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Virginia Natural Area Preserve System

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View of Buffalo Mountain's nearly treeless summit within the Buffalo Mountain Natural Area Preserve in Virginia's Floyd County

The Virginia Natural Area Preserve System is a system of protected areas in the state of Virginia. It is managed by the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation.

As of 2024, there are sixty-six (66) dedicated preserves in Virginia totaling 61,153 acres (247.48 km2). These preserves contain examples of some of the rarest natural communities in the state; in addition, many serve as a home for locally, nationally, and globally rare species.[1]

History

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In 1986, the Virginia Natural Heritage Program was formed through a cooperative agreement between the Commonwealth of Virginia and The Nature Conservancy. In 1988 the program was placed under the control of the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR). To further the Natural Heritage Program's mission to conserve and manage sites identified as significant natural areas within the state, The Virginia Natural Area Preserve System was established in 1989.[2][3]

The system's first preserve, North Landing River Natural Area Preserve, was established in 1990. By 2007, the preserve system included 50 protected areas.[4]

Description

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The Virginia Natural Area Preserve System is managed as part of the Natural Heritage Program of the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation, with the purpose of protecting threatened or rare plants, animals, and natural communities.[5]

To become a part of the system, a Natural Area Preserve must be accepted by the director of the Department of Conservation and Recreation, although they may be initially dedicated by other departments and agencies of the Commonwealth of Virginia.[6] Natural Area Preserves may be acquired by the Commonwealth of Virginia, or may continue to be owned by independent conservation organizations or other private landowners. Dedication itself is similar to a conservation easement, as it places certain legal strictures on future development of a given portion of land.[1]

Access

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Most properties are owned by the state's Department of Conservation and Recreation. However, some are owned by local governments, universities, private citizens, and independent conservation organizations, such as The Nature Conservancy.[1]

Many state-owned properties are freely open to the public for low-impact uses, such as hiking and birdwatching. However, some state-owned properties with rare and/or species and habitats require that arrangements be made with a state-employed land steward prior to visitation.

Privately held properties may restrict public access, although sometimes it can be arranged in coordination with a preserve's owner.[7]

Access to any individual Virginia Natural Area Preserve may be temporarily restricted or closed when it is determined as necessary to protect sensitive plant and animal populations within the preserve, for seasonal migration habitat, or for habitat management and ecological restoration activities, such as prescribed burns. Visitor impactful activities, such as camping, hunting, fishing, timber cutting, campfires, vegetation harvesting, and motorized trail vehicles are typically forbidden at all preserves.[1]

List of Virginia Natural Area Preserves

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The following table lists Virginia's Natural Area Preserves as of February 2024. Those listed as being accessible "by arrangement" require prospective visitors to contact either state-employed land stewards, private property owners, or both.[1]

Preserve name County or
counties[8]
Area[8] Owner[8] Public
access?[8]
Notes
Antioch Pines Isle of Wight 1,157 acres (4.68 km2) DCR By arrangement
Bald Knob Franklin 112 acres (0.45 km2) DCR No
Bethel Beach Mathews 105 acres (0.42 km2) DCR Yes
Big Spring Bog Grayson 50 acres (0.20 km2) DCR By arrangement
Blackwater Ecological Preserve Isle of Wight 319 acres (1.29 km2) Old Dominion University By arrangement
Blackwater Sandhills Isle of Wight 815 acres (3.30 km2) Isle of Wight County No
Buffalo Mountain Floyd 1,146 acres (4.64 km2) DCR Yes
Bull Run Mountains Fauquier,
Prince William
2,486 acres (10.06 km2) Virginia Outdoors Foundation Yes No dogs allowed on property. Highpoint Cliffs area is closed to the public.
Bush Mill Stream Northumberland 144 acres (0.58 km2) DCR Yes
Camp Branch Wetlands Floyd 147 acres (0.59 km2) Private No
Cape Charles Coastal Habitat Northampton 50 acres (0.20 km2) DCR Yes
Cave Hill Augusta 89 acres (0.36 km2) Madison Cave Hill LLC No
The Cedars Lee 2,265 acres (9.17 km2) DCR By arrangement
The Channels Washington,
Russell
721 acres (2.92 km2) Virginia Department of Forestry Yes
Cherry Orchard Bog Sussex,
Prince George
354 acres (1.43 km2) DCR By arrangement
Chestnut Creek Wetlands Floyd 244 acres (0.99 km2) DCR By arrangement
Chestnut Ridge Giles, Bland 1,596 acres (6.46 km2) DCR By arrangement
Chotank Creek King George 1,108 acres (4.48 km2) Private No
Chub Sandhill Sussex 1,066 acres (4.31 km2) DCR Yes
Cleveland Barrens Russell 1,288 acres (5.21 km2) DCR/The Nature Conservancy By arrangement
Clover Hollow Giles 25 acres (0.10 km2) DCR By permission Access permitted only for the purpose of data collection and monitoring.[9]
Cowbane Prairie Augusta 147 acres (0.59 km2) DCR By arrangement
Crawford's Knob Nelson 1,387 acres (5.61 km2) Private By arrangement
Crow's Nest Stafford 3,115 acres (12.61 km2) Stafford County Yes
Cumberland Marsh New Kent 1,095 acres (4.43 km2) The Nature Conservancy Yes
Cypress Bridge Southampton 553 acres (2.24 km2) DCR By arrangement
Dameron Marsh Northumberland 316 acres (1.28 km2) DCR Yes
Deep Run Ponds Rockingham 907 acres (3.67 km2) DCR By arrangement
Dendron Swamp Sussex 636 acres (2.57 km2) DCR By arrangement Contains the 19-acre (7.7 ha) Charles C. Steirly Natural Area, an essentially virgin bald cypress swamp that was designated a National Natural Landmark in 1974.[10]
Difficult Creek Halifax 821 acres (3.32 km2) DCR Yes
Dundas Granite Flatrock Brunswick 11 acres (0.045 km2) Private By arrangement
Elklick Woodlands Fairfax 226 acres (0.91 km2) Fairfax County Park Authority By arrangement
False Cape Virginia Beach 3,573 acres (14.46 km2) DCR Yes
Fletcher Ford Lee 54.5 acres (0.221 km2) The Nature Conservancy By arrangement
Folly Mills Creek Fen Augusta 28 acres (0.11 km2) Private By arrangement
Goshen Pass Rockbridge 936 acres (3.79 km2) DCR Yes
Grafton Ponds York 375 acres (1.52 km2) Newport News Yes
Grassy Hill Franklin 1,440 acres (5.8 km2) DCR Yes
Grayson Glades Grayson 53 acres (0.21 km2) DCR By arrangement
Hickory Hollow Lancaster 254 acres (1.03 km2) Northern Neck Audubon Society Yes
Hughlett Point Northumberland 204 acres (0.83 km2) DCR Yes
Johnsons Creek Alleghany 99 acres (0.40 km2) DCR By arrangement
Lyndhurst Ponds Augusta 376 acres (1.52 km2)[11] DCR By arrangement
Magothy Bay Northampton 445 acres (1.80 km2) DCR Yes
Mark's and Jack's Island Accomack 2,305 acres (9.33 km2) The Nature Conservancy By arrangement
Mill Creek Springs Montgomery 222 acres (0.90 km2) The Nature Conservancy By arrangement
Mount Joy Pond Augusta 359 acres (1.45 km2) DCR By arrangement
Mutton Hunk Fen Accomack 516 acres (2.09 km2) DCR Yes
Naked Mountain Nelson 356 acres (1.44 km2) Private By arrangement
New Point Comfort Mathews 105 acres (0.42 km2) The Nature Conservancy Yes
North Landing River Virginia Beach 3,441 acres (13.93 km2) DCR No After a decade of closure due to illegal activities, this preserve was scheduled to re-open for public use in 2016 or 2017.[12]
Northwest River Chesapeake 2,788 acres (11.28 km2) DCR By arrangement
Ogdens Cave Frederick 131 acres (0.53 km2) DCR By arrangement
Parkers Marsh Accomack 759 acres (3.07 km2) DCR Yes
Parramore Island Accomack 7,000 acres (28 km2) The Nature Conservancy By arrangement Access permitted for research or educational purposes only.[13]
Pedlar Hills Glades Montgomery 1,177 acres (4.76 km2) DCR By arrangement
Pickett's Harbor Northampton 125 acres (0.51 km2) DCR By arrangement
Piney Grove Flatwoods Sussex 446 acres (1.80 km2) The Nature Conservancy By arrangement
Pinnacle Russell 1,147 acres (4.64 km2) DCR Yes
Poor Mountain Roanoke 1,404 acres (5.68 km2) DCR Yes
Redrock Mountain Smyth 640 acres (2.6 km2) DCR By arrangement
Savage Neck Dunes Northampton 298 acres (1.21 km2) DCR Yes
Sweet Springs Montgomery 235 acres (0.95 km2) Private By arrangement
South Quay Sandhills Southampton,
City of Suffolk
3,753 acres (15.19 km2) DCR/The Nature Conservancy By arrangement
Unthanks Cave Lee 171 acres (0.69 km2) DCR By permission Access permitted only for the purpose of data collection and monitoring.[14]
Wreck Island Northampton 1,380 acres (5.6 km2) DCR Yes

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c d e "Natural Area Preserves". Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation. Retrieved March 11, 2024.
  2. ^ "Virginia DCR - Natural Heritage Program". LandScope America. NatureServe. Retrieved December 12, 2016.
  3. ^ "§ 10.1-214. Virginia natural area preserves system established". Code of Virginia. 1989. Retrieved December 12, 2016.
  4. ^ Virginia's Natural Area Preserve System (PDF). Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation. 2016. p. 16. Retrieved December 15, 2016.
  5. ^ "Natural Area Preserves". LandScope America. NatureServe. Retrieved December 12, 2016.
  6. ^ "§ 10.1-213. Dedication of natural area preserves". Code of Virginia. 1989. Retrieved December 12, 2016.
  7. ^ Middleton, Leslie (October 6, 2016). "Preserve walks celebrate VA Natural Heritage Program's 30th year". Bay Journal. Retrieved December 12, 2016.
  8. ^ a b c d Information included in this column is sourced from individual pages listed at: "Natural Area Preserves". Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation. Retrieved February 18, 2024.
  9. ^ "Clover Hollow Natural Area Preserve". Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation. Retrieved December 12, 2016.
  10. ^ "Charles C. Steirly Natural Area". National Natural Landmarks. National Park Service. Retrieved December 14, 2016.
  11. ^ "Restoration Efforts Expanded in Shenandoah Valley". The Roanoke Star. 2024-02-16. Retrieved 2024-02-18.
  12. ^ "North Landing River Natural Area Preserve". Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation. Retrieved December 12, 2016.
  13. ^ "Parramore Island Natural Area Preserve". Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation. Retrieved December 25, 2016.
  14. ^ "Unthanks Cave Natural Area Preserve". Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation. Retrieved December 12, 2016.
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