VIRGINIA OUTDOORS FOUNDATION COMPLETES CONSERVATION OF 1,100 ACRES SAFEGUARDING WILDLIFE HABITAT AND WATER QUALITY
Second Phase of Project Adds More Than 400 Acres of Permanent Protection along Three Creeks River
For IMMEDIATE RELEASE (January 19, 2021)
Greenville, SC – The Virginia Outdoors Foundation (VOF) is pleased to announce its purchase of a second tract – approximately 430 acres – of riparian forest that will be held in a permanent conservation easement in Southampton County, Virginia. This purchase, which complements the more than 700-acre purchase announced in December, is made possible in part by a grant from the Enviva Forest Conservation Fund (the Fund). The tracts are adjacent and on the Three Creeks River, with over 43,000 feet of combined total stream corridor.
“This is an especially important conservation project; it consists of large areas of wetlands and woodlands which are home to many birds, land animals, and myriad fish and mussel species both on site and downstream,” said Brett Christina Glymph, Executive Director of VOF. “This tract, in particular, has an old-growth Bald Cypress-tupelo swamp forest in a high-priority wetland block. Its protection, along with the protection of the adjoining tract purchased late last year, significantly contributes to the area’s overall ecological health.”
The property includes planted loblolly pines and mixed hardwood forests, including substantial bottomland hardwood forests. It also features a tributary stream and frontage on Three Creeks Swamp of the Nottoway River, a tributary of the Chowan River, which drains to the Albemarle-Pamlico Sound Estuary. Under the easement, all residential, commercial, and industrial development will be restricted. Extensive riparian protection buffer zones will help protect forests and enhance water quality for future generations. The upland forests will be sustainably managed in order to have a combination of wildlife species conservation, professionally managed working forest, and riparian protections.
“This is yet another example of the Virginia Outdoors Foundation’s important work to secure an expansive, protected corridor, starting here and moving downstream along the Nottoway. This purchase completes the permanent protection of more than a thousand acres of sensitive wildlife habitat, watersheds, and bottomland forests while also ensuring sustainable forest management that will contribute to the community’s economic health,” stated Alicia Cramer, Sr. Vice President of the US Endowment for Forestry and Communities. “The Endowment is incredibly proud to be a partner with Enviva and the Virginia Outdoors Foundation, and to administer the Enviva Forest Conservation Fund for its critical work in preserving forested watersheds.”
The Fund’s goal is to be a catalyst for bottomland hardwood forest and habitat conservation. More than five years into the planned 10-year partnership, 19 projects have been funded, with the commitment from Enviva to date approaching $2.3 million. When these projects are completed, the Fund will have helped protect an estimated 27,000 acres of sensitive wetland forest and other habitats.
About the Enviva Forest Conservation Fund
The Enviva Forest Conservation Fund is a $5 million, 10-year program established by Enviva Holdings, LP in December 2015 to protect environmentally sensitive bottomland and wetland forests. Administered by the US Endowment for Forestry and Communities, the Fund awards grants annually to nonprofit organizations and government agencies for conservation projects. Learn more at http://envivaforestfund.org/
About Virginia Outdoor Foundation
The Virginia Outdoors Foundation is Virginia’s leader in land conservation, protecting nearly 850,000 acres in 109 counties and cities. The Virginia General Assembly created VOF in 1966. Today, we receive both public and private support for our work. VOF protects a wide variety of open spaces, from farms and forests to parks and historic landscapes. We work with federal, state, local, and private conservation organizations to achieve our mission. Learn more at www.virginiaoutdoorsfoundation.org
About the US Endowment for Forestry and Communities:
The US Endowment for Forestry and Communities is a not-for-profit public charity working collaboratively with partners in the public and private sectors to advance systemic, transformative, and sustainable change for the health and vitality of the nation’s working forests and forest-reliant communities. To learn more about the Endowment, please visit our website at www.usendowment.org.
For more information, contact:
Alicia Cramer, Senior Vice President, (205) 792-8650, alicia@usendowment.org
