The Virginia Outdoors Foundation permanently protected 55,000 acres across 61 localities through conservation easements in 2009, making it the fourth straight year that VOF protected more than 50,000 acres.
“VOF now protects 580,000 acres across 102 cities and counties—an area three times the size of Shenandoah National Park,” said VOF Board Chairman Hank Hartz, a resident of Goochland. “About 285,000 of those acres were recorded within the past five years—many on working farms and forests.”
For the second consecutive year, Amelia County led all counties in VOF protected land with 5,280 acres. Also in 2009, VOF completed its largest project ever—more than 11,000 acres of Carvins Cove Natural Reserve in Roanoke. Other highlights included 5,000 acres placed under easement on Smith Mountain spanning Pittsylvania and Bedford counties, 1,271 acres that protect the drinking water supply of Purcellville in Loudoun County, and about 1,000 acres on two of the state’s historically significant properties, James Madison’s Montpelier in Orange County and Ingles Ferry Farm in Pulaski County.
