| Contact Information | Date |
|---|---|
| For Immediate Release Contact: Mike Santucci 434.220.9182 |
January 19, 2012 VDOF 12005 |
First VDOF Easement Recorded in Fluvanna County
Robert and Graciela Lum have granted the Virginia Department of Forestry (VDOF) a working forest conservation easement that protects 205 acres of land in Fluvanna County. The easement combines 11 tax parcels into no more than two future divisions whose future development is restricted, conserving a large block of forestland in perpetuity.
The Lum’s conservation easement is the first VDOF easement in Fluvanna County. It represents the 24th and final VDOF easement on 8,005 acres recorded statewide in 2011, and brings the program total to just under 20,000 acres conserved in five years.
Located south of Palmyra, the property contains 172 acres of loblolly pine stands, hardwood woodlands and riparian forests managed under a Forest Stewardship Management Plan, where a healthy and scenic forest is the primary goal while providing for periodic income from the sale of timber as well as to enhance wildlife habitat on the property.
Bob Lum’s father initially purchased 50 acres in 1968, and conveyed a portion of this original property the following year to his son and wife. Through the subsequent years, Lum has been able to add to the original property, resulting in the current acreage. Bob’s motivation for conveying the easement is readily evident. “When others express concern about the area losing its rural nature, I can encourage other landowners to be proactive in doing something about it, knowing that I have in my small way.”
The property borders nearly a half-mile of Raccoon Creek and a short stretch of the Rivanna River, and contains 13 acres of forested floodplain. In addition to being a state-designated scenic river, the Rivanna provides a source of drinking water to downstream communities. The easement will help protect water quality and aquatic habitat in the watershed, as well as mitigate potential downstream flooding.
Mike Santucci, VDOF forest conservation specialist, said, “I cannot express enough my appreciation to the Lums for their donation. Bob is committed to active and planned forest management, and a well-established working relationship with the VDOF. We are thankful for the opportunity to help the family ensure the woodland legacy begun by his father and which Bob has worked so hard to carry forward.”
Lum said, “I chose the VDOF for my conservation easement because of its belief in the stewardship of the land. This conservation easement still permits productive rural land uses, including forest management and timber harvesting if done in a manner that is not destructive. The land is a natural resource that we must manage properly to maintain our quality of life.”
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. The landowner continues to own, use and control the land. A working forest easement protects forest values and benefits by assuring sustainable forest management practices will run with the property in perpetuity, providing continuous supplies of forest products and natural benefits, such as clean air and water, wildlife habitat and scenic values.
The Lum easement is another addition to the growing number of protected private forestland in Virginia. More than 373,600 family forest landowners control 10.1 million acres of forestland in the Commonwealth. Santucci said, “These working forestlands are critical in determining a sustainable flow of natural benefits and timber products, which contribute to the quality of life enjoyed by all Virginians.”
The VDOF conservation easement program is the only one in the state that focuses primarily 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.
The Lum easement was the fifth to receive funding under the VDOF’s Forests to Faucets (F2F) Program. First introduced in 2010, the F2F program focuses on protecting water quality within the Rivanna River basin. The program is designed to maintain and expand forest cover in the watershed through financial incentives to landowners who undertake forest management and conservation practices, including easements.
“The F2F program offers funding to forest landowners within the watershed who are willing to donate an easement that directly protects water quality by permanently retaining forest cover on the landscape,” Santucci said. “The ultimate payment amount is determined on a sliding scale based on the property’s attributes and selected easement enhancements, but is often enough to offset most, if not all, of the easement preparation costs.” VDOF will continue to offer the F2F program to other interested landowners through August of 2012 or until funding is exhausted.
For additional information on the VDOF conservation easement program, or the conservation easement portion of the F2F Program contact Mike Santucci, forest conservation specialist, at (434) 220-9182, or visit the VDOF website.
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The Virginia Department of Forestry protects and develops healthy, sustainable forest resources for Virginians. Headquartered in Charlottesville, the Agency has forestry staff members assigned to every county to provide citizen service and public safety protection across the Commonwealth. VDOF is an equal opportunity provider.
With nearly 16 million acres of forestland and more than 144,000 Virginians employed in forestry, forest products and related industries, Virginia forests provide more than $27.5 Billion annually in benefits to the Commonwealth.
