Big “win” in honor of Earth Day 50th anniversary
CHESAPEAKE, VA – In honor of the 50th anniversary of Earth Day, the Living River Trust is proud to announce the permanent preservation of 500 acres of land to be added to the Great Dismal Swamp National Wildlife Refuge.
On April 10, 2020, the Living River Trust set aside for permanent protection nearly 500 acres of forestland at the edge of the Great Dismal Swamp in Chesapeake, Virginia. The Living River Trust is the first and only local land conservation organization in Hampton Roads. LRT seeks to permanently protect for the benefit of Hampton Roads residents the special habitats, unique parcels, bird-bee-and other wildlife habitat, recreational areas, sensitive riverside lands, lands that give us beauty, lands that give us pleasure and recreation, lands that give us wildlife, lands that protect our water quality.
“I appreciate the years of hard work by our team and all our partners to make this important acquisition possible. To protect priceless urban habitat for our wildlife and future generations is an exciting accomplishment to celebrate on this Earth Day,” said Rob Robins, LRT Chairman.
The 500 acres preserved for perpetuity by LRT is a key part of the amazing Dismal Swamp system, a local and national treasure. The land is at the northern edge of the Great Dismal Swamp National Wildlife Refuge and will be incorporated into the Refuge. Most of the northern end of the Great Dismal Swamp has been drained and developed; in fact, the 500-acre parcel was once planned for a massive industrial park. This parcel is unspoiled and now preserved forever.
“Acquisition will assist in protecting the large, contiguous block of forest that provides important habitat for migratory and resident wildlife. It also provides additional access to refuge lands for managing our trust resources. We are extremely grateful to the Living River Trust for the donation to protect this land in perpetuity for the benefit of wildlife and people,” said Chris Lowie, Refuge Manager.
The Great Dismal Swamp was greatly misnamed. A swamp is an area that traps water. Water flows into it, not out of it. The Great Dismal Swamp is actually the opposite of a swamp. It is the location of a great upwelling of groundwater that flows outward and is the headwater, or origin, of many local rivers. The 500 acres preserved by LRT serve as the headwaters of Deep Creek, and as Deep Creek flows into the Elizabeth River, the newly protected land is one of the important headwaters of the entire Elizabeth River. Preservation of this land is of essential importance in the many pronged effort to maintain and improve the water quality of the Elizabeth River.
This newly preserved land contains ancient, native forest types, including maple-black gum forest type, tupelo-bald cypress forest type, sweet gum-oak-poplar forest type, pine and Atlantic white cedar forest types. Each of these forest types provide different and outstanding habitat for wildlife, such as black bear, bobcat, barred owl, and pileated woodpecker. The preservation of this land helps assure that ancient, wild, native forest types are in our back yard and that we still have the native Virginia wildlife of our ancestors and those who came before us right here in Hampton Roads.
“LRT is dedicated to conserving and protecting the remaining open spaces in our communities for the benefit of all,” said John Harbin, LRT Administrator, “We were very glad to make this happen.”
Ironically, this remarkable conservation project occurred because of the Atlantic Coast Pipeline. The pipeline owners took a right-of-way easement over 12 acres of property the Trust protects through a conservation easement. While the pipeline owners had the ability to condemn LRT’s land, the law imposed a duty to mitigate their impact to LRT’s property. LRT was able to negotiate a deal that allowed it to preserve almost 500 acres as compensation for the 12-acre easement. The newly protected almost 500 acres is now a permanent part of the Great Dismal Swamp National Wildlife Refuge and is available to Hampton Roads residents for hiking, birding, hunting, and other public uses.
The Living River Trust (www.livingrivertrust.org) is the only organization in Hampton Roads dedicated to conserving open space and protecting natural, cultural, and recreational resources. Follow us on Facebook.
The Trust can help landowners protect their land while retaining ownership and gaining tax benefits by placing a conservation easement over the land. Conservation easements are voluntary legal agreements that permanently limit future development in order to protect the land’s conservation value. Lands subject to conservation easements remain in private ownership, on local tax rolls, and available for traditional uses such as farming, forestry, and hunting. The Trust also works with landowners to accept donated lands and those looking to sell high-value open space. Interested landowners can contact John Harbin, jharbin@elizabethriver.org.
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