Department of Conservation and Recreation
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Department of Conservation and Recreation
Media inquiries: Please contact Dave Neudeck, dave.neudeck@dcr.virginia.gov, 804-786-5053.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Date: July 08, 2020
Contact: Julie Buchanan, Senior Public Relations and Marketing Specialist, 804-786-2292, julie.buchanan@dcr.virginia.gov
Conservation agency, land trust complete project to protect 66 acres in Floyd County
RICHMOND — The New River Land Trust has donated a 66-acre property in Floyd County to the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation, completing a conservation project that began years prior and involved numerous additional public and private partners.
NRLT had owned the property since 2018 with the intention of one day donating it to DCR. The land is permanently protected as part of the Camp Branch Wetlands Natural Area Preserve.
“We are immensely grateful to the New River Land Trust for the long-term commitment its board and staff made to this project,” DCR Director Clyde E. Cristman said. “The expansion of Camp Branch Wetlands was years in the making and required complex funding strategies and many partners, but it was well worth the time and effort to conserve these significant lands.”
The property protects important habitat for the Appalachian Snaketail dragonfly, which is considered globally vulnerable and imperiled in Virginia. The property also protects 15 acres of wetlands and headwater streams for the New River.
The preserve is managed by staff in DCR’s Natural Heritage Program, which is focused on protecting Virginia’s biodiversity and significant natural communities.
“The New River Land Trust is glad to have played a role in expanding the Camp Branch Wetlands Natural Area Preserve and would like to thank the many folks who helped get these ecologically rich wetland acres under the management and ownership of the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation's Division of Natural Heritage,” NRLT Executive Director John Eustis said. “The land trust would especially like to thank the Cannaday family for their belief in a conservation future for their family land.”
Camp Branch Wetlands Natural Area Preserve was established in 2007, via funding provided by the USDA Farm and Ranch Lands Protection Program, and the Virginia Public Building Authority Bond. This recent addition was acquired with funding from the Virginia Land Conservation Foundation and the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources (formerly Game and Inland Fisheries). Both tracts are dedicated as part of the Virginia Natural Area Preserve System, a network of lands permanently protected to conserve Virginia’s biodiversity and significant natural communities.
NRLT is a nonprofit formed in 2002 to protect the farmland, forests, open spaces and historic places in Virginia’s New River region. The addition to Camp Branch Wetlands was the first property NRLT had ever purchased outright.
“This project speaks to the necessity of strong partnerships for successful land conservation,” DCR Natural Heritage Program Director Jason Bulluck said. “And, the New River Land Trust is among our most dedicated and collaborative partners. They share our goal of conserving Virginia’s biodiversity, and the natural heritage resources of the New River Valley are exceptional. Our program is also fortunate to have staff like Mountain Region Steward Ryan Klopf, who was instrumental to this success through his work with the trust and neighboring landowners.”
The Virginia Natural Area Preserve System
The Virginia Natural Area Preserve System was established in 1989 to protect the state’s rare plants, animals and natural communities. The system is made up of 65 preserves covering 58,207 acres. DCR owns most of the preserves, but several are owned by The Nature Conservancy, other nonprofits, universities or private individuals. Staff with the Virginia Natural Heritage Program at DCR manage these lands primarily for rare species habitat and unique natural communities, but also to provide education, research and, at some preserves, public access for low-impact recreational opportunities.
Limited funds are available to support the Virginia Natural Area Preserve System, and tax-deductible contributions from individuals can help greatly to add key lands and manage their natural heritage resources. Checks can be made to “Natural Area Preservation Fund” and mailed to: Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation, Natural Heritage Program, 600 E. Main St., 24th Floor, Richmond, VA 23219.
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