42 building lots reduced to 3, forest resources preserved
MIDDLEBURG, Va., Nov. 8, 2022 – The Land Trust of Virginia (LTV) is pleased to announce a conservation easement in Spotsylvania thanks to the generosity of landowner Rich McDaniel. This 577-acre property is adjacent to another easement McDaniel completed with LTV in 2020. These properties now total over 1,600 acres that will remain protected, forever.
“I liked working with LTV and it certainly made sense to do it again,” said McDaniel. “I’ve done a number of conservation easements and have a life goal of seeing how much land I can place in easement. My family and I enjoy nature and feel like preserving large tracts is critical for wildlife and the scenery of our state.”
The Hilldrup property includes significant scenic views now protected with 0.68 miles of frontage on Post Oak Road and 0.94 miles of frontage on Stubbs Bridge Road. The property is nearly 90% forested, consisting of both pine stands and hardwood sections. Additional natural resources now protected include about 396 acres of “Prime Farmland Soils” or “Farmland Soils of Statewide Importance”, and 2.06 acres of wetlands along tributaries to Knights Branch, located 0.3 miles south of this property.
“It is a wonderful experience to work with a landowner a second time to protect additional property,” said LTV Executive Director, Sally Price. “I believe that speaks to our organization’s quality of work and our staff’s dedication to ensure each landowner’s particular conservation objectives are met.”
The Hilldrup easement is the 224th easement completed by the Land Trust of Virginia. For more information about their work, please visit http://www.landtrustva.org.
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About the Land Trust of Virginia
The Land Trust of Virginia is a nonprofit organization that partners with private landowners who voluntarily protect and preserve properties with significant historic, scenic, or ecological value. LTV has worked with 224 families, conserving a total of 27,325 acres in 26 counties in Virginia. While LTV charges landowners for their services, the fees charged only cover about 28% of LTV’s actual costs so fundraising is essential to our mission.