi