Department of Conservation and Recreation
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Department of Conservation and Recreation
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Date: August 15, 2022
Contact: Emi Endo, Senior Public Relations and Marketing Specialist, 804-786-8442, emi.endo@dcr.virginia.gov
Poor Mountain Natural Area Preserve expands by 78 acres
Acquisition protects scenic mountain viewshed, globally rare piratebush habitat and drinking water quality
(Editors: Follow this link to download an image. Photo caption: Poor Mountain Natural Area Preserve. Photo by Virginia Department of Conservation.)
RICHMOND – More than 78 acres of forest facing development pressure on Poor Mountain has been conserved and added to an adjacent Virginia natural area preserve, protecting the scenic viewshed for area residents and the habitat for a globally rare plant.
The Department of Conservation and Recreation, which manages the state’s natural area preserve system, recently acquired the parcel from Urban Forestry Management LLC with a $236,847 grant from the Virginia Land Conservation Foundation.
“We are excited to be able to protect this key parcel with a ridgeline near a populated area that enhances outdoor recreation while conserving habitat for imperiled species,” said DCR Director Matt Wells. “This acquisition, in partnership with the Virginia Land Conservation Foundation, is important to the long-term ecological integrity of the natural resources in the area.”
The ridgeline and mountainside parcel on Twelve O’Clock Knob Road south of Salem in Roanoke County can be seen by residents of Salem and southwest Roanoke, as well as from McAfee Knob and Peaks of Otter on the Appalachian Trail.
The forested land with a mix of mature hardwoods and pines is considered ecologically significant with high biodiversity. The parcel contains a headwater stream of the Roanoke River and a drinking water spring used for several generations.
Poor Mountain is also home to the world’s largest population of the globally rare piratebush (Buckleya distichophylla). “This population of piratebush and the surrounding central Appalachian forest community are truly irreplaceable. We are proud to have expanded Poor Mountain Natural Area Preserve and helped to ensure the resilience of the natural heritage resources there,” said Jason Bulluck, director of the Virginia Natural Heritage Program.
The latest acquisition brings the total acreage of Poor Mountain Natural Area Preserve to 1,404. The first tract was conserved in 1991 and it is now the fourth largest DCR-owned natural area preserve.
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