The Virginia Outdoors Foundation (VOF) has awarded $4 million in grants to four projects in Southwest Virginia that protect or restore forest land in areas affected by the development of the Mountain Valley Pipeline. The grants are from VOF’s Forest CORE Fund, which was established in 2018 with funds negotiated by the Commonwealth of Virginia and the pipeline’s developers to mitigate forest fragmentation caused by the project.
Any forest land preserved, established, or enhanced using funding from this grant program must be protected from conversion in perpetuity and managed for the health of the forest ecosystem, which includes restrictions on timber harvesting.
Grant criteria was developed with input from a broad group of stakeholders in the Mountain Valley Pipeline region. Stakeholders include all directly impacted localities, planning districts, soil and water conservation districts, land trusts covering the region, local foresters, as well as the U.S. Forest Service. In addition, input was sought from Virginia’s United Land Trusts, the Appalachian Trail Conservancy, the Nature Conservancy, the Conservation Fund, and the other mitigation partners named in the agreements (U.S. Endowment for Forestry & Communities, the Virginia Association of Soil and Water Conservation Districts, and Virginia Endowment for the Environment).
Learn more about the Forest CORE Fund at https://www.vof.org/fcf-mvp/.
Grant Recipient Summaries:
Grantee: NDPonics
Project Title: ND Ponics – Short Hills
Locality: Rockbridge County
Acres: 786
Grant Amount: $600,000
Description: This project will protect 786.78 acres containing rare, nearly undisturbed forest ecosystems, extensive connectivity with Short Hills Wildlife Management Area, natural heritage resources including Virginia’s largest and best example of glade spurge, globally rare natural community types, as well as 2.5 miles of designated brook trout stream and habitat for the golden winged warbler, a Tier 1 species indicating critical need for conservation. The property also contains the Cedar Creek Headwaters Conservation Site.
Grantee: Wildlife Foundation of Virginia
Project Title: Fee Acquisition of Mays and Purgatory Mountains
Locality: Botetourt County
Acres: 6,486
Grant Amount: $1,714,750
Description: The Wildlife Foundation of Virginia proposes to acquire two large tracts of land located in Botetourt County, currently owned by the same private landowners. Mays Mountain and Purgatory Mountain are adjacent to each other and collectively comprise 6,486+/- acres of largely upland hardwoods. Both properties will be protected in perpetuity and will be managed for endangered bat and other wildlife habitat and public use for hunting, fishing, wildlife watching and outdoor recreation.
Grantee: Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation-Division of Natural Heritage
Project Title: Eastern Divide Unique Karst Resources New Preserve
Locality: Montgomery County
Acres: 158
Grant Amount: $528,201
Description: The Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) seeks $592,217 as match to over $1.7 million in secured funding to acquire the largest remaining forest core on the edge of Blacksburg, Virginia. Unique karst features support two state listed species, one confined to the Ellet Escarpment region. Extreme development pressures limit conservation options and increase land costs; all properties are either listed for-sale or undergoing subdivision. The Conservation Fund will bundle these parcels for transfer to DCR. The area will be dedicated and managed as a Natural Area Preserve.
Grantee: Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation-Division of Natural Heritage
Project Title: Grassy Hill Preserve Rare Forest Core Protection
Locality: Franklin County
Acres: 301
Grant Amount: $1,157,049
Description: The Department of Conservation and Recreation, in partnership with the Town of Rocky Mount, seeks $1,232,828 to protect and enhance one of Virginia’s most significant remaining cores. Slated for development, this is a critically time sensitive opportunity to protect a large patch of rare geology, as well as a globally rare plant species and forest type, located adjacent to a premier protected land. DCR will transfer 30-40 acres to the Town of Rocky Mount for a hiking trail and parking lot, should on-the-ground conditions prove acceptable.
