Virginia Governor Timothy M. Kaine highlighted the Virginia Outdoors Foundation’s approval of 17,000 acres throughout Virginia to be placed under conservation easement. He also announced that the Roanoke City Council has agreed to support plans to establish two perpetual conservation easements on Mill Mountain and the surrounding 600 acre park. Earlier this year 11,363 acres at Carvins Cove Natural Reserve was placed into easement making it the largest in state history.
“One of the best things we can do for our children today is to preserve the environment for tomorrow,” Governor Kaine said. “These actions will bring us even closer to meeting my goal of preserving 400,000 acres of open space by the end of the decade.”
The initiation of the easement process for Mill Mountain was announced today by Governor Kaine on Mill Mountain following the Virginia Outdoors Foundation’s final 2009 meeting. The City of Roanoke, led by the efforts of Councilman Rupert Cutler, will work with the VOF and the Western Virginia Land Trust to establish the two permanent easements, and hope to complete the process this year. The mountain, which is on the National Register of Historic Places, will be protected forever by this easement.
VOF, along with a number of other organizations statewide, has made significant contributions toward Governor Kaine’s conservation efforts. The approval of the additional acres to be placed under conservation easements brings the total acreage approved by VOF this year to 78,000.
While acres are not counted as “protected” until deeds are recorded at the appropriate courthouse, staff will be working hard for the next several weeks assisting landowners with the paperwork needed to record their easements. As of last week, about 25,000 acres of VOF easements had been recorded this year.
In 2006, Governor Kaine set the goal of preserving 400,000 acres of open space by the end of the decade. Combining previously announced easements with pending easements on several large parcels, Virginia is moving closer to meeting Governor Kaine’s goal.
Today’s announcement comes as Governor Kaine continues to advance his “Renew Virginia” initiative-an effort to promote renewable energy, create green jobs, and encourage preservation of the environment. During his administration, Governor Kaine has incentivized the production of cleaner energy, dedicated over a billion dollars to Chesapeake Bay cleanup, protected 350,000 acres of open space, and led the effort to promote regional cooperation to combat climate change.
As part of Governor Kaine’s land conservation efforts, six new state forests, two new state parks, three new wildlife management areas, and 13 natural area preserves are being created.
