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preservationwerecreatedbytheGeneralAssembly,Virginiahashadoneof themosteffectiveprivatelandconservationprogramsinthecountry,placingmorethanhalf amillionacresunderpermanentprotection.

Thecitylikedeasementsfortworeasons.First,althoughFredericks- -its,therewasfederalmoneyavailabletoassistwiththecostofmanagingthepropertyforwaterquality.Second,bygrantinganeasementtoathird-partyeasementholder,itwasensuringthatfuturecitycouncilscouldn’tundotheprotection.

InJune2006,theCityof Freder-icksburggrantedaneasementonits4,232acrestotheVirginiaOutdoorsFoundation,theVirginiaDepartmentof GameandInlandFisheries,andTheNatureConservancy.

Thetransactionsparkedinterestfromothermunicipalitiesabouthowthey,too,couldaddeasementstotheir

Virginia’s open-spaceeasement program

TherootsofVirginia’seasementprogramgobackto1966withthepassageof theOpen-SpaceLandsAct

andthecreationof theVirginiaOutdoorsFoun-dation(VOF).VOF’smission,asoutlinedintheCodeof Virginiaunder§10.1-1800,is“topromotethepres-ervationofopen-spacelandsandtoencourageprivategiftsof money,securities,landorotherpropertytopreservethenatural,scenic,open-spaceandrecreationalareasof theCommonwealth.”TheOpenSpaceLandsAct,whichisthelawunderwhichVOFandotherpublicentitiescanprotectland,authorizespublicbodiestoacquirebypurchase,gift,devise,bequest,grantorotherwisetherightstoprotectland“foragricultural,forestal,recreational,oropen-spaceuse,protectingnaturalresources,maintainingorenhancingairorwaterquality,orpreservingthehistorical,

architecturalorarchaeologicalaspectsof realproperty.”

Sinceitscreation,VOFhasprotectedabout600,000acresusingeasements–anareathreetimeslargerthanShenandoahNationalPark.VOFmanagesabout80percentof alleasedlandinthestate.Mostofitisprivateland.ThankstothegeneroushavepartneredwithVOFtopreserve

Protection of the 38-acre Millpond Tractand helps protect the water quality of thedrinking water for Norfolk.

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Locality:Recordationdate:11/3/2003Projectname:Brown&WilliamsonConservationArea

Acreage:262Conservationvalues:Propertyconsistsof steep

Locality:Cityof Fredericksburg Recordationdate:3/14/2007Projectname:RappahannockRiverValleyAcreage:4,232Conservationvalues:Easementprovidesriparian

bufferpreservationalong21.9milesof theRappahan-nockRiver,11.6milesof theRapidanRiver,and32.2milesof tributariestotheserivers,whichlandsareof

Locality:Townof SaltvilleRecordationdate:6/27/2007Projectname: Acreage:107Conservationvalues:PropertyisaCivilWarbattle- worksnearSaltville.

Locality:Cityof RoanokeRecordationdate:5/16/2008&9/11/2009Projectname:CarvinsCoveAcreage:11,363Conservationvalues:Propertyistheprimarywater-shedforthelargestsourceofpublicdrinkingwaterfor

Locality:Townof PurcellvilleRecordationdate:4/22/2009Projectname:J.T.HirstReservoirwatershedAcreage:1,272Conservationvalues:Propertycontainsthewater threespringsthatfeedtheNorthForkof Catoctin AppalachianNationalScenicTrailandisvisiblefromRoute9,adesignatedVirginiaByway.

Locality:Isleof WightCountyRecordationdate:5/13/2010Projectname:MillpondTract,GreatSwampAcreage:38

Conservationvalues:Protectionofthepropertyensurespublicaccessfornaturalresource-basedoutdoorrecreationand/oreducation,aswellashelpstoprotectthewaterqualityof thedownstreamBurntMillsReser-voir,whichisanimportantsourceof drinkingwaterfortheCityof Norfolk.Inaddition,thepropertycontainshabitatforseveralamphibianandreptile“speciesof concern.”

Locality:Cityof HamptonRecordationdate:5/26/2010Projectname:BuckroeBeachAcreage:28

Conservationvalues:PropertycontainsbeachfrontshorelineontheChesapeakeBayandsensitivesaltponds

Locality:Cityof RadfordRecordationdate:7/2/2010Projectname:WildwoodPark Acreage:54Conservationvalues:Woodedoasisinthecenterof theCityof RadfordprovidesaretreattothecitizensofRadfordandtheNewRiverValley.Parkcontainsseveralnaturalheritageresourcesincludingtworareplants,athree-milepavedpedestriantrail,bisectstheparkandseveralfootpathsbreakoff intothewoodsforbird-nentof theVirginiaBirdingandWildlifeTrail.

Locality:Cityof RoanokeRecordationdate:7/19/2010Projectname:MillMountainAcreage:537Conservationvalues:ComprisesalargeportionofMillMountainPark,apubliclyaccessibleparklocatedintheCityof RoanokeonMillMountain,whichdominatesmuchof theRoanoke’ssouthernhorizon. totheMillMountainStar(anilluminated,100-foot-tallneonstarbuiltin1949thatislistedonboththeNationalRegisterof HistoricPlacesandtheVirginiaLandmarksRegister),MillMountainStarOverlook,MillMountainDiscoveryCenter,andMillMountainZoo,allofwhichareimportanttouristattractionsintheRoanokeValley.

VOFeasementsoncountyandmunicipalitylands

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acreseveryhoursince2000.That’saboutthesameratethatrurallandinVirginiahasbeendeveloped,accordingtotheFarmlandInformationCenter.

Countyplacedaneasementonthe262-acreBrown&WilliamsonConser-vationArea,whichhasnearlyamileof bluffsoverlookingtheJamesRiverandisprimehabitatforbaldeagles.Today,VOFholdseasementsonnineproper-tiesdonatedbylocalgovernments( seesidebar,page11).Itslargesteasementtodateison11,363acresinCarvinsCove,whichisownedbytheCityofRoanokeandisthemainsourceof waterforseveralmunicipalities.That

A focus on recreation

and water quality Althoughmunicipalitiescanpro-

tecttheiropenspacesforanumberof reasons,manyof thepropertiesthathavebeenprotectedbyease-mentsemphasizeprotectionof publicrecreationopportunitiesandcleandrinkingwatersupplies.

ThreerecentmunicipaleasementsdonatedtoVOFareonWildwoodParkinRadford,MillMountaininRoanoke,andBuckroeBeachinHampton–allof whichwererecorded

in2010.Ineachcase,theproper-tiesareusedmainlyforlow-impactrecreationsuchashiking,picnickingandwatchingwildlife.Theprimarypurposeof theeasementsistoensurethatoutdoorrecreationalaccesscontinues,andthattheparksremaininarelativelyundevelopedstate.

Thatdoesn’tmeantheeasementsprohibitalldevelopment.Infact,the28acresatBuckroeBeachcontain

pierwithagazeboandobservationdecks,picnicshelters,bathrooms,andparkinglots.Butbecauseit’saparkinahighlyurbanizedenvironment,andbecausetheprimarypurposeisrecreation,theopen-spaceeasementcanbewrittentoaccommodateit.

Whydidthecitydecidetodoaneasement?SeniorDeputyCityhelpedtodrafttheeasement,saystheanswerliesdownthecoast.“If

youtakealookatVirginiaBeachandacrossthetunnelinNorfolk,you’llseethatdevelopmenthasreallyencroachedonwhatcouldhavebeenacresandacresofbeautifulcoast.Hamptonhasachievedwhatourneighborstothesouthhavenotbeenabletoachieve,andthatistorestrictresidentialdevelopmentonourmostpreciouscommodity,whichisthecoastline.”

Inadditiontorecreationaloppor-

tunities,waterqualityisincreasinglyimportanttolocalities.Liketheease-mentonCarvinsCoveinRoanoke,othereasementshavebeenplacedonlandsurroundingcountyandcitydrinkingwatersupplies.

recordedin2009on1,272acresownedbytheTownof PurcellvilleinLoudounCounty.Thepropertywaspurchasedbythetowninthe1950s,anditcontainsareservoirthatonceprovided100percentof Purcellville’s

drinkingwater.Today,it’sabout40percentofthedrinkingsupply.

SaysPurcellvilleMayorRobertLazaro,“Asstewardswewantedtomakesurethat100yearsfromnow,whenwesternLoudounlooksalotdifferentthanitistoday,those1,272acreswouldremaingreenandthatsometowncouncildidn’tthinkthiswouldmakeagreatlakesidecondo-miniumcommunity.”

Theeasementspermitdivisionsonthepropertyintheeventthatthetownwantstobuildawellorasmallbuildingonitsomeday.Italsoallowsthepropertytobeusedasapublic

Facts about theVirginia OutdoorsFoundation

10.1-1800etseq.of theVirginiaStateCode.

boardoftrustees,appointedtofour-yeartermsbythegovernor.

director.

Commonwealth.

open-spaceeasements,withabout3,100easementsacross600,000acres.

Virginia’s95countiesand13of its39independentcities.

-servedopenspaceatarateof

ensure that outdoor recreational access continues there and

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V IRGINIA TOWN & C I T Y | JANUARY 2011 13

parkif thetowndecidestogothatroute.Purcellvilleretainedtheright

“WorkingwithVOFwasaverypleasantpartnership,”Lazarosays.“Theyworkedwithustounderstandhowweusethepropertyandwhatfutureuseswemightwant.All-in-allIwouldurgeanymunicipalitythat

hasnicepiecesof greenspacethatitwantstopreserveforfuturegenera-tionstoconsideraneasement.Ithinkthecitizensinyourcommunityandthefuturecitizensinyourcommunitywillappreciateit.”

Special needsof municipal easements

Conservationeasementsonprivatelandsdifferfrommunicipaleasements

inseveralways.Thebiggestdifferenceisthatmunicipalitiesdon’treceivethe-ers.Buttherearealsodetailsintheeasementrestrictionsthatarecustom-

landtendtohavetighterrestrictionsonnewbuildingsandstructures.That’sbecausemanyofthemunicipal

easementsallowforpublicrecreationaccess,oratleastthepotentialforitinthefuture.Toaccommodateforthingslikepicnicshelters,bathrooms,educationalcenters,orotherfacilities,VOFmayincreasetheeasement’sbuildingallowances.Theeasementmayalsoallowformoresignagethanatypicaleasement.

betweeneasementsonpublicversusprivatelandiscommercialactivities.

Manyeasementsonprivatelandsareonworkingfarmsandforests,sothelandowneroftenretainrightsthatenablethemtoconductthesecommercialactivities.Butbecauseamunicipaleasementisoftendonetoprotectwaterqualityorrecreationalresources,commercialactivitiesareoftenrestrictedintheeasements.

Finally,trashrestrictionsareoftenremovedfrommunicipaleasementsbecauselocalitieshandletheirowntrashremoval.

ThemainroleofVOFastheeasementholderistomonitorthepropertyregularlytomakesurethetermsof easementarebeingupheld.If aviolationisfound,VOFworkswiththelandownertoresolveit.Inthecaseof easementsonmunicipalfactthatmostcities,townsandcoun-tieshavestaff memberswhoactivelymanagetheproperty.Toforestall-derstandingistypicallyenteredintobetweenVOFandthemunicipalitytolayouttherespectiveresponsibilitiesof theparties.

VOFhasalwaysstrivedtohaveastrong,positiverelationshipwithBobLee,aformercountyadministra-torwithabackgroundinplanning,says,“Wehaveanobligationtomakesurethateasementsaredoneinaccordancewithalocality’svisionforgrowth.PartofthatobligationisspelledoutintheVirginiaCode,whichrequiresalleasementsundertheOpenSpaceLandsActtocomplywithalocalcomprehensiveplan.Somelandisclearlybestsuitedfordevelopment,whileotherlandismorevaluableasfarmland,forestland,oracounty’scharacter.Easementscanhelptomaintainabalance.”

AbouttheauthorJasonMcGarveyiscommunicationsandoutreachmanagerfortheVirginiaOutdoorsFoundation.Youcanreachhimatjmcgar-vey@vofonline.org.ContactyourlocalVOF-foundation.orgorbycallingVOF’scommuni-