| Contact Information | Date |
|---|---|
| For Immediate Release Contact: Mike Santucci 434.977.5193 |
Dec. 23, 2008 VDOF-08033 |
DOF records first easement in Loudoun County
The Virginia Department of Forestry (VDOF) recorded its first conservation easement in Loudoun County on XX. The Sanford LLC granted to the VDOF a working forest easement protecting 101 acres of what is referred to as the “Big Woods” east of Lucketts, Va.
A conservation easement is a voluntary legal agreement between a landowner and a government agency or a non-profit conservation organization that protects the conservation values of a property. Most easements place permanent limits on the future development of the property to protect these values. The landowner continues to own, use and control the land.
The Sanford property is fully forested and represents one of the largest unfragmented forested acreages in the area. The easement merges two tax parcels into a single property that limits future development. The property may be divided only once in the future and at least one of the resulting parcels must be a minimum of 90 acres, preserving a majority of the large forest block.
Large blocks of forest land are critical to sustainable forest management, interconnected wildlife habitat, and the flow of other ecosystem services, such as improving water and air quality and carbon sequestration. Unbroken forests also enhance the overall quality of life of the local residents.
Mike Santucci, VDOF forest conservation specialist, said, "Virginia is losing more than 27,000 acres of forest land annually to conversion, and that rate is increasing. Loss of forested acres and the fragmentation of the remaining acres reduce the potential of the forest to provide the economic, social and ecological benefits that we depend on. This continues to be one of the most significant threats to the forest resource in Virginia, especially the northern Piedmont.
“We are very appreciative of Sanford’s donation and its desire to sustain its forest land base in perpetuity,” Santucci said. “We are thankful for the opportunity to contribute to the longstanding and successful conservation efforts in Loudoun County.”
Santucci is negotiating on three other properties in Loudoun County that total more than 700 acres.
The VDOF conservation easement program is the only one in the state that focuses solely on protecting working forests. To be considered, a property must be at least 50 acres in size; 75 percent forested, and the landowner must be willing to have a forest stewardship management plan prepared. Landowners who want to ensure that their land will be forever maintained as forest may consider a VDOF easement.
For additional information on the VDOF conservation easement program, contact Mike Santucci, forest conservation specialist, at 434.977.5193, or visit the VDOF Web site.
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