Department of Conservation and Recreation
Conserve. Protect. Enjoy.
Department of Conservation and Recreation
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: | Ellett Escarpment Natural Area Preserve - Supplemental Funding |
|---|---|
| Category: | Natural Area Preservation |
| Grant Round: | FY25 |
| Acres: | 34.38 |
| Locality: | Montgomery County |
| Management Agency: | Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation |
| Owner: | State |
| ConserveVirginia: | Natural Habitat & Ecosystem Diversity, Floodplains & Flooding Resilience |
| Amount Awarded: | $165,254.00 |
| Applicant: | Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation, Division of Natural Heritage |
| Latitude: | 37.220441 |
| Longitude: | -80.375077 |
| Description: | The Department of Conservation and Recreation's Natural Heritage Division (DCR-DNH) was awarded supplemental funding from VLCF to protect approximately 34 acres in Montgomery County. DCR-DNH was previously awarded a VLCF grant in FY23 that successfully initiated this project, but land values were appraised higher than expected. The project lies along the rapidly developing edge of Blacksburg, where existing karst features support Virginia's best population of a "critical conservation need" species known from only three locations worldwide. When completed, this project will result in the establishment of a new natural area preserve, located in one of Virginia's Essential Conservation Sites and overlapping two categories of Conserve Virginia: Natural Habitat & Ecosystem Diversity and Floodplains & Flooding Resilience. Fee-simple purchase of the subject properties will also help protect a significantly rare natural heritage resource, along with mature calcareous forests surrounding the karst feature and a narrow ecological buffer. All these conservation values will be protected, in perpetuity, through the establishment of a new Natural Area Preserve if this project is successful. |
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