Land Trust of Virginia Had a Very Good Year

Land Trust of Virginia Had a Very Good Year

In 2021, the Middleburg-based Land Trust of

Virginia (LTV) staff completed 16 easements for a total of 3,041 acres, compared to 1,765 acres in 2020 and 1,730 acres in 2019.

Shield’s Point, an 827.9-acre property in James City County, was placed into conservation easement thanks to the generosity of landowner Hunter Vermillion. Photo by Casey Jensen, EcoCap Va.

These easements expanded LTV into six new Virginia counties, including Shenandoah, Page, James City, Augusta, Bath and Lee. In total, LTV holds over 26,000 acres across 24 counties in Virginia and holds more easements than any other private land trust within the state.

Some of LTV’s 2021 easement highlights include:

• Shield’s Point, an 827.9-acre property in James City County placed into conservation thanks to landowner Hunter Vermillion. This easement was its largest easement of the year and LTV’s second largest easement ever recorded. Countless water resources were conserved, including nearly two miles of frontage on the Chickahominy River, 156 acres of wetlands, and 505 acres of floodplain.

• Clear View Farm, an 87.27-acre property in Louisa County, donated by landowner Ed Richardson. Owned by the Richardson family since 1754, this property qualifies as a Century Farm. Originally a tobacco farm until the 1970s, Clear View Farm then became a very successful Red and Black Angus cattle operation until 2010. Richardson specialized in seedstock, meaning he bred pedigreed cattle registered with their breed association. He won the Denver Stock Show with one of his top cows a remarkable seven straight times.

• John Stevenson’s and Amber Bromley’s 422-acre property in Shenandoah County. It was the site of Fisher’s Hill Battle, where the Army of West Virginia, under the command of Union General George Crook, arrived after their secretive flank march and from where they launched an attack that would crush the Confederate left and win the battle for the Union.

• Airmont Meadows is a 78-acre property in Loudoun County donated by landowner, Chuck Kuhn. The property was slated to become a 23-lot subdivision but will now remain in one piece as a working farm. This is an important piece of conservation in development-stricken western Loudoun.

“This was no small feat for our staff to accomplish,” said LTV Executive Director Sally Price. “Like other private land trusts, we have seen a rapid increase in new easement inquiries, fielding more calls this year than ever before. There has been a palpable shift in the public’s mindset as we grapple with current world events. The need for nature and open space is ingrained in us all, and our work ensures these places remain for our future.”