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: | Waddle Property |
|---|---|
| Category: | Farmland Preservation |
| Grant Round: | FY25 |
| Acres: | 850.00 |
| Locality: | Smyth County |
| Management Agency: | Virginia Outdoors Foundation |
| Owner: | Private |
| ConserveVirginia: | Agriculture & Forestry |
| Amount Awarded: | $914,017.00 |
| Applicant: | Virginia Outdoors Foundation |
| Latitude: | 36.772834 |
| Longitude: | -81.690469 |
| Description: | The Greg and Kyli Waddle Property project seeks to secure a conservation easement on 850 acres of working farmland in Smyth and Washington Counties, to be held by Virginia Outdoors Foundation. The project will protect karst geology, as it contains nearly 200 mapped sinkholes within a few hundred feet of the Middle Fork Holston River, which is a potential State Scenic River and contains designated Conservation Sites. The property supports Loggerhead Shrike (a state threatened bird) and habitat for Bobolink (a rare bird). The farm is a working cow and calf operation, with land in pasture, hay, and corn production. The landowners have previously donated easements to VOF on adjacent property, which will result in a block of more than 2,000 acres of conserved working farmland. |
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