For the Love of the Land features 100 conservation success stories from across Virginia, representing every legislative district—a sampling from among thousands of places in the Commonwealth that are now protected forever. At a time when many of the special places in Virginia could easily be lost, these stories remind us why land conservation is so important.
Land conservation protects the essential resources we need for life—farmland to grow food, and forests and wetlands to provide clean water. It keeps alive the rich sense of history that sets Virginia apart from any other place. It supports Virginia’s three largest industries—agriculture, forestry, and tourism. It maintains wetlands that can absorb the impacts of floods and storm surges. It preserves vast wilderness areas and brings vital corridors of nature into our cities and suburbs. It sustains the views that fill our lives with beauty.
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Acknowledgements:
For the Love of the Land was produced by The Piedmont Environmental Council, with leadership from the following staff:
Christopher Miller, President
Heather Richards, Vice President for Conservation and Rural Programs
Bri West, Director of Outreach and Communications
Kristie Kendall, Land Conservation and Stewardship Coordinator
Watsun Randolph, Senior GIS Analyst
Tiffany Parker, IT Manager/Web Developer
Writing and editing by Rose Jenkins
Graphic design by Keith Damiani, Sequoia Design
In addition to the many landowners highlighted in these stories, the following partners made this project possible by providing stories, photos, and information from their conservation projects:
- Blue Ridge Land Conservancy
- Buckland Preservation Society
- Capital Region Land Conservancy
- Cave Conservancy of the Virginias
- City of Hampton City of Manassas
- Civil War Trust
- Clarke County Easement Authority
- Claytor Nature Study Center
- Dan River Basin Association
- Elizabeth River Project
- Fairfax County Park Authority
- Fauquier County Purchase of Development Rights Program
- National Committee for the New River
- The Nature Conservancy
- New River Land Trust
- Northern Virginia Conservation Trust
- Northern Virginia Regional Park Authority
- Potomac Conservancy
- Prince William Conservation Alliance
- The Trust for Public Land
- Valley Conservation Council
- Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation
- Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries
- Virginia Department of Historic Resources
- Virginia Outdoors Foundation
- Virginia Department of Forestry
- Virginia’s Eastern Shore Land Trust
- Williamsburg Land Conservancy
This publication was created and published with the generous support of:
- Mr. and Mrs. William C. Backer
- Mr. and Mrs. James L. Ballheim
- Mr. and Mrs. John H. Birdsall, III
- Magalen O. Bryant
- Mr. and Mrs. Childs F. Burden
- Mr. and Mrs. Leslie Cheek, III
- Conservation Partners, LLC.
- Mr. and Mrs. Robert L. French
- Glubiak Law Office (Peter Glubiak)
- Mr. Frank Hartz
- Mr. Brian C. Jones
- Mr. and Mrs. Donald King
- Martin, Hopkins & Lemon, PC
- Mr. and Mrs. Matthew Mackay-Smith
- Mr. Robert Musser and Mrs. Barbara L. Francis
- The Nature Conservancy
- Mr. and Mrs. George L. Ohrstrom, II
- Lee Stephens Law, P.C.
- The Trust for Public Land
- Virginia Conservation Credit Exchange, Inc.
- Mr. Wesley Woods
The maps featured in this publication were created by PEC for presentation purposes only. Data source: Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation Conservation Lands Database. Although efforts have been made to verify data, accuracy is not guaranteed.