Download the Spring 2008 Fauquier County Clarion (4.6 MB pdf)

From Sky Meadows State Park or the Appalachian Trail on the western edge of Fauquier County, you can look across a pristine landscape of wooded hilltops among grassy fields that stretches to the Bull Run Mountains. And you can count on this beauty to endure. With much of the land protected by conservation easements, this lovely and historic vista-the Paris Valley-is one of the best private land conservation success stories in America. So is all of Fauquier County.

Landowners in Fauquier have protected more than 82,000 acres with voluntary conservation easements. That comes to 20% of the county, in addition to public parks and wildlife preserves. For you as a resident, land conservation not only keeps Fauquier beautiful. It helps keep your water clean. It preserves family farms that produce the necessities of life, contribute to our local economy and balance the tax base. It maintains a sense of continuity with local history. It adds to opportunities for everyone to enjoy the outdoors. And it's part of the answer to global warming. Here are some examples:

Clean Water: In the Cedar Run watershed, which is a focus of conservation efforts in Fauquier, over 1,300 acres were protected last year alone (including Tenerife, the Colvin family's farm-see p. 2). Currently 7,800 acres, or 6% of the watershed are protected. A full 34% of the Goose Creek watershed is now protected, including 53,000 acres in Fauquier. This outstanding accomplishment both safeguards water quality and preserves the natural setting of this Virginia Scenic River.

The quality and the quantity of our water supplies both depend on the state of the landscape that water flows over and through on its way to reservoirs and wells. Healthy watersheds require forests, vegetation and open land to filter precipitation. Plants and trees also store moisture instead of letting precipitation rush away, so they lessen the severity of floods and help prevent droughts.

Working Farms: Fauquier County's PDR program, which focuses on working farms, has helped to conserve 27 properties that add up to 6,170 acres. This program helps keep Fauquier's rich farmland in production at a time when prime agricultural soils across the country are being lost to development at an alarming rate. Ray Pickering, Fauquier's Director of Agricultural Development, says, "The PDR program can be seen as a local economic development tool since most of the proceeds stay in the region as farmers make improvements, purchase other land and pay down debt."

Local History: Of the 62,000 acres of rural historic districts throughout Fauquier County, about one third are protected, preserving the traditional character of these historic landscapes as well as specific landmarks. The pending acquisition of the Rappahannock Station battlefield near Remington will preserve the tract as a 26-acre local park. In 2005, PEC helped Fauquier County raise funds to rescue the key portion of this battlefield-site of two Civil War conflicts-from imminent development.

Recreation: The new park at Rappahannock Station will also create the most upstream public access point on the Rappahannock, a state Scenic River. Private land conservation also helps preserve parks' pastoral settings and splendid views. A few years ago, PEC helped to make one of the county's most spectacular views more accessible to the public by purchasing the Ovoka property for conservation . A section of the Appalachian Trail now crosses this land, offering exceptional views of the largely conserved pastoral landscape below.

Global Warming: 37,000 acres of forest land are protected in Fauquier, helping to sequester carbon. Conservation also helps to shape growth, encouraging more efficient transportation patterns. While advances in fuel efficiency can help, the most profound way to reduce pollution from vehicles is to build communities that don't require people to constantly drive long distances. PEC supports smart growth efforts in Fauquier and throughout the greater D.C. region-promoting traditionally compact cities and towns that provide homes near jobs and offer opportunities for people to walk, bike or use transit.