Department of Conservation and Recreation
Conserve. Protect. Enjoy.
Department of Conservation and Recreation
As of June 2023, about 16.96% (4.28 million acres) of Virginia’s land is permanently protected. More than half of Virginia’s protected land is managed by the federal government, 32% is managed by state government, 6% is managed by nonprofits and over 3% is managed by local governments.
There are numerous federal, state and local agencies, as well as private organizations that protect land. They accept land from a landowner in fee-simple title or under a conservation or open-space easement. They do so to retain the property's natural or historic values to:
Visit DCR's Conservation Lands Database to learn more
Visit the Natural Heritage Data Explorer to locate conserved lands in Virginia.
