VLCF Funded Projects

Virginia’s working farms and forests, battlefields and other historic sites, natural areas, parks and rivers are critical to its economy, culture and quality of life. In 1999, the assembly and governor established the Virginia Land Conservation Foundation (VLCF) to fund protection of these resources. The interactive map below depicts VLCF-grant projects funded since 2000.

Name:	Cowbane Prairie NAP Addition (withdrawn)
Category:	Natural Area Preservation
Grant Round:	FY17
Acres:	84.03
Locality:	Augusta County
Management Agency:
Owner:
ConserveVirginia:	None
Amount Awarded:	$877,050.00
Applicant:	Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation
Latitude:	38.01705717
Longitude:	-79.057103
Description:	DCR's Natural Heritage Program proposed to acquire in fee approximately 84 acres along the South River and adjacent to Cowbane Prairie Natural Area Preserve in Augusta County. The subject property is within a mapped Conservation Site, which has the highest possible biodiversity ranking of B1. This high ranking is due to the high number of rare species and significant natural communities found there, as well as the high viability and the extreme rarity of some of those elements. Fifteen rare plants and five globally rare communities are found within the preserve and most of these populations require periodic burning to remain healthy. Protecting the property will serve as a smoke buffer for the prescribed burning necessary on the adjacent preserve, as well as prevent further degradation of water quality to the South River by securing the riparian zone along more than 4,100 feet of the river and tributary streams. This project was awarded a grant of $877,050, but alternative funding was attained and the VLCF grant was withdrawn.