VDOF and The Ward Burton Wildlife Foundation Partner to Protect More Than 2,000 Acres and 7 Miles of Staunton Riverfront from Development

The Virginia Department of Forestry and The Ward Burton Wildlife Foundation have joined forces to save a vital piece of Virginia’s forestland and seven miles of riverfront in Halifax County.

(NOTE: On July 15th at 11 a.m. a news conference will be held near the lake on The Cove property. At that time, Mrs. Peggy Hammond will join Ward Burton and State Forester Carl Garrison for a ceremonial “closing.”The three will sign the closing paperwork, and Mrs. Hammond will hand to Mr. Burton the “keys to the forest.”)

The non-profit Ward Burton Wildlife Foundation (TWBWF) will own the property and use it as an outdoor classroom to teach children about wildlife conservation and good forest management.

The Virginia Department of Forestry (VDOF) will establish a conservation easement on the property. The conservation easement, which prohibits development of the land in perpetuity, will be held by the VDOF. Funding for the easement came from a Forest Legacy Program grant –the largest in VDOF’s history.

State Forester Carl Garrison said, “This is an outstanding way for the public and non-profit sectors to come together for the good of the people of the Commonwealth. Protecting this historic land from future development will ensure that it is available for this generation and all future generations of Virginians.”

Ward Burton said, “We are most grateful to all who helped make this effort a reality. From U.S. Sen. George Allen and Rep. Virgil Goode and Rep. Jim Moran to Gov. Mark Warner and everyone at the Virginia Department of Forestry as well as all of our Foundation donors, this is a monumental achievement of which they should be justly proud. By preserving The Cove, we are making a very public statement that wildlife conservation and our forest resources are vital to Virginia’s long-term economic and environmental health. And The Cove property will enable us to deliver that message to generations of Virginia’s sons and daughters.”

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Directions to The Cove news conference (July 15th at 11 a.m. near the lake on The Cove property) :
From Halifax, Virginia:
(30 minute driving time)
Go approx. 1 mile north of Halifax on Bus. Hwy 360
Turn north on 626 for approx. 8.4 miles
Turn right on 603 (Hunting Creek Road) for approx. 2.3 miles
Turn left onto 623 (Morton’s Ferry Road) for approx. 7.3 miles
Turn left on 617 (Cove Road) for 1.5 miles to the end of the hard surface road
Proceed straight through gate on gravel road for approx. ½ mile until you see cars.

From Lynchburg, Virginia:
(1 hour, 10 minutes driving time)
Go south on Hwy 501 through Rustburg and Brookneal to Volens
Turn left on 603 (Nathalie Road) and go approx. 4.7 miles
Turn right on Lenning Road for approx. 3.4 miles (Lenning Road turns into Hunting Creek Road at 626)
Follow Hunting Creek Road for approx. 2.3 miles
Turn left onto 623 (Morton’s Ferry Road) for approx. 7.3 miles
Turn left on 617 (Cove Road) for 1.5 miles to the end of the hard surface road
Proceed straight through gate on gravel road for approx. ½ mile until you see cars.

From Hwy 360:
(If coming from the east (e.g. Richmond) and entering Halifax County from Charlotte County)
Turn right onto 607 (Rodger’s Chapel Rd.) and go until you get to a stop sign.
Turn left onto 746 (Mt. Laurel Rd.) and go approx. 7-8 miles.
Turn left onto 780 (Lloyd’s Mill Rd.) and go approx. 2 miles.
Turn right onto 616 (Neal’s Corner Rd.) and go a short distance.
Turn left onto 617 (Cove Rd.) and go approx. 6-7 miles to the end of the pavement.
Proceed straight through gate on gravel road for approx. ½ mile until you see cars.

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The Virginia Department of Forestry protects and develops healthy, sustainable forest resources for Virginians. Headquartered in Charlottesville, there are Forestry staff members assigned to every county to provide service to citizens of the Commonwealth. With nearly 16 million acres of forestland and more than 248,000 Virginians employed in the forest products industry, Virginia forests provide more than $30 billion annually in benefits to the Commonwealth.