What land should be protected?

Lands that should be protected should benefit the public and possess unique and significant natural, historic, recreational, scenic and cultural resources. This includes:

• recreational and park lands
• lands with rare, threatened, or endangered species, fish and wildlife habitat
• agricultural and forestal lands
• historic areas
• open space land

There are many traits that make particular properties special and worthy of protection. Here are a few such characteristics.

• river corridors
• viewsheds
• public access points
• blueways and greenways
• a need identified in the Virginia Outdoors Plan
• support of a local or regional plan
• adjacent to a Virginia Scenic River, Road or Byway
• adjacent to parks
• adjacent to wildlife management areas
• a need identified in the Virginia Natural Heritage Plan
• unique species
• biodiversiity
• listed on the Virginia Landmarks Register
• historic district
• prime and important soils and farmland
• wetlands
• contiguous forest parcels
• timber value
• unique geological features
• cultural geography
• relationship to development patterns and land use planning