LTV has been working with private landowners to protect their land’s natural and historic resources for over 20 years.

As usual, the summer is flying by and fall is right around the corner. Fortunately, autumn in Virginia is a great season; a beautiful time of year to get out and enjoy your countryside!

The 2014 LTV Garden Party at Hickory House Farm in May was a great success. Again we want to thank Mimi Abel Smith for her generous hospitality and for all she has done to advance land conservation. It was an entertaining event at a wonderful venue on a perfect afternoon. And, of course, the gardens were spectacular. We also want to thank all our supporters who, through their contributions, are helping us “Save Virginia’s Countryside.”

The other big news is the renewal of LTV accreditation by the Land Trust Accreditation Committee. The renewal process was almost as rigorous as the initial round was five years ago.

It is a testament to the high quality land conservation work performed by LTV over many years.

As your community land trust, LTV is committed to conserving and protecting properties in Loudoun, Fauquier, and neighboring counties. For landowners considering a conservation easement in 2014, it is not too late to get the show on the road. We urge you to contact LTV or one of the other public or private land conservation organizations.

Fall will soon be upon us. It is time to revel in the scenery, the harvest and the fun. Go to the fall races, sample some Virginia wine, enjoy some local craft beer, dine on locally grown food, take a hike, and visit our towns and villages. Above all, enjoy your countryside. There is nothing like it!

Conservation News

September 2014

from the Land Trust of Virginia

A Letter from Birge Watkins, Chairman

The Land Trust of Virginia Earns National Recognition

The Land Trust of Virginia has achieved renewed land trust accreditation from the Land Trust Accreditation Commission, an independent program of the Land Trust Alliance.

“It’s a real milestone achievement for the Land Trust of Virginia to receive reaccreditation. Meeting such high standards and running the organization with discipline and skill benefits all who deal with LTV – our landowners, supporters and stakeholders. We’re enormously proud of our management team and our board for their great work,” said LTV President Carole Taylor.

LTV recorded its first easement in 1998 and has continued working with nearly 140 private landowners since to permanently protect the natural and historic resources on their land. We now protect nearly 14,000 acres of farms, forests, natural areas, historic properties and battlefields in Virginia, largely in Loudoun and Fauquier Counties.

LTV was awarded renewed accreditation this August. There are over 1,700 member land trusts affiliated with the Land Trust Alliance. Of these, 280 organizations have received accreditation, while only 43 have successfully gone through the renewal of accreditation process. Of note, the Land Trust of Virginia, along with the Northern Virginia Conservation Trust, are the first two land trusts to successfully complete renewal of accreditation in Virginia.

“The Land Trust of Virginia is one of the first land trusts to achieve renewed accreditation, a significant achievement for the land trust and significant major milestone for the accreditation program.” said Commission Executive Director Tammara Van Ryn. “Accreditation renewal, which must be completed every five years, provides the public with an assurance that accredited land trusts continue to meet exceedingly high standards for quality.”

Looking forward, LTV Chairman, Birge Watkins, said, “Reaccreditation is a challenge; one that has been met.  But as Chairman and a long time director, I know we cannot relax.  We need to move forward and constantly improve. There is much more work to be done.  We want to accelerate the intake of new easements and continue to protect the lands we already have under easement.”

Hillsboro, Virginia

LTV Begins New Initiative to Protect the Blue RidgeThe Land Trust of Virginia is excited to announce that we have begun work on the Blue Ridge Conservation Priorities Initiative. Funded in part by the Virginia Environmental Endow-ment, the Initiative will serve as a conservation tool for the large landscape of the Blue Ridge Mountains in four fast-growing counties: Clarke, Fauquier, Loudoun, and Warren.

The first steps are currently underway: using our Geo-graphic Information System (GIS) technology, we are analyzing conservation attributes (including vertebrate species richness, hydrological resources, cultural resources , land cover , and land use characteristics) to create a conservation priority value map that will help us make informed conservation efforts in the region. By assisting landowners in placing their land under protective easement, we will ensure not only landscape protection, but also conserve crucial habitat and contribute to the improvement of head-water resources along the Blue Ridge.

Stay tuned for project updates!

The study area.

Aerial photo of the Blue Ridge Mountains taken by LTV staff

The land that LTV protects is protected forever - meaning that LTV has an ongoing duty to steward every property under conservation easement. Stewardship property visits are usually done during the spring and summer, and can be done on the ground or from the air.   This year, LTV Vice President Chris Dematatis generously provided the aircraft, and took LTV stewardship staff on a series of flights that provided aerial views of most of LTV’s easement properties. The photography taken on these flights is useful for stewardship purposes, and additionally provides breathtaking examples of our beautiful rural landscapes. The photo above (taken earlier this summer in Waterford, Virginia) shows us exactly why this land is worth saving - to make certain that these open spaces, forests, and productive farmland will remain forever. 

Meet Stacie, LTV’s New Office ManagerThis summer, LTV welcomed a new staff member - Stacie Raedel. She has lived in the Northern Virginia area for 20 years and received a B.S. in Psychology from George Mason. Prior to coming to the Land Trust, Stacie worked for 10 years as a Licensed Real Estate Office Manager. Stacie lives in Aldie, Virginia with her husband and two daughters and loves tennis, cooking, and golf. You’ll see Stacie’s smiling face at our office in Atoka and at LTV events throughout the year. Welcome, Stacie!

Stewardship CornerAshton Cole, Director of Stewardship

Conservation Partner ProfileThe Goose Creek Association  (GCA) is a 501(c)3 non-profit of over six hundred members from Loudoun and Fauquier counties who share a determination to protect and preserve the natural resources, historic heritage and rural quality of life found in this beautiful part of Virginia.

We not only share similar goals and objectives with our partner GCA, we even share office space in Atoka! LTV and GCA have teamed up to co-host public film screenings on environmental topics and will be working on additional education and outreach events in the future. Most recently, GCA donated funds to LTV to establish the Dot Smithwick Fund, which will be used to assist landowners within the Goose Creek Watershed with the direct costs of placing lands in conservation easement.

The fundamental mission of the Goose Creek Association is to protect and preserve the natural resources of the Goose Creek Watershed. In order to measure progress, the quality of Goose Creek water is regularly tested by volunteers at 13 stations in Fauquier and Loudoun Counties.

Recently, GCA published a Report Card grading the water quality of Goose Creek and its tributaries. The report, based on 2013 water quality data collected by GCA volunteers and the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality, suggests that the Goose Creek Watershed is significantly clean! For more information on the Report Card, please visit www.goosecreek.org, or contact Andrea Rosse at (540) 687-3073.

Cost Share Programs for Conservation Practices

Did you know that the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service has a number of programs offering financial and technical a s s i s t a n c e t o h e l p e l i g i b l e landowners?

Funding is available for a wide variety of conservation practices: constructing or improving water management or irrigation struc-tures (Agricultural Management Assistance Program); improve soil quality,  water quality, water quantity, air quality, habitat quality, and energy (Conservation Stewardship Program)  ; and i m p l e m e n t i n g c o n s e r v a t i o n practices, or activities, such as conservat ion planning, that address natural resource concerns on their land (Environmental Quality Incentives Program).

In specific locations, funding may also be available for priority issues such as air quality, agricultural energy management p lans , seasonal high tunnels and organic operations.  Contact your local soil and water conservation district or visit their webpage page for more information on these programs.

2014 LTV Award Winners

Landowners of the Year:Rodion and Melissa Cantacuzene

Stewards of the Year:Lori Keenan and Sean McGuinness

Conservationists of the Year Award for Leadership & Lifetime Achievement: George and Rab Thompson

Read more at landtrustva.org!

Our annual Garden Party was a great success - thank you for helping LTV save Virginia’s countryside!

Thanks to our generous hostess, Mimi Abel Smith, and to our wonderful sponsors and guests, LTV hosted a successful garden party at Hickory House Farm. We are so grateful for your continued support and encouragement in our efforts to preserve Virginia’s beautiful open spaces, farms, and forests.

George and Rab Thompson with Chairman Birge Watkins

Center: Vice President Chris Dematatis with Lori Keenan and Sean McGuinness. Right: Chairman Birge Watkins with hostess Mimi Abel Smith.

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The Land Trust of Virginia thanks all of our corporate and business sponsors for their ongoing support or our organization. In Conservation News, we will be getting to know our sponsors, with an emphasis on their conservation practices.

This month’s focus is Old Busthead Brewery, located in Vint Hill, in Fauquier County. The brewery has installed a state of the art geothermal and heating and cooling system, utilize energy efficient equipment in their brewhouse and water conservation processes, and supply spent grain products to local livestock farmers as a supplement feed. Thanks for your commitment to conservation, OBH Brewing!

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George  Roll  and  Carole  TaylorMiddleburg  Real  Estate

Thank You to our sponsors. Your support helps LTV continue our critical conservation work!

In August, LTV staff, along with former Executive Director (now consultant), Don Owen, lead a field trip to several farms protected by LTV. The group consisted of staff and interns from the Land Trust Alliance, as well as from the White House Office of Management and Budget. LTV staff and landowners gave tours of several beautiful properties protected by the Land Trust of Virginia. The group enjoyed a great day of fresh air and conservation education! A big thank you to our landowners who shared their properties and their stories with us.

P.O. BOX 14MIDDLEBURG, VIRGINIA 20118

2013 - 2014Board of DirectorsBirge S. Watkins, ChairmanCarole Taylor, PresidentChris Dematatis, Vice PresidentSally Kurtz, SecretaryJames Behan, TreasurerJay BryantHenry C. DayPatricia EwingPhil PaschallLaura RheintgenJames RichClaude SchochTurner T. Smith, Jr.

Advisory CouncilAva AbramowitzChilds F. BurdenSteffanie BurgevinPatric CopelandPenny DenegreWayne GibbensMissy JanesMerritt JonesYakir LubowskyMalcom MathesonMary Leigh McDanielAnne McIntoshJudge Terrence NeyMs. Allen OhrstromLinda PorterSchuyler RichardsonJohn RustEdith Smart

Staff & ContractorsJohn MagistroActing Executive Director and Director of Conservation Programs

Ashton ColeDirector of Stewardship

Stacie RaedelOffice Manager

Art CampbellLegal Counsel

Stephen C. PriceGeneral Counsel

Hunton and Williams LLPPro Bono Counsel

Non-Profit U.S. Postage

PAIDMiddleburg, VA

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Field Trip with the Land Trust Alliance

Patricia Glaeser, Lucketts, tells the group about her farm, permanently protected by LTV.