Spring 2013 Saving Land in Western Virginia

Saving Land IN WESTERN VIRGINIA

SPRING 2013

Western Virginia Land Trust Changes Name to Blue Ridge Land Conservancy Hammond Easement Protects Blue Ridge Parkway and Roanoke River Conserving (and Climbing) Skelt Mountain Willoughbys are Saving Scenic Bedford Acres www.blueridgelandconservancy.org

Blue Ridge Land Conservancy Promoting the conservation of western Virginia’s natural resources – farms, forests, waterways, and rural landscapes.

722 First St., SW, Suite L Roanoke, VA 24016-4120 Phone/fax (540) 985-0000 www.blueridgelandconservancy.org

Board of Trustees Sandy Light, President Stephen M. Claytor, Vice President F. Fulton Galer, Treasurer Whitney H. Feldmann, Secretary M. Rupert Cutler Lynn M. Davis Lucy R. Ellett Peter M. Fellers Broaddus C. Fitzpatrick Robert H. Hunt George A. Kegley Samuel B. Long J.W. “Bill” Mason David N. Maxson John H. Parrott, Jr. Linda W. Pharis Janet Scheid James M. Turner, Jr.

Advisory Council Liza T. Field William M. Hackworth Talfourd H. Kemper Robert B. Lambeth, Jr. Barbara B. Lemon Stephen W. Lemon Jeanne M. Martin John B. Williamson, III

Staff David C. Perry Executive Director

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From the Director’s Desk

his is not a commentary on Newtown, Connecticut. Or Sandy Hook Elementary School. Or Mike Huckabee, or religion in schools, or anything related. But like Bill Cosby once said, I’m going to tell you one story so I can tell you another.

Yes, we know that Mike Huckabee said the reason for the Newtown shootings was that we’ve “systematically removed God” from our public schools.

On the 17th of December, a self-described “PTA Mom” penned a counter to Mr. Huckabee’s assertions. Said PTA Mom, “You see, Mr. Huckabee, if you visited the schools you quickly denounce for removing your symbols of God, you’d find that His work actually takes places there every day.”

Continued PTA Mom, “Educators are God’s workers – there’s no other reason to think a person would endure so much to receive so little…If serving children and the community in this way isn’t the work of a higher power, I don’t know what is.”

So, that got me thinking—there are many of us who do God’s work every day, but never think to call it that, or recognize it as such. I believe that land conservation, what Liza Field calls “the great work of our time,” is truly God’s work, whether your higher power is Allah, Yahweh, Vishnu or the infinite mind of the universe.

When we help landowners make the water that runs off their land a little clearer, it’s God’s work. When we help make the air a little cleaner, slow climate change just a bit, provide habitat for plants and animals or preserve a beautiful view, we’re doing God’s work.

Cover Photo:

Diana M. Hackenburg Project Manager 2

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When the land conservancy’s stewardship committee pores over a two-dozen page legal document and wades through a sea of lawyer-speak and tiny Roman numerals, it’s God’s work. When our development committee asks a local company or resident of our region for a donation to the land conservancy, it’s God’s work.

Stuffing letters, stamping envelopes, filing paperwork, drafting agendas, monitoring budgets—all the tedious, unglamorous dirty work that running a non-profit requires—that’s God’s work, too.

And the support from our donors and volunteers is God’s work, too. In the Christian faith, Jesus said that what you do for others, you do for him as well.

Believe it or not, after reading this, you might be surprised to learn that I’m not a terribly religious person. But I, like Liza Field, believe that conserving our land and water truly is great work, and a higher calling.

Virginia loses tens of thousands of acres of farmland every year to other uses, and more development has taken place in Virginia in the last 40 years than in the last 400. It’s so important to save the land now, “while we can. While it’s still there,” as Ed Abbey wrote.

Yes, this is God’s work. Thank you—our financial contributors, our conservation easement donors, our volunteers, trustees and elected officials—thank you for letting us do it.

BRLC Project

Manager Diana Hackenburg surveys

the

Higginbotham

easement on Bent Mountain.

David Perry

President’s Point of View

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et’s be proactive in order to ensure a healthy, vibrant environment!

From time to time, legislation is introduced in Congress or the General Assembly that would have a negative impact on conservation efforts in Virginia and across the country.

To further the Blue Ridge Land Conservancy’s mission (promoting the conservation of western Virginia’s Sandy Light natural resources – farms, forests, waterways, and rural landscapes), we are asking you, our friends and supporters, for your help. Please consider signing up on our website at blueridgelandconservancy. org to receive our E-News alerts (available via our online newsletter) and calling your legislators as soon as substantial threats to our mission are announced.

For example, this past January, two bills were introduced in the House of Delegates that would have eliminated the Land Protection Tax Credit (LPC), a major incentive for Virginians who are considering placing conservation easements on their properties. Since 2002, when this credit became transferrable, 620,000 acres have been placed into easements; approximately 200,000 of these protected acres are in our service area.

Our staff and board have worked very hard to emphasize the benefits of the LPC to our Commonwealth and to request the rejection of these House bills. Although our efforts (along with thousands of other environmentalists!) were successful, threats to the LPC – and therefore to our mission – remain. We ask for your help in contacting our elected officials to request that they work to support and enhance this invaluable tool for land protection and preservation.

We can’t fend off threats like these—and the inevitable challenges that will come in the future—without your help.

Even if there is not a pressing bit of legislation before our elected officials, just taking the time to write a letter, send an e-mail, or make a phone call to your representatives to let them know that you support land conservation can lay the groundwork for future efforts to protect our land, our water and our beautiful, scenic Virginia. We know that with your help our efforts will continue to be effective!

(To find your elected officials, visit: http://blueridgelandconservancy.org/landowners/ resources/)

Table of Contents Spring 2013

Feature

Departments

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Western Virginia Land Trust Changes Name to Blue Ridge Land Conservancy

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From the Director’s Desk

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President’s Point of View

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Hammond Easement Protects Blue Ridge Parkway and Roanoke River

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News & Events

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Conserving (and Climbing) Skelt Mountain

11 Board Perspective

10 Willoughbys are Saving Scenic Bedford Acres

12 Volunteer Spotlight

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Events

2013 Race for Open Space Save the date – June 1, 2013

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re you ready to race?? The Blue Ridge Land Conservancy is pleased to announce the fifth annual Race for Open Space will be held Saturday, June 1st at Green Hill Park. All proceeds from the race will benefit the land conservation efforts of the Blue Ridge Land Conservancy.

Last year, the race raised over $4,500 for land conservation in the region and we know this year will be even bigger! We will again hold both a 5K Classic Run as well as a 3K Run/

Walk for people of all ages and abilities. Both race courses begin on the paved greenway running alongside the Roanoke River, continue on into the forest on the Pawpaw trail, and finish on a grassy stretch of field with views of the surrounding mountains.

Registration for race participants ages 14 and older is $25 before May 17th and includes a race T-shirt. Race Day registration increases to $30. NEW THIS YEAR – preregistration for children ages 13 years and younger is FREE ($10 Race Day) without a T-shirt. Additional T-shirts may be purchased for $10. Special awards by Appalachian Ironworks will be given to the top three male and female finishers in the 5K and 3K races and medals will be given to the top three male and female finishers in each age group for each race.

For more information and to register, visit blueridgelandconservancy.org/race.

Land+Link Reception Draws Art & Land Lovers Alike The 2012 Land+Link Photography Competition and Exhibition closed on December 5th with a special reception at the O. Winston Link Museum. Featured artists, community members and land trust supporters gathered to view the art one last night and for the chance to win a piece for their personal collections.

Attendees were treated to a variety of libations and a spread of delicious, locally-sourced appetizers by Blue Ridge Catering. Drinks in hand, they explored the gallery and bid on finalist photos in a silent auction. Diana Hackenburg, Project Manager, took a few minutes to recognize those who made the contest a possibility including the sponsors, photographers, and event committee members. She also announced the winner of the People’s Choice Award, “Golden Sunshine,” by Alyssa Bennett. This photo garnered the most votes in an online vote, the first of its kind for the competition. Land+Link offers a unique opportunity for the land conservation community to interact with the area’s artists and we look forward to building this partnership in the future.

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Alyssa Bennett’s “Golden Sunshine” was named People’s Choice in Online Vote

Public Policy Update

The Fiscal Cliff Deal and Challenges to Virginia’s LPC

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hile the fiscal cliff dominated the federal political discussion in late 2012, Virginia’s state lawmakers returned to Richmond for the 2013 General Assembly session.

Although these are two different levels of public policy, both have involved land conservation issues impacting the work we do in the Blue Ridge.

As part of the bill to avert the fiscal cliff, Congress also renewed the enhanced income tax deduction for conservation easements through 2013 and retroactive for 2012. The enhanced tax deduction for conservation easement donations has helped land trusts, including our own, work with modestincome landowners, especially farmers, to increase the pace of conservation ensuring our fragile landscapes are protected from development pressures.

What exactly does this renewal mean for landowners?

Here’s a quick breakdown: Raises the federal tax deduction a donor can take for donating a conservation from 30% of their adjusted gross income in any year to 50% Allows qualifying farmers and ranchers to deduct up to 100% of their income; and Extends the carry-forward period for a donor to take tax deductions for voluntary conservation agreements from 5 to 15 years in addition to the year of the donation.

A farmer or rancher is someone who receives more than 50% of their income from “the trade or business of farming” as defined by the Internal Revenue Code 2032A(e)(5).

For more detailed information about the Enhanced Easement Incentive, visit the Land Trust Alliance’s frequently asked questions page at www.landtrustalliance.org/policy/taxmatters/campaigns/incentivefaqs.

On a related note, the federal charitable deduction remained largely intact in the fiscal cliff agreement due to the outpouring of support from nonprofits and their supporters. Despite these victories, we’re not yet in the clear. Reducing charitable deductions may spring up again as Congress negotiates their next round of budget deals in March and the enhanced income deduction, though renewed, is not yet a lasting fixture in the tax code. We encourage you to contact your legislators in support of maintaining charitable deductions and making the enhanced income deduction permanent.

On the state level, two bills were proposed that would repeal the state’s land preservation tax credit (LPC) to fund transportation.

The LPC is an effective and efficient tool for conserving land and its potential repeal would be detrimental to land conservation efforts throughout the Commonwealth. Since the LPC was made transferable in 2002, more than 619,000 acres of land in Virginia have been conserved, including nearly 200,000 acres in our organization’s service area.

Knowing action needed to be taken quickly this January, the Blue Ridge Land Conservancy Board of Trustees passed a resolution in support of the Land Preservation Tax Credit.

Our organization and similar organizations across the state asked their constituents to contact their delegates in support of the LPC. BRLC staff also traveled to Richmond to speak directly with representatives about the LPC’s environmental and economic benefits. Thanks to these efforts, both bills were stopped in committee. We found a lot of support for the LPC among legislators and hope that if any similar proposals to repeal the LPC are crafted, they will be quickly defeated.

At press time, other bills that could potentially impact the LPC and conservation efforts are still being considered in the General Assembly.

So, as you can see, land conservation has been the recipient of legislative attention on both the state and federal level. To receive the latest information on these and other policy updates, make sure you’ve signed up for our e-newsletter. You can sign up today by visiting blueridgelandconservancy.org/support and typing in your email address where it reads “subscribe to our mailing list.”

Change to the Spring Issue of Saving Land

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otice anything different about this spring issue of Saving Land? This year, we decided to forgo the “landowner special edition” to bring you a regular issue chock full of the conservation stories, news, and special event updates that inspire continued support for land conservation. Instead of publishing the landowner guide as part of the magazine, we are working on creating a separate publication containing all the pertinent details about actually considering and completing a conservation easement. This new stand-alone landowner guide will be printed and published on our website under “Landowner Information.”

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Becoming the Blue Ridge Land Conservancy

Something Old, Something New, Something Borrowed, Something Blue

By Diana Hackenburg

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he traditional Old English rhyme referenced in the title may be referring to the good luck charms acquired by brides for their wedding outfits, but it also nicely parallels our organization’s recent big name change announcement.

Like many brides, we’ve come to a major stepping stone in our journey that will change more than just our name. The rebranding process will hopefully help our organization grow, expanding our presence throughout our service communities and quickening the pace of land conservation before it’s too late to save the land.

Each token in the rhyme symbolizes a different wish for the recipient. Now, the verses will help us explain why we’ve made the leap from being the Western Virginia Land Trust to becoming the Blue Ridge Land Conservancy.

Formed in 1996, the Western Virginia Land Trust has served the region’s conservation community for nearly 17 years, preserving over 86,000 acres of land in conjunction with partner agencies and organizations and protecting 16,000 acres in our own conservation easements. We need “something old” to remind us of these past achievements and to motivate us to future success. Forthrightly, this means remaining committed to our mission statement – promoting the conservation of western Virginia’s natural resources – 6

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farms, forests, waterways and rural landscapes.

The quest for “something new” wasn’t quite as straightforward.

We embarked on the journey with great optimism that the end result would provide a grander hope for the future.

After in-depth research and careful consideration, our board of trustees selected our new name, the Blue Ridge Land Conservancy, and new logo for a few prominent reasons.

First, we wanted to better represent our service area. When the land conservancy was founded, its service area spanned from Roanoke all the way down to Lee County. Over time, other land trusts formed to fill the growing conservation needs of far southwest Virginia. Now, we cover seven counties (Bedford, Botetourt, Craig, Floyd, Franklin, Montgomery, and Roanoke) and the independent cities of Roanoke and Salem. The term “Western Virginia” no longer suited this service area.

We’ve refocused our work on the area seen as the heart of Virginia’s “Blue Ridge”; words that evoke powerful visions of hazy blue-gray mountains and stir the deep emotions of those who call the region their home.

What’s up with the new logo?

By David Perry

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he staff and trustees of the BRLC wanted a new, attractive and powerful logo to go along with our new name, one that captured what we do in an artistic fashion.

The basic shape of our new logo is a leaf. I like to see it as a mountain laurel leaf. The mountain laurel is an evergreen shrub that brightens our forests with its delicate, five-sided white and pink blooms each spring. Inside the leaf, a road or stream, possibly the Blue Ridge Parkway, a scenic byway or one of the many rivers and streams in our region, runs across a grassy landscape. And in the background, we see

the classic Blue Ridge Mountains view: verdant green in the foreground, fading to deep blue and finally light bluegray in the distance.

Second, our old name created unnecessary confusion.

People often misinterpreted our name as the “West Virginia Land Trust.” While there is a wonderful organization that goes by that name, they do not serve Virginia’s Blue Ridge – we do.

our mission is to promote the value of natural resources to everyone we meet, not a very modest task. Thus, we’d like to think of the something blue as our “Blue Ridge.”

Our last major reason for selecting the name Blue Ridge Land Conservancy was to emphasize our mission. The term “trust” is often used in reference to banks or real estate.

“Conservancy” on the other hand clearly defines what we do as an organization: promoting the preservation of land and natural resources.

Thankfully, there were plenty of wonderful and willing sources for finding our “something borrowed.” The Roanoke Convention and Visitor’s Bureau recently announced plans to market the region as “Virginia’s Blue Ridge.” We are hoping to benefit from this shared branding effort. The other part of our name resembles other successful and wellknown organizations like our partner in conservation, The Nature Conservancy.

Change is always hard, but the more we see our logo, the more we’ve grown to love it. Outside feedback has been positive as well. We hope you’ll grow to love our new symbol of your land conservancy as we have!

Wait, you didn’t think we’d leave out the oft forgotten last line did you? For “and a silver thurppence for her shoe” represents financial security which is one of the most important objectives and challenges for our organization.

As a land trust, we are charged with monitoring each easement in perpetuity – forever and ever, amen. The financial security of our organization plays a major role in our continued good stewardship of the land we’ve promised to protect and in continuing the promotion of land conservation.

While the name change does not guarantee financial security, again we feel it will play a part in the long term sustainability of the organization. As the Blue Ridge Land Conservancy, we hope to become more visible throughout the region and to translate this visibility into concrete support for our organization.

Traditionally, something blue symbolizes love, modesty and fidelity. Certainly, we love our work. However, we don’t really want to be modest with these feelings. Part of Spring 2013

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Printer/farmer Al Hammond Promotes Agritourism Conserves 250 acres, including land along the Roanoke River and Blue Ridge Parkway

By George Kegley

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l Hammond, a thirdgeneration printer/farmer, looks out over the panoramic viewshed of the mountains from his 326-acre hilltop farm in eastern Roanoke County and tells of his future plans. He’s switching Al Hammond speaks at the from cropland and beef cattle January press conference to announce his new easements production at Glenburn, a family farm, to expand his business of weddings and corporate events with music, plays and river festivals. That’s agritourism—an agriculturally-based activity that brings visitors to farms.

Since he’s signed two land conservation easements held by the Blue Ridge Land Conservancy, Hammond’s goal is “to protect the land and have the income to support it.”

Farming is tough but agritourism is the way to keep land for the future, he said. He set up a perpetual trust to hold the Glenburn farmland in the future.

The farm, located on the eastern edge of Roanoke County with a small portion in Bedford County, now spans over 360 acres. In 2006, Hammond placed 88 acres of the farm under a conservation easement with the Virginia Outdoors Foundation. The two new easements with the Blue Ridge Land Conservancy completed in November 2012 conserve an additional 238 acres. These easements protect both views from the Blue Ridge Parkway by limiting the built environment and the water quality of the Roanoke River by requiring forested buffers.

Al and Nancy Hammond had 64 weddings at their Boxtree Lodge on the property last year. They’re fully booked for 2013 (April through October) and taking reservations for 2014. Many corporate and group events meet at their Braeloch center, a 12,000-square-foot meeting place.

Next will be On the Glen at Glenburn, a 9,000 square-foot, six-sided venue for music events and plays, to be built later this year. Later plans are for festivals along the Roanoke River, across from Explore Park.

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Hammond, an outdoorsman who hunts birds and turkeys and once climbed Mount Kilimanjaro, believes the time is right to expand his hospitality business “At 81, I can’t raise sheep” as he did for 30 years. He’s spent some time on a farm tractor too.

He comes from a family which operated Hammond Printing & Litho Works on South Jefferson Street for almost a century until it closed in 1976. His grandfather, Albin Hammond, started and continued the business with his son, Lynn Hammond, and his two sons, Lynn Jr. and Al. After that closed, Al Hammond started Printech, a small business forms company which outsources items like speeding tickets and court forms to other printers. That operation may shift to a farm office one day. Hammond has three sons but they are not into agritourism yet.

Al Hammond’s mother, Mary Kirk Hammond, bought an 1823 brick house and some land around it in 1934.

She improved the house and Al remembers taking eggs

The property can be viewed from the Explore Park spur of the Blue Ridge Parkway. This is a view from Glenburn looking toward the spur road.

to town from boyhood days. When he grew up, he began buying tracts of adjoining farm land in 1954. The farm has a network of trails and roads leading down to the river. Orvis managers come in and try out their fly fishing expertise in some of the four lakes and Advance Auto held a large gathering at Braeloch.

The Scottish names – Braeloch and Glenburn – originated with Al’s Scottish grandfather, Dr. J.D. Kirk, an early Roanoke physician and one of the founders of the old Shenandoah Hospital on Campbell Avenue.

A panorama of the Thompson property.

Conserving (and climbing) Skelt Mountain New conservation easement in Franklin County protects 162 acres

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n the waning hours of 2012, the Blue Ridge Land Conservancy worked with landowner Danny Thompson to finish a conservation easement that will permanently protect 162 acres of beautiful Franklin County pastures and woodlands.

on the portion of Skelt Mountain visible from the property.

The easement also places a protective buffer zone around the creek and requires the exclusion of cattle if they are pastured on the land in the future. To protect scenic views, the land conservancy must approve any clear-cutting of timber on the mountain.

The property, located in the southern portion of Franklin County, climbs the forested eastern slope of Skelt Mountain and includes most of the summit which peaks around 1,696 feet above sea level. Below the mountain lie rolling fields, a meandering creek, and a small homestead with many old structures.

Danny Thompson was no stranger to easements. He completed his first easement on the Gilly Farm with the Virginia Outdoors Foundation in 2007. That easement protects 215 acres and lies just east of the newly conserved property.

Working with Mr. Thompson, BRLC crafted an easement that will forever protect the rural quality as well as the natural features of the land. The easement limits both the number and location of buildings, creating a no-build zone

The Thompson conservation easement is the 43rd recorded easement held by the Blue Ridge Land Conservancy, bringing the total land conserved by BRLC to over 16,000 acres!

One of many old barns located on the property.

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In Memoriam: Dan Hodges and Chip Woodrum

e are very sad to report the passing of two long-time BRLC friends: Hubert (Dan) Hodges Jr. of Franklin County and former Del. Clifton ‘Chip’ Woodrum. Hubert (Dan) Hodges Jr. passed away on February 5, 2013 at the age of 70. Dan and his wife Jean placed their farm in Franklin County in the Gills Creek area under an easement with BRLC and the Virginia Outdoors Foundation in 2006. Their easement protects beautiful rolling pastures, mountain views, and a sawmill that has been in Jean’s family for over a century.

Dan also appeared in our informational landowner DVD and was a passionate supporter of conservation easements.

Dan Hodges

Clifton “Chip” Woodrum of Roanoke, a former member of the BRLC’s Board of Trustees and long-time member of the House of Delegates, passed away on February 19, 2013 at the age of 74. Chip was a member of BRLC’s advisory council at the time of his passing. During his tenure on the board, Chip kept the other trustees in the loop on conservation bills in Richmond. He and wife Emily were diligent supporters of BRLC through their annual contributions and sponsorship of the Race for Open Space. During his career in the General Assembly, Chip often worked closely with the late Vic Thomas (namesake of BRLC’s annual conservation award) in representing the Roanoke region in Richmond.

Chip Woodrum

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Willoughbys are Saving Scenic Bedford Acres Land used for raising beef cattle and sheltering local wildlife

By George Kegley

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inwood Willoughby and his two daughters have protected almost 800 acres of prime pasture and woodland with conservation easements on three farms in the scenic hills and hollows north of Chamblissburg in Bedford County.

Willoughby, a retired Roanoke policeman with 30 years of service, and his wife, Pamela, a retired Veterans Administration nurse, bought 350 acres on Saunders Grove Drive in 1985 and they love every acre of their Deer Ridge Farm. His main reason for the easement is “so the deer will have a place” to roam. He’s a hunter but he reserved a sanctuary to protect the deer. Anyone who shoots a deer is required to keep it, he said.

Standing for a family photo on their Bedford farm are (left to right) Tony and Rhonda Nunley, Holly Willoughby, Pamela and Linwood Willoughby.

Nearby, daughter Holly Willoughby, a major crimes detective in Roanoke with more than 19 years of service, looks after 350 Angus beef cattle on her 205 acres plus her father’s farm and a large 800-acre farm she and her fiancé are renting. “When you see lights on a four-wheeler going over the hills at night that’s Holly checking on her cows and calves,” Linwood Willoughby said. “She’s busy 24-7” her mother added.

“I love it,” Holly Willoughby said of her second job on the farm. She’s responsible for the herd when she comes home from policing while her father cuts fescue hay for the cattle, does sod drilling and rotates the pasture with cross fencing. Her son, David Willoughby, helps after his day job. Beef prices have been good but 2013 is expected to be the peak when the losses of the Midwest drought will bring a demand, she said. To meet a demand for bulls, she recently sold 30.

Rhonda Nunley, a physician’s assistant in Roanoke, and her husband, Tony Nunley, sales manager at the Roanoke Coca-Cola plant, also enjoy rural life on their 233 acres, recently protected by an easement. “It’s a little piece of heaven,” Tony Nunley said. They have horses and they cut timber on their forested land, over the hill from the Willoughby farm. They want to protect it from development.

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The Willoughbys first learned of conservation easements from the Blue Ridge Land Conservancy, and today their easements are held by BRLC’s partner, the Virginia Outdoors Foundation. Pamela Willoughby, who works at a Bedford hospice, said the work of their lawyer, appraiser and accountant was very helpful. Her husband inserted language to protect hollow trees for squirrels and bee trees and a restriction on cutting any trees of less than 16 inches in diameter.

Linwood Willoughby reported plenty of deer and lots of coyotes on his farm. (Holly lost geese and turkeys to coyotes.) He also owns 50 acres of mountain land in Nelson County, a portion of what was once a large family property dating back to the 18th century. White his family members are away at their day jobs, he’s the family cook, using skills from his Navy service long ago. .

Willoughby has been talking up easements to his neighbors. “This isn’t our land,” he said. “God had it in the beginning and he’ll have it in the end.”

George Kegley has served on the Land Trust board since its formation. He and his wife, Louise, placed a conservation easement on their Northeast Roanoke farm, the only one in the city, as well as an historic easement on their 1845 home, Monterey.

Board Perspective

Blue Ridge Inspires a Sense of Belonging in Board Member Linda Pharis

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married into the Roanoke Valley almost 30 years ago, after living in Washington D.C., Europe, the Midwest of the United States, and Richmond, Virginia. Living in the Blue Ridge region gives me a sense of belonging to a place like nowhere I’ve lived before.

I am still so moved by the beauty and rich offerings of Linda Pharis this area. If you study our natural and cultural history—the biology, meteorology, geology, music, and literature of this place—you understand how much of it is rooted in the earth beneath your feet.

In other regions, most of the forests and farmland have been sold for development. Farms become housing developments, forests become industrial sites, watersheds are diverted and filled in. The land is stripped, paved; chemicals kill the biomass in the soil that was needed for growing plants and feeding animals.

We haven’t ruined our land, yet. Scientists tell us that in worst-case environmental times, this unique Blue Ridge region is one of the places on earth that could shelter and nurture life. Having canoed in our rivers and climbed to the top of our ridges and looked out at the view, I can believe it.

I support the Blue Ridge Land Conservancy because it has protected 16,000 acres in its 16 years of its existence, and continues to move – cost effectively – forward to save this treasured land to which you and I belong.

Linda Pharis joined the Blue Ridge Land Conservancy Board in 2012. She retired after 16 years as VP of Education at Blue Ridge PBS, was Communications Director at Center in the Square, Program Director for Maymont Foundation in Richmond, VA, and has served on numerous non-profits’ committees and boards at the local, state and national level. She lives in the Hollins area of Roanoke Valley with her musician husband John. They have one daughter, Virginia.

BRLC Board Member Named Virginia Tech “Communicator of the Year” We w o u l d l i k e t o congratulate BRLC founder and current board member Lynn Davis for recently being named Virginia Tech’s Communicator of the Year. Lynn, college communicator for the Virginia Tech College of Lynn Davis Natural Resources and Environment, built the communications program she still leads and spearheaded the creation of the college’s new brand, - “Advancing the Science of Sustainability.”

Born in Roanoke and raised in the Baltimore-Washington area, Lynn is a long-time resident of the mid-Atlantic region. She earned a BS in journalism and government from the University of Maryland, College Park and an MBA from Averett University. Lynn served as a communicator for the

Baltimore Washington International Airport, University of Maryland-Baltimore, and University of Maryland Baltimore County campus before returning to the Roanoke region to run Hollins University’s public relations program. Before her work at Virginia Tech, she also worked in public relations with the Roanoke Regional Chamber of Commerce and the Blue Ridge Parkway.

Lynn has been an active conservationist throughout her life, serving a number of organizations including Roanoke’s Valley Beautiful, the Virginia Museum of Natural History Foundation, the Virginia Association for Parks, Friends of the Blue Ridge Parkway, the Jefferson College of Health Sciences Board, the Junior League of the Roanoke Valley, and of course, the Blue Ridge Land Conservancy. For her conservation work she has received the Dugdale Conservationist of the Year Award from the Garden Clubs of Virginia. She kayaks, hikes, skis, and scuba dives because she loves the outdoors.

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Nonprofit Org. U.S. Postage Paid Wytheville, VA Permit No. 172

722 First Street, SW, Suite L Roanoke, Virginia 24016-4120 Phone/Fax 540-985-0000 www.blueridgelandconservancy.org

Volunteer Spotlight

Roanoke Native Helps Any Way She Can to Save More Land

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s a Roanoke native, Jennifer Coleman was looking for a way to use her environmental science background to help the community. A recent graduate with her Master’s Degree in Crop and Soil Environmental Science from Virginia Tech, Jennifer also wanted to build professional relationships that would help her in the job search.

A few months ago, Jennifer’s father mentioned that family friends Karen and George Barnhart were working on conserving their property in Craig County with a local organization she might be interested in contacting. Jennifer took his suggestion and wrote to the Blue Ridge Land Conservancy asking about volunteer opportunities. Ever since, she has been an exemplary Jennifer Coleman volunteer, helping with everything from special events to easement stewardship to office work.

“Jennifer’s attitude and work ethic are fantastic,” affirmed Project Manager Diana Hackenburg. “No matter how small or large the task, she’s happy to help and learn about the work we do as a land conservancy.”

Jennifer is no stranger to the field of conservation. She received her Bachelor’s in environmental science from

Virginia Tech with a concentration in land resources before continuing onto graduate school. This spring, Jennifer landed a spot as an intern with Lance Clark at the Roanoke Cement Company. She has also been accepted to several schools to pursue a law degree starting in the fall. After law school, Jennifer hopes to get involved in energy law and possibly work for the Department of Energy in Washington, DC. Outside of school and work, Jennifer enjoys hiking, traveling, and horseback riding. One of her favorite destinations for outside adventures is her grandma’s land in Appomattox. “It’s like a second home and so peaceful,” she confided.

When asked about the Valley’s natural resources, Jennifer thinks it would help to get even more people “outside, appreciating nature.” Specifically, she would like to see more of the Greenways system completed to provide more outdoor access for those living in town. Jennifer plans on staying in Virginia, at least for the foreseeable future, and wants to make sure she can continue enjoying the scenery, clean air and water, and recreational opportunities that make our state a great place to live.

All of us at the Blue Ridge Land Conservancy will continue working to protect those resources and we’re especially grateful for Jennifer’s assistance.