Saving Land Fall 2010

Saving Land In Western Virginia

FOOD, DRINK, MUSIC AND MORE: Conservation Celebration 2010!

Celebration sponsors: pages 10-18

Rupert Cutler of Roanoke:

2010 Vic Thomas Award Winner

Martinsville’s Jim and Esta Wilson

to be honored for

preservation efforts

2010 A. Victor Thomas Environmental Stewardship Award recipient Dr. M. Rupert Cutler

westernvirginialandtrust.org

fall 2010

Conservation Celebration 2010

Join us at the fall Conservation Celebration on Sunday, Sept. 12 from 4-7 pm at Braeloch in Roanoke County! The only thing better than the stellar view of the Roanoke Valley will be the local foods dinner prepared by chef Mark Baldwin of Blue Ridge Catering and the local libations: Shooting Creek Farm Brewery beer, hard cider from Foggy Ridge Cider and wines from Valhalla Vineyards. Easy Pickin’s will set the affair to music, and a silent auction will provide the excitement as guests bid on vacation getaways, outdoor adventures and more.

Jonathan Roberts

Dr. M. Rupert Cutler of Roanoke will accept the 2010 A. Victor Thomas Environmental Stewardship Award for his commitment to land preservation in southwest Virginia.

Past recipients include former Virginia Governor Tim Kaine and the City of Roanoke. Conservation easement donors Jim and Esta Wilson of Martinsville will receive our first landowner award for protecting more than 1,300 acres of land along the Blue Ridge Parkway with conservation easements.

An invitation was mailed to all current WVLT members in mid-August, and the general public is extended

Former Gov. Tim Kaine enjoyed a local brew at last year’s Celebration

an open invitation.

Adults 13 and over are $45 per person if you return your RSVP card or mail your check by September 3, while kids 12 and under are free.

After September 4, attendees will pay $50 per person at the event.

Jonathan Roberts

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Hollins professor Renee Godard, Caleb Amstutz and former First Lady Anne Holton flatfoot at last year’s event

WVLT is excited to offer a silent auction again at this year’s Celebration. Be sure to bring your checkbook and take something wonderful home with you.

Featured auction items: •

Weekend at a condo at the Homestead

•

Week at a coastal resort home in Beaufort, NC

•

Glider ride from the New Castle International Gliderport

•

Virginia Tech vs. UVA football tickets

•

Gift certificates, books, framed photographs and artwork, antiques, and much, much more!

About Dr. M. Rupert Cutler Dr. M. Rupert Cutler, known as “Rupe” to his friends, will receive the A. Victor Thomas Environmental Stewardship Award from WVLT at the Conservation Celebration. The fifth recipient to receive the award, Rupert joins such honored company as former Virginia Governor Tim Kaine, former state senator Madison Marye of Elliston, and conservation pioneers Lanier and Thecla Frantz of New Castle.

Rupert was the first executive director of the Western Virginia Land Trust, holding the job Dr. M. Rupert Cutler from 1997-1999. He was also recently a member of the board of trustees of the Virginia Outdoors Foundation, the board of the Western Virginia

Water Authority, and the Roanoke City Council. He also served as executive director of Explore Park from 19911997. A Detroit native, he previously served in the Carter administration and also worked for such organizations as the Wilderness Society, the National Audubon Society, and Defenders of Wildlife.

Rupert has left his mark on conservation in the region most notably at the City of Roanoke’s two marquee parks: Mill Mountain and Carvins Cove. A tireless advocate of permanent protection of both parks, his dreams came to fruition over the past two years as the Roanoke City Council placed conservation easements on both parks.

Rupert and his wife Gladys live in downtown Roanoke.

He says that while several high-profile appointments have recently ended, he’s still staying busy and has a laundry list of community projects to tackle in the near future.

From the Director Boy, it sure has been a hot summer, and if the pattern of hot humid days and afternoon thunderstorms continues, we will be glad to have the huge barn/ meeting facility at Al Hammond’s Braeloch to house our Conservation Celebration on Sunday, September 12. So send in your RSVPs and plan to come on out to celebrate WVLT and our award winners no matter what the weather forecast and you will be indoors, dry, safe and protected.

We are very happy to see a repeat in the generous support from so many of our past corporate sponsors, and are especially excited to add new sponsors to this year’s list of conservation-minded businesses. These firms all know that WVLT is our region’s leader in conservation, and by supporting us they are making a statement that they too believe that preserving the rural landscapes, places and natural resources that make our region special is good for economic development and protects the quality of life of their employees and their families. We and our business partners are pro-conservation and pro-business—partners in making southwest Virginia a great place to live and do business. We encourage you to do business with these great companies.

We are excited to be a partner with the Blue Ridge Parkway

From the President

One of the most iconic landscapes in the Roanoke Valley has been preserved due to the foresight of Roanoke City leaders and the cooperation of your Western Virginia Land Trust and the Virginia Outdoors Foundation. In June, Roanoke City Council placed almost 540 acres of Mill Mountain under permanent conservation easement. This action will forever preserve the slopes, forests, streams and viewsheds of this mountain that so many of us associate with the essence of Roanoke. Less than 30 acres at the top of the mountain in the developed area that includes the zoo, wildflower garden, Discovery Center and the neon star were excluded from the easement but continue to be protected by zoning and various long-range plans.

This conservation easement is a good example of how important your local land trust is! Although Mill Mountain

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by Roger Holnback

as it celebrates its 75th anniversary the same weekend as the Conservation Celebration. Our 2010 Vic Thomas Award winner, Rupert Cutler (see story on page 2) and I will be going to the official events at Cumberland Knob and the Blue Ridge Music Center near Galax on Saturday, September 11th. I have been honored to serve on the board of BRP 75 for the past two years and helped craft a two-state conservation effort with our partners in Virginia and North Carolina.

There are well over 100 miles of the Parkway running through seven of the 10 counties we serve and our conservation award winners, Jim and Esta Wilson, have preserved over 1,300 acres very near the Parkway in Franklin County with easements that forever protect critical Parkway views for future generations (see story on page 19). And our recent easement on 537 acres of Mill Mountain Park (see story page on page 5) with the City of Roanoke and the Virginia Outdoors Foundation has preserved another critical parkway feature just up the spur road from the BRP in Clearbrook and the Fishburn Parkway from downtown Roanoke.

So come to our Celebration, eat wonderfully prepared local foods, enjoy (if over 21) local wine, hard cider and draft beer, and spend quality time with your best conservation minded-friends. It will be “the place to be” on Sunday September, 12th. See you there!

by Janet Scheid is by no means the tallest or the most pristine mountain in the Roanoke Valley, most of us would be hard pressed to name another local landscape that so defines the area. Many of us have memories of family picnics, trips to the zoo, rides on the train, strolls through the garden or romantic interludes at the star on the top of the mountain. It’s one of the first places we take out of town visitors to proudly show off the beautiful scenes from the viewing platforms. My husband and I, there with my visiting father, even found a parakeet, perched on a car side view mirror, at the top of the Mountain. We named her Millie!

So a great big thank you to Roanoke City Council, particularly Dr. Rupert Cutler, who spearheaded this action over many years and thanks to all of you who make our work at the land trust possible through your generous support and donations.

Without you and without this local land trust, achievements such as Mill Mountain may not be possible.

4 Western Virginia Land Trust 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.westernvirginialandtrust.org Janet Scheid, President James M. Turner, Jr., Vice President Fulton Galer, Treasurer Whitney H. Feldmann, Secretary Trustees Elizabeth H. Belcher Stanley G. Breakell Stephen M. Claytor Lynn M. Davis Walter M. Dixon, III Lucy R. Ellett Janet D. Frantz William M. Hackworth Robert H. Hunt Anne M. Jennings George A. Kegley James L. Kermes Kenneth L. Lanford Sandra B. Light Steve Waterman Advisory Council Liza T. Field Talfourd H. Kemper Robert B. Lambeth, Jr. Barbara B. Lemon Stephen W. Lemon Jeanne M. Martin John B. Williamson, III Clifton A. Woodrum, III Roger B. Holnback Executive Director David C. Perry Project Manager Cover photo: Dr. M. Rupert Cutler, known as “Rupe” to his friends, will receive the A. Victor Thomas Environmental Stewardship Award from WVLT at the Conservation Celebration.

Photo Credit: David Perry

News

Race for Open Space doubles The second annual Race for Open Space drew 150 runners to Green Hill Park in Salem on June 5—more than double last year’s turnout. The runners and walkers enjoyed beautiful blue skies and a cooling breeze as they traversed the threekilometer course along the Roanoke River greenway, wooded trails, gravel roads and a finish on lush green grass.

Peter Diehart of Lexington took overall first place in a time of 10:54, while Beth Haynes of Roanoke was the top female in a time of 13:54. Everyone received a 100 percent organic cotton race shirt, while the overall and age group winners received BPA-free metal water bottles.

The 2011 race will take place on June 4. For more information and complete results, visit www.westernvirginialandtrust.org/race.

Botetourt County conservationist, business leader dies Conservation easement donor and president and CEO of Lee Hartman & Sons, Lee Hartman, Jr. passed away in late July at his home atop Tinker Mountain in Botetourt County.

Hartman was part of a public-private partnership that helped preserve 235 acres on the face of Tinker Mountain in Botetourt County in 2006. When the estate of George Lawson was put up for auction, Hollins University pulled together a group of conservationists who wanted to preserve the mountain, including Hartman, Skip Brandenmuehl, the Western Virginia Water Authority and staff and volunteers from WVLT. Ultimately, Hollins purchased most of the western upper face of the mountain that is visible from campus, the water authority purchased the land that drains into Carvins Cove, and Brandenmuehl and Hartman purchased land abutting their property. Both Hollins and Hartman and Brandenmuehl subsequently placed easements on their properties with the Virginia Outdoors Foundation.

WVLT receives technology grant WVLT has received a $2,500 grant from the Norcross Wildlife Foundation to update its aging computers. Staff recently purchased a new workstation to use for GIS and graphic design as well as a general-purpose office PC and other accessories.

WVLT also received grants from Norcross in 2008 to purchase an all-in-one Xerox printer and in 2005 to purchase computers.

UVA grad interns with WVLT Jack Moore of Roanoke, a 2009 University of Virginia graduate, interned with WVLT during the month of June. Jack helped with conservation easement monitoring visits, the baseline documentation work for the Mill Mountain conservation easement, and other tasks.

“Jack is a great guy and a tremendous help,” said WVLT Project Manager David Perry. “He learned quickly and being from the area, really appreciated our mission of saving our local scenery and resources.”

Jack, an avid soccer fan and cyclist, is attending the University of Richmond law school this fall. As it does for all interns, WVLT presented Jack with a Moleskine journal and an Edward Abbey volume in appreciation of his efforts.

City of Roanoke Protects Mill Mountain with Easement

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Culmination of 14-year effort by WVLT

A long chapter in the history of the Roanoke Valley came to successful close this summer when the Roanoke City Council voted to permanently protect Mill Mountain Park with a conservation easement, donated to WVLT and the Virginia Outdoors Foundation. The easement was made official when it was recorded at the Roanoke courthouse in mid-July and wrapped up a 14-year push by the land trust.

The easement, while omitting the developed area at the very top of the mountain, protects more than 500 acres of iconic forestland, recreational trails, wildlife habitat, and the view from across the Roanoke Valley. It allows for minimal development of park structures and the continued maintenance and construction of the popular trail and greenway system.

“This is a great win for conservation, much bigger than the average citizen realizes,” said WVLT Executive Director Roger Holnback. “Cities across the country are selling parkland and public open spaces to generate revenue.

While they realize a short-term gain, they lose in the long run because they’re lowering the quality of life for their residents and depriving future generations of places to recreate. Gems like Mill Mountain will only be even more rare and essential in the future.”

The easement follows two similar easements placed by the City of Roanoke on Carvins Cove Natural Reserve in 2008 and 2009. Other cities around the Commonwealth have followed Roanoke’s lead in protecting their most important public spaces with conservation easements, including the City of Radford, which recently voted to protect a large city park with an easement.

wvlt Officers Elected, New Member joins Board of Trustees

The WVLT Board of Trustees elected officers and appointed a new member at its June meeting. Joining the WVLT board is Steve Waterman with Cox in Roanoke. Janet Scheid was reelected president, while Jay Turner was reappointed to a three-year term and was reelected vice president. Fulton Galer will continue the treasurer’s duties, and Whitney Feldmann remains as secretary.

Lynn Davis and George Kegley, both of Roanoke, were also reappointed to three-years terms on the board. The board said goodbye to Richard Chaffin of Forest, who resigned

Janet Scheid

Whitney Feldmann

due to time conflicts with his position as president of the Peaks of Otter Soil and Water Conservation District.

Waterman, a Boones Mill resident, is manager of technical operations with Cox. His volunteer involvement has included Roanoke Ambassador for Cox Conserves Council (2007-2009), board of United Way (2007-2009), Young Heroes Board member (2004-2006), Valley Character Board member (2003-2004), and Leadership Roanoke Valley member.

Fulton Galer

Jay Turner

Steve Waterman

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Membership Gifts – Thank You! The following individuals, families, companies, and foundations donated to the Western Virginia Land Trust in fiscal year 2010 – from July 1, 2009 to June 30, 2010. Our deepest thanks go to every Land Trust member whose annual memberships make all of our land conservation work possible.

BENEFACTOR - $5,000 or more Breakell, Inc. Conservation Celebration sponsor Coca-Cola Bottling Company Consolidated in-kind Mr. and Mrs. Peter Via William M. Claytor Family Memorial Fund in memory of William M. Claytor James L. Woltz in-kind CONSERVATOR - $2,500 to $4,999 Appalachian Power Conservation Celebration sponsor Blue Ridge Catering in-kind Mr. and Mrs. Frank Ellett Nancy O. Gray and David N. Maxson Lanford Bros.

Conservation Celebration sponsor The Morris Family Foundation Orvis Conservation Celebration sponsor SUSTAINER - $1,000 to $2,499 Ms. Elizabeth Barrett and Katie Roemer Mr. Stanley G. Breakell Mr. & Mrs. Steven M. Claytor Conservation Partners, LLC Conservation Celebration sponsor Mr. & Mrs. Robert N. Fishburn Mr. & Mrs. Spencer Frantz Dr. & Mrs. Ronald F. Freshley Mr. Roger B. Holnback in memory of Peter and Olive Holnback Mr. & Mrs. James W. Jennings, Jr. Mr. & Mrs. George A. Kegley Jim and Pat Kermes Mrs. Anna L. Lawson Barbara B. and William J. Lemon McLaughlin and Moran, Inc. Conservation Celebration sponsor New Horizons Foundation Mr. Jon L. Manetta

The Newbern Foundation The Ohrstrom Foundation Roanoke County Roanoke Gas Conservation Celebration sponsor Rockydale Quarries Corporation Conservation Celebration sponsor Karen Waldron and Shawn Ricci Western Virginia Environmental and Social Trust Foundation STEWARD - $500 to $999 Mrs. Karen L. Barnhart Botetourt County Brown Edwards and Company, LLP Conservation Celebration sponsor Brugh’s Mill Country Store Conservation Celebration sponsor Cartledge Foundation, Inc. Dixon, Hubard, Feinour & Brown, Inc. Conservation Celebration sponsor Linda E. Durham, Ph.D. Mr. & Mrs. William D. Elliot Dr. & Mrs. R. Wayne Gandee Mr. & Mrs. William M. Hackworth Mr. & Mrs. Ed Kohinke Gertrude J. Kurshan Mr. Robert B. Lambeth, Jr. Mr. & Mrs. Ken L. Lanford Martin Hopkins & Lemon PC Conservation Celebration sponsor McLeod & Company Conservation Celebration sponsor Oakey’s Funeral Service & Crematory Conservation Celebration sponsor Mr. & Mrs. Bittle W. Porterfield, III Conservation Celebration sponsors Mrs. Carol W. Pruner Ms. D. L. Reynolds Roanoke Natural Foods Co-op Conservation Celebration sponsor Mr. Paul D. Ross Jr. Rutherfoord Conservation Celebration sponsor Janet Scheid & Bud LaRoche Mr. & Mrs. Stephen E. Wagner Mr. & Mrs. David L. Wallenborn Mrs. Betty Byrne Ware Woltz and Associates, Inc. Conservation Celebration sponsor

Woods Rogers, PLC Conservation Celebration sponsor ASSOCIATE - $250 TO $499 Elizabeth Stinson and Paul L. Angermeier Ms. Elizabeth H. Belcher Mr. Guy W. Buford Deke and Jane Coulter Mr. & Mrs. Robert K. Egbert Mr. Scott Fauber Mr. & Mrs. Mark E. Feldmann Mr. F. Fulton Galer Mr. & Mrs. Ray L. Garland Mr. & Mrs. David R. Goode Mr. & Mrs. J. Winston Hodges Mr. Robert H. Hunt Mr. & Mrs. David A. Hurt Ms. N. Jane Ingram Ms. Mary L. Kegley in honor of George Kegley Mr. Frank M. Lacy Jr. Mr. & Mrs. Forrest M. Landon Mr. & Mrs. James B. Lee Mr. & Mrs. W. Tucker Lemon Ms. Sandy Light Mr. & Mrs. Richard C. Light Mr. & Mrs. Richard G. Long Jr. Mr. & Mrs. Kirk Ludwig Mr. & Mrs. Richard M. Lynn in honor of Anne Jennings Ms. Betty Marr Mr. & Mrs. Russ McDaniel Dr. & Mrs. John R. Merten Mrs. Elizabeth H. Muse Mr. & Mrs. Harry G. Norris Mrs. Emma Read Oppenhimer P. A. Short Distributing Co. Conservation Celebration sponsor Mr. John W. Rader Joel & Bob Richert Dr. James C. Sears Jr. in honor of George Kegley Shooting Creek Farm Brewery Conservation Celebration sponsor Mr. & Mrs. Michael K. Smeltzer Mr. & Mrs. Donald G. Smith Mr. McKinney V. Taylor Dr. & Mrs. Daniel Temeles Mr. James M. Turner

2008-09 Membership Gifts Valhalla Vineyards in-kind Conservation Celebration sponsor Nan Mahone and Bill Wellborn Jean and Dick Wertz Western Virginia Water Authority Mr. & Mrs. M. Lanier Woodrum Mr. & Mrs. Clifton A. Woodrum III Mr. & Mrs. Edward D. Yost FRIEND - $100 TO $249 J. M. Ambrose-Cosby Mr. Fredrick P. Baker Mr. & Mrs. D. Stan Barnhill Dr. & Mrs. A. Sidney Barritt III Mr. Larry R. Bechtel Bedford Historical Society, Inc Ms. Laura E. Benjamin Mr. & Mrs. Thompson Berdeen Mr. Jean A. Smith and Michael A. Berry Dr. & Mrs. William M. Blaylock Mr. & Mrs. Phillip S. Boggs Mr. & Mrs. Hugh H. Bond Mr. & Mrs. Frank A. Boxley Sr. Ms. Betty M. Branch Mr. & Mrs. E. Cabell Brand Ms. Anita M. Braun in memory of Dorothy Spear Mr. & Mrs. Lawrence L. Bright Mr. & Mrs. Mervin W. Brower Mr. & Mrs. C. Whitney Brown Mr. Roy E. Bucher Jr. Mr. Matthew Bullington Jane O. Butler Mr. & Mrs. M. Caldwell Butler Ms. Sarah King Capps Mr. & Mrs. George B. Cartledge Jr. Ms. Beth A. Christopoulos Mimi Rainero Coles The Honorable and Mrs. Glen E. Conrad Mr. Thomas J. Crawford Mr. & Mrs. James L. Crowgey Dr. & Mrs. M. Rupert Cutler Mr. & Mrs. Milton P. Danner Peter and Sandy Dawyot Mr. Howard Dickerson Dr. Charlotte D. Dietz Dr. Paul A. Distler Mr. Walter M. Dixon Jr. Ms. Ruth Alden Doan Ms. Jo Lynn Draper Mr. & Mrs. Gary R. Duerk Earth Environmental Consultants, Inc. Mr. & Mrs. Preston H. Edwards

Mr. & Mrs. Frank R. Ellett Mr. & Mrs. Dover J. England in honor of Ned Yost Fellers Family Limited Partnership Mrs. Betty H. Field Mr. & Mrs. James A. Ford Mr. & Mrs. David L. Foster Mr. & Mrs. Lanier Frantz Mr. & Mrs. James S. Frantz Mr. & Mrs. John C. Garber Dr. & Mrs. John M. Gilkey Dr. & Mrs. Peter Goodfield The Honorable & Mrs. Robert W. Goodlatte Dr. & Mrs. William N. Gordge Ms. Joyce L. Graham Dr. & Mrs. J. Bruce Hagadorn Ms. Alice T. Hagan Mr. R. Bryant Hare Mr. & Mrs. Henry W. Herzog Jr. Fred and Mary Buford Hitz Ms. Carol B. Hodges Ms. Phyllis Bagley Hoefer in memory of Eva Rutrough Bagley (mother) and Eva Huff Rutrough (grandmother) Mrs. Anne M. Howard in honor of Lynn and Tim Glenn Skutt and Lesley Howard Mr. & Mrs. William J. Hunley Mr. David S. Hunt and Ellen Aiken Mr. & Mrs. Royce Husted Mr. & Mrs. Reginald K. Hutcherson Cynthia Petzold and Lowell Inhorn Mrs. Susie V. Jamison Mr. David A. Jenkins Mr. & Mrs. James F. Johnson David and Karen Jones Mr. & Mrs. Warren R. Kark Mr. Kevin L. Kassner Dr. Thomas F. Keller Mr. & Mrs. Talfourd H. Kemper E. Claire Kennett Ms. Annette S. Kirby Mr. & Mrs. Alton L. Knighton Mr. Richard M. Kurshan Mr. and Mrs. Stanard F. Lanford Jr. Dr. & Mrs. Edmund M. Lesko Mr. & Mrs. Joseph D. Logan III Dr. & Mrs. James L. Lynde Mr. & Mrs. J. Granger Macfarlane Mr. & Mrs. Thomas J. Malishaucki Brooke and Emily Mallory Mr. & Mrs. Robert L. Martin Mr. & Mrs. J. Billy Mason Ms. Emily Ann Mason Mr. J. Mark McClain

Freddy, Abby and Amy McGuire in memory of Fred Eanes and Lewis Chandler Mr. Alex McIver/Buckwheat Farm Dr. & Mrs. Houck M. Medford Mr. & Mrs. Richard M. Miller Mr. & Mrs. Philip E. Montano in memory of Joseph G. Montano Dr. & Mrs. Chimer D. Moore Jr. Mr. & Mrs. T. Christopher Moore Mr. & Mrs. G. Marshall Mundy Mr. & Mrs. Stephen A. Musselwhite Mr. & Mrs. James R. Nicol Dr. & Mrs. W. T. Norris Jr. Mrs. Betty G. Norris in honor of David and Katrina Hurt Mr. & Mrs. James G. Overholser matched by the Norfolk Southern Foundation Mr. Howard C. Packett Mr. & Mrs. James E. Pearman Jr. Mr. & Mrs. Robert P. Pitner Mr. & Mrs. Chris Polglase Glen and Sharon Proehl Mr. & Mrs. Michael K. Quinn matched by the Norfolk Southern Foundation Roanoke Appalachian Trail Club Dr. & Mrs. John W Robinson Mr. Walton I. Rutherfoord Mr. and Mrs. Charles B. Ryan Mr. & Mrs. David M. Savitz LTC & Mrs. Joseph E. Scanlin Mr. & Mrs. James H. Shively Mr. Paul K. Simms in memory of L. Earl Simms Mr. J. Wysor Smith/Smith and Associates Ms. Joanne G. Smith in memory of Phillip L. Smith Mr. Walter M. Spangler Dr. & Mrs. Anthony R. Stavola Mr. & Mrs. Bill Stevens Jr. Ms. Grace M. Terry Mr. & Mrs. Glenn O. Thornhill Jr. John and Linda Thornton Mrs. Frances M. Trent Mr. Robert Turner Ms. Oneta S. Turner Mr. & Mrs. D. Kyle Umberger III Mrs. Betty Van Balen Ms. Patricia B. Vaughan Mr. L. Robert Vaughan Dan and Lona Greer Watson Dr. & Mrs. Edgar N. Weaver Jr. in honor of Deke and Jane Coulter Dr. & Mrs. Jesse A. Webster Mr. & Mrs. A. Dane Weddle

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2008-09 Membership Gifts

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Dr. Dale A. Wickstrum John and Marilee Williamson Ms. Karen E. Willis Mr. & Mrs. James M. Wilson Mr. R. Lowell Wine Mr. & Mrs. Donald Witt Dr. & Mrs. John R. Wood Mr. Eugene R. Yagow Mr. & Mrs. Ralph A. Zahn/Ivy Branch Farm SUPPORTER - $50 TO $99 Mr. & Mrs. Leonard Adkins Mr. & Mrs. Charles W. Ayling Ms. Carrie Tate Aylor Mr. & Mrs. Arthur Ballas Lynn C. and Linda F. Barnes Mr. & Mrs. Charles D. Bissell Mr. & Mrs. W. Chan Bolling Mr. David W. Bowles Mr. & Mrs. John P. Bradshaw in honor of Lucy Ellett Mrs. Edith Page Breakell in honor of Stan Breakell Mr. Denis J. Brion Mr. & Mrs. Daniel W. Brown Dr. & Mrs. Joseph G. Brown Paula Bumgarner Mr. & Mrs. John H. Campbell in memory of Tom Newman matched by the Norfolk Southern Foundation Ms. Dorothy S. Clifton in honor of Lucy Ellett Mrs. Mary S. Copenhaver Dr. & Mrs. Robert T. Copenhaver Mr. Frederick M. Crofts Mr. & Mrs. Jeff and Alise Culbertson Mr. & Mrs. C. Clarke Cunningham III Mr. & Mrs. H. Lawrence Davidson Ms. Lynn M. Davis Mr. & Mrs. Calvert G. de Coligny Jr. Ms. Pauline B. Dickens Rev. & Mrs. Park P. Dickerson Mrs. Barbara M. Dickinson in memory of Hamilton W. Redman Mr. & Mrs. David R. Dougherty Dr. & Mrs. F. Joseph Duckwall Mr. & Mrs. John and Hoye Duckworth Ms. Jeane M. Duddy in memory of Kevin Michael Duddy Mrs. Patricia P. Ebbett Mr. John Eckman

Elaine Stephenson Interiors, Inc. Mr. & Mrs. Pierce Felch III Ms. Liza T. Field in honor of Rupert Cutler Ms. Doris Flandorffer Mr. & Mrs. D. Norris Ford Ms. Sharon H. Foster in memory of Arlie A. Corbett and in honor of Arlie Harper Ms. Carol Fralin Mr. & Mrs. John C. Fraser Friends of the Blue Ridge Parkway Mr. & Mrs. Robert Allen Garland Mr. & Mrs. Josh C. Gibson Ellen W. Glover Ms. Linda Goodrich Mr. Scott A. Graeff and family Mrs. Nancy H. Greer in honor of Dr. George Anderson Mr. Kossen Gregory Mr. & Mrs. Lucian Y. Grove Mr. Sanford Gurian Ms. Cathy Hankla Mr. Edward R. Harris Jr. Dr. Joanna H. Harris Mr. Paul A. Haskins Ms. Diane M. Henry-Leggette Mr. Laurence Hess Mr. & Mrs. Paul R. Hinlicky Mr. F. Courtney Hoge Mr. James E. Howell matched by the Norfolk Southern Foundation Mr. & Mrs. Jeno L. Inancsi Mr. & Mrs. R. Devereux Jarratt Mr. & Mrs. Clayton G. Jones in memory of Harley R. McMillian Mrs. Margaret H. Kelley Dr. & Mrs. Stephen S. Kennedy Ms. Kathleen C. Koomen in memory of Whitwell W. Coxe matched by the Norfolk Southern Foundation Mr. Anthony F Lefkowicz Sally and Joe Lemmer Mr. & Mrs. Richard L. Lovegrove in honor of Dick and Jane Lovegrove Mr. Brett F. Magenbauer Dr. & Mrs. William O. McCabe Jr. Mr. & Mrs. George A. McLean Jr. Ms. Mary A. McMichael Mr. David B. Miller Mr. John B. Moore Ms. Emily W. Moore Dr. Daniel Murphy in memory of Madaline “Dick” Spickard Mr. Wes W. Naff III

Mr. David M. Naff Mr. & Mrs. Dan O’Donnell Mr. Charles H. Osterhoudt Dr. & Mrs. Robert E. Paine Ms. Tammy E. Parece Ms. Anne N. Parrott Mr. & Mrs. Rod J. Passmore Mr. William C. Pavord Mr. & Mrs. Lawrence E. Perry Jr. Mr. & Mrs. Case Pieterman Mr. & Mrs. Richard A. Prillaman Jr. Mr. & Mrs. William F. Reidenbach matched by Exxon Mr. & Mrs. Troy A. Rice Roanoke Valley Greenway Commission J. David and Frankie Robbins Dr. & Mrs. William H. Robison Mr. & Mrs. Jesse R. Rowe John and Lauren Saunders in honor of Stan Breakell Virginia M. Savage Mr. & Mrs. Jared L. Schweitzer Mr. Tim C. Shank Mr. John R. Simmerman in memory of Thomas M. Jackson and Betty Jackson Ward Ms. Pamela Duncan Simmons Mr. Thomas W. Skelly matched by General Electric Mr. Leroy Harden Smith Mr. Glenn T. Stafford Maureen Castern & Jon Stephenson Mr. Donald R. Taylor Mr. & Mrs. William A. Thomasson Mr. Paul R. Thomson Jr. The Honorable Patricia S. Ticer Ms. Tamara Vance and Andrew Kassoff Ms. Christine Visscher Mr. & Mrs. Jeffrey Walters Mr. William I. Wasserman Dr. E. Wilson Watts Dr. & Mrs. Jackson R Webster Mr. & Mrs. W. Keith Weinwurm Ms. Virginia K. West Mr. John P. Whittle Mr. Wayne E. Williams Mr. Lawrence T. Williams Jr. Mr. Ryland A. Winston Jr. Ms. Suzanne R Wright Mr. Joseph E. Yates Jr. Ms. Mary Jane Zody MEMBER - $25 TO $49 Mr. Robert Allan Mr. Theodore D. Allen

2008-09 Membership Gifts Mr. Richard Amstutz Dr. Karen Mays Asbury Mr. Robert C Atkinson Mr. Bane Atkinson Jr. Ms. Heidi Baird Lee P. Baker Dr. & Mrs. Walter S Barton Dr. & Mrs. Vincent T. Basile Mr. & Mrs. Richard A. Baynton Virginia W. Blain in honor of Broaddus and Luann Fitzpatrick Ms. Ellen M. Boder Mrs. Ruth B. Boitnott Ms. Nancy A. Bourne Mr. David A Bowers Mr. David E. Brammer Mrs. Dorothy H Briggs Ms. Patricia A. Buck Michael and Monica Burgoon Mr. David W. Carr Jr. Ms. Catherine P. Caspole Mr. John N. Cheek Mr. D. Kendrick Chittock Eleanor M. Clark Mr. Samuel Edmond Coffey Mr. Jim Coffey Ms. Jane W. Cooper Mr. & Mrs. James E. Covington Jr. Mr. & Mrs. Lawrence M. Covington Mark and Susan Currie Thelma Dalmas Mr. & Mrs. Curtis E. Davis Jr. Ms. Amy K. DeHart Mr. Walter M. Dixon III Mr. & Mrs. Winston J. Dubois Mr. & Mrs. Roger W. Ehrich Mr. John W. Eure Mr. & Mrs. Craig Favor Mr. & Mrs. Mark Feldmann in memory of Leigh and Frances Hanes Mr. Robert H. Fetzer Mr. Christopher L. Fowler in honor of Gertrude Fowler Mr. W. Heywood Fralin Ms. Wileina F. Furrow Mr. & Mrs. J. Randolph Garrett Mr. & Mrs. Lowell Gobble Ms. Gary Maupin Goodale Goose Creek Press Mr. James R. Gray Mr. Samuel B. Gunter Ms. Carolyn Haase Mr. Pete Haislip Ms. Mary Ann Hansen Mr. James A. Hare Jr. Rev. C. Nelson Harris Mr. & Mrs. James D. Harshfield

Mr. Alfred A. Hawley Mr. & Mrs. John Heil Ms. Judith L. Hensley Mr. & Mrs. David P. Hill Mr. & Mrs. Mark D. Hollberg Ms. Martha Hooker William R. and Virginia Horton in memory of Dorothy C. Cavin Mr. Bruce E. Ingram Mrs. Geneva K. Jenkins in memory of John Jenkins, Jr. Stephen C. and Liza R. Jett in honor of Ned and Janet Yost Mr. & Mrs. McMillan H. Johnson Dr. & Mrs. David M Johnson Mr. Richard Jones Ms. Patricia P. Kelly Dr. & Mrs. James A. Kelly Mr. & Mrs. Richard J. Kelly Mr. & Mrs. Warren F. Kindt Ms. Christina C. Koomen Mr. Henry V. Langford Mr. & Mrs. David R. Lemon Mr. & Mrs. Robert L. LeNoir Jr. Mary Jean and John Levin Mr. & Mrs. Robert E. Lockhart Mr. & Mrs. Fielding L. Logan Mr. & Mrs. Rodney Lorence Mr. James T. Lucas Jr. Ms. Letitia Lunsford Mr. Stuart Lynde Mr. Charles C. Manning Jr. Ms. Sarah J. Martin Mr. Charles Reid McMurry Mr. Robert H. Minor Ginny and Bob Mullen Ms. Dorothy A. Mundy Ms. Vivian Chang Norkus Dr. Robert L. Nutt Mr. & Mrs. Richard E. O’Dell Ms. Martha Orrick Ms. Emily Painter Mr. & Mrs. William L. Parker in honor of Kevin and Eric Ms. Wanda C. Partyka Judge and Mrs. Richard C. Pattisall Ms. Rebecca Perdue Dr. Dorothy T. Potter Mr. & Mrs. Jerry L. Reed Virginia and Michael Reilly Mr. & Mrs. Gene R. Richter Roanoke Valley Garden Club Mr. Kenneth O Robison II Mrs. Donna Rogers Mr. & Mrs. Robert J. Rohrback Mrs. Mary Lou Shaffer Mr. & Mrs. Gregory W. Shelton Ms. Helen Smythers

Mr. & Mrs. J. Scott Spangler Mr. Benjamin R. Spangler Sr. Mr. & Mrs. Wayne G. Strickland Mr. Frederick D. Swartzendruber Dr. & Mrs. Nelson Teague Mr. & Mrs. Joel Tenzer Ms. Paula A. Thompson Mr. Harry G. Tornatore Mrs. Betsy P. Vannoy Frances H. Williams Mr. Mark J. Wilson Mr. Harry W. Woolridge Gifts to the Western Virginia Land Conservation Fund a fund of the Foundation for Roanoke Valley benefiting WVLT David and Katrina Hurt Dr. and Mrs. Milton Miller The Nature Conservancy WVLT’s newly established Western Virginia Land Conservation Fund (WVLCF) is intended to permanently support the stewardship of the conservation easements that the land trust holds and has promised to forever defend. The proceeds from this fund will help pay the annual costs to monitor each easement, including staff time, travel, printing, postage and other expenses. We estimate these costs to be about $320 per easement per year.

The fund can also be used to defend a conservation easement in court if needed. A single legal case can run upwards of $50,000 to even $1 million or more in extreme cases.

The land trust needs about $7,500 per easement to fully protect all of its easements. Your gift to the WVLCF will help ensure that western Virginia’s farmland, forested hilltops, clean-flowing rivers and stunning views are protected with the necessary financial resources.

For more information, contact the land trust at (540) 985-0000.

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Committed to the Environment.

Our products contribute directly to the environmental movement, as they are produced from 100 percent recycled materials.

Steel Dynamics Roanoke Bar Division P.O. Box 13948 Roanoke, VA 24038-3948

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Trust is more than a concept.

Are you getting the attention you need?

• Brownfields & Land Renewal • Conservation Easements • Environmental Investigations & Permitting • Regulatory Compliance • Land Disputes • Toxic Torts

Gentry Locke attorneys partner with our clients, working collaboratively to help achieve their goals. This commitment guides the way we do business and shapes the way we interact with everyone. Entrust Gentry Locke with your important matters. We want to earn and honor your trust.

Find free legal alerts and articles at www.gentrylocke.com Roanoke, Virginia office | 10 Franklin Road, S.E. | SunTrust Plaza | 540.983.9300 | Toll-free: 866.983.0866

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The Roanoke Star-Sentinel The Roanoke Star-Sentinel salutes the hardworking staff, and board members of the

Western Virginia Land Trust who persevere every day to protect our vital natural resources in Southwest Virginia.

Natural Foods Grocery & Happy Belly Deli Everyone welcome!

PO Box 8338, Roanoke, VA 24014 540-400-0990

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Jack’s Mountain Quarry Glade Hill, Virginia  Franklin County “A Smith Mountain Lake Location” (540) 576-2544

Appomattox (434) 933-8258 FAX: (434) 933-8976

Rockydale Charlottesville Quarry 2430 Rio Mills Road Earlysville, VA 22936 (434) 295-5700 FAX: (434) 295-5717

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Think Green.

We use vegetable-based inks and alcohol substitutes in our presses; we buy from environmentally responsible vendors such as Mohawk papers, which uses 100% windpower to produce carbon neutral paper stocks.

We have our air quality and emissions tested by OSHA on a regular basis, and always pass with flying colors.

We have systems in place to prevent waste & spoilage. Printing your job right the first time is a huge step toward our environment.

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Wilsons to be Honored for Conservation Efforts: continued from page 19

After many years of looking at a lot of different tracts of land in the mountains and with no financial means to make purchases, I was always looking for a bargain that I could afford. After about 10 years in the late 1960s or early 1970s, I came across one of four tracts of land which I purchased and the owner financed. Later, I was able to put all of this together and I had the start of making the cabin. I built a pond and realized my dream.

Now, my wife and I have the dream to leave this property for our grandchildren to enjoy one day, something they can pass on and have it protected always.

My grandson’s statement about the deep, dark woods helped spark in me the excitement of the child’s wonderment of seeing nature and enjoying the outdoors. As with all my grandchildren, Garrett and Andrew have enjoyed the cabin and the mountain place. Now, two new ones—Hudson and Hailey—are on the scene. Hudson, four, spent his first day at the cabin with me, fishing and running here and there. When I came home, I was so exhausted, even with all of the joy of being with him, that I fell fast asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow.

With all the beauty that God has given us through nature and this earth, we need to leave as much as we can for the future generations to enjoy as much as we have.

Conservation is at the heart of everything we do.

Preserving our precious natural resources for future generations has been at the core of the Orvis Company since we got our start in 1856. today, we donate 5% of our annual pre-tax profits to organizations that protect fish and wildlife habitat. visit orvis.com/conservation to learn more.

Orvis rOANOKE | 19 Campbell Ave. | roanoke, vA 24011 | orvis.com/roanoke Orvis sErviCE CENtEr | 1711 Blue Hills Dr. NE | roanoke, vA 24012

Wilsons to be Honored for Conservation Efforts

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Jim and Esta Wilson of Martinsville will be honored with WVLT’s first landowner award at the Conservation Celebration on Sept. 12. The Wilsons have protected more than 1,300 acres of land along the Blue Ridge Parkway with conservation easements, and Jim is a former trustee of the Western Virginia Land Trust.

The following piece, “The Deep, Dark Woods,” was written

by Jim in 2006 and was originally published in the fall 2006 issue of the WVLT newsletter.

“The deep, dark woods” may mean a lot of things to different people but to a four-year-old boy it was a bewilderment, looking at trees and nature in awe and waiting for wildlife to appear. Several years ago, I was visiting my cabin, adjoining the Blue Ridge Parkway, with my son, Brian, his wife, Jeananne, and their three children: Ethan, four, Kathryn, a little younger, and Jason. We had to go up a very treacherous road, state maintained, believe it or not, to my driveway. Driving through the forest on a summer day, I was kind of showing off my completion of the cabin and surrounding grounds. I had spent about 25 years accumulating over 300 acres in four parcels. After an enjoyable time at the cabin with the children, fishing a little bit, we were returning down the mountain, a 1 1/2-mile drive.

“You are going through land that Grandma Esta and I own and the trees are very large and tall and almost look pristine at times,” I said. As we drove down the mountain, Ethan asked, “Grandpa Jim, have we left the deep, dark woods yet?” I answered, “No, Ethan, we haven’t gotten through yet.” He looked out the window in amazement, searching for a deer, a grouse or any kind of wildlife. He asked again and my answer was the same but as we reached the bottom of the mountain and left my property, I said, “Yes, we have left the deep, dark woods.” Within seconds his head fell against the window and he was fast asleep.

Ethan slept through an hour’s drive back to Martinsville after an exhausting day of exploring around the cabin.

He had been afraid to close his eyes because he might miss something.

My wife and I have told that story many times and the experience had a profound effect on me. Thinking about this land that I love so very much, I wanted to preserve it so maybe one day my grandchildren could enjoy the beauty of the forest. The land joins the Blue Ridge Parkway for about 1 1/2 miles, next to the Smart View picnic area, another 500 to 600 acres. Each complements and enhances it all. My enjoyment of the land includes the aesthetics of the forest and wildlife, as well as timber management, hiking and hunting.

Jim and Esta Wilson pose before a 100-ft. tall redwood that they planted in 1963.

I grew up in the coastal area of Hampton, completed an enlistment in the Navy, finished college in Roanoke, was hired by a Roanoke CPA firm and transferred to Martinsville where I fell in love with the mountains in the late 1950s. Martinsville has been my home since and I never thought about going back to the coastal area even though I like to visit the coast.

The mountains have become a part of what I love most about Virginia. Growing up as a boy, I was in the woods with my father a lot. He liked to hunt and it just came natural for me. We always had a squirrel dog but we were always hunting on someone else’s land. No one in my family owned any land that we could hunt on so my goal was to own my very own land some day. That was when I began thinking of wanting to have that land to hunt and to enjoy, to hike and to enjoy nature and trees. In fact, I think I am sort of an amateur forester at heart.

Continued on facing page.

Hunleys Donate Car to WVLT Car donations a great way to save land, lower your taxes

Jack Moore

david perry

WVLT supporters Bill and Deborah Hunley of Roanoke Donating a used vehicle in salable condition is a great way donated their used Subaru Legacy to the land trust in June. to support WVLT and receive a charitable tax deduction WVLT in turn sold it to local author and conservationist at the same time. And donating a used vehicle is the Tim Thorton and wife Juanita. The proceeds benefit the ultimate in recycling! If you have a vehicle that you’d like activities of the land trust. Last year, Coca-Cola Bottling to donate to WVLT, e-mail Roger Holnback at rholnback@ Company Consolidated in Charlotte, NC, donated a westernvirginialandtrust.org 2007 Toyota Prius to WVLT, which now sports colorful “We Save Land” graphics and has greatly reduced WVLT’s transportation costs.

Thanks, Bill, Deborah, Tim and Juanita!

Bill and Deborah Hunley present the title to their car to WVLT Executive Director Roger Holnback.

Tim and Juanita Thornton pose with their new-to-them car and WVLT Executive Director Roger Holnback.

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