P.O. Box 17306
•
Richmond, VA 23226
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Message from the President
It’s hard to believe that it’s only
springtime, and CRLC has already
accomplished so much this year!
Before all the dogwoods had even
begun to flower, your local land
conservancy had already helped
bring four educational events to the
Richmond Region. Beginning in
February, CRLC sponsored a two-part
Farm Transition seminar series for
local farm landowners with Virginia
Cooperative Extension and others.
We presented two seminars on land
conservation tools February 26 and
March 15 in Hanover and Powhatan
Counties in collaboration with Conservation Partners LLC. Finally, on
March 30 we partnered with the
Virginia Department of Forestry to
present a day-long workshop and panel
discussion on the details of placing a
conservation easement on your land
at the New Kent Forestry Center.
These informational sessions are a
vital tool for helping local landowners
better understand their options for
protecting their most precious asset –
their land. But they do take significant
resources to create. Fortunately,
CRLC has the opportunity to greatly
enhance its resources and capacity
through our 2012 Challenge Grant.
Thanks to an anonymous donor, CRLC
has the opportunity to DOUBLE OUR
2012 DONATIONS up to $25,000!
It’s easy. Make a tax deductible
donation online (www.capitalregionland.org/4.html) or use the enclosed
reply form before October 1. Every
dollar from new substantial donors
will be matched by a long-term CRLC
donor – doubling the impact of your
support! Your contribution will
help CRLC to continue working to
preserve the precious places that
make the Richmond Region special.
Applicable new donor contributions
must be received by October 1.
And don’t stop there. Please help
spread the word. Tell five friends
how important CRLC is and how they
can double their dollars by making a
donation now.
Bill Greenleaf
Preserving the Land You Love
Spring 2012
Aerial view of the 47-acre property
THE FACES OF CONSERVATION:
Daniel and Ceil Macmillan
In 2010, Powhatan County adopted its current
Long-Range Comprehensive Plan. A key
portion of the Plan’s vision is to “preserve
natural resources and open spaces such as
rivers, streams, creeks, forested and wooded
areas, wildlife habitat, wetlands, floodplains,
and soil resources…” Powhatan County is
widely known for its rare and beautiful rural
character, one of the many reasons that
county residents choose to call it home, and
why so many passionately strive to protect
its scenic beauty for current and future
generations to enjoy.
In April of 2011, local landowners Daniel
and Ceil Macmillan did their part to protect
their own pristine corner of Powhatan
County by placing their land
under conservation easement —
to be preserved in perpetuity.
According to CRLC Board President, Bill
Greenleaf, “Preserved lands provide an
important public benefit – by protecting clean
water resources, preserving farms and forests,
and conserving wildlife habitat and scenic natural views.”
Having moved to Powhatan from New Jersey
some years ago, the Macmillan’s began to
worry about whether their rural home would
continue to be the peaceful, relaxing, open
space it always had been. Up north, they
experienced the frustration of losing a portion
of their property to new development. But this
time, the couple was able to do something to
preserve the way of life they love. Development
was springing up in other areas of Powhatan,
and Ceil worried that “everything
was turning to cement, with
less and less green.” As she said,
“I don’t have money to give,
but I could give back to the community by preserving this land
forever. I suppose it will be my
legacy.”
The most traditional tool for
conserving private land, a
“conservation easement” is a legal
agreement between a landowner
and a land trust or government
By protecting the Macmillan’s
agency that permanently limits
47-acre property which is comuses of the land in order to
posed of crop land, pasture land,
protect its conservation val- Ceil and Danny at home
timber land, and pond and creek
ues. In this case, the Capital
frontage with a conservation easement, this part
Region Land Conservancy (CRLC) helped
of the rural landscape of Powhatan County
facilitate completion of the easement for
has been preserved forever. In addition, the
which the Virginia Outdoors Foundation
Macmillan’s property lies adjacent to another
is the easement holder. As the holder, VOF
conserved property comprised of 55 scenic
will ensure that the conservation goals stated
acres and an historic home. Having both
in the easement are perpetually upheld.
properties under permanent protection from
Conservation easements allow landowners
development provides continuity of natural
to continue to own and use their land and
habitats in the area while also allowing for
eventually sell it or pass it on to their heirs. In
preservation of the beautiful views of this
this way, private property remains in private
scenic, rural, and vital agricultural land.
hands while providing a benefit to the public.
Sarah Richardson,
Virginia Department of
Conservation and Recreation
F. Scott Reed,
Dominion Resources
Rebecca Randolph,
Hanover County
Ben Cummings,
Millennium Retail Partners, LLC
Chris Albert,
Hunton & Williams
Advisory Council
Please send us your email address if you would like to receive this newsletter electronically.
www.capitalregionland.org.
Visit our website at
Susan Kuroski,
Land Conservation
Specialist
202-262-1198
[email protected]
Jane Myers,
Land Conservation
Manager
804-745-3110
[email protected]
www.facebook.com/
CapitalRegionLandConservancy
Tara Quinn,CPSM,
Program Manager
804-301-5352
[email protected]
To learn more about conservation easements or CRLC, please call:
CRLC is also supported by The Friends of Chesterfield’s Riverfront, The Guilford
Foundation, funds generated by the sale of Chesapeake Bay license plates, and
individual donors and members.
Tad Thompson
Brooks Smith
Doug Palmore
Bobby Lamb
Dan Jones
Norman Burns
Bill Greenleaf, President
Board of Directors
Spring 2012 Issue
Thank You to Our Supporters:
Our Mission:
To conserve and protect the natural and historic land and water
resources of Virginia’s Capital Region for the benefit of current
and future generations.
First National Census of Land Trusts in Five Years:
Spotlight on our Success:
The first census of land trusts in five years found 10 million new “Here in Central Virginia, we are investing in our future with land
acres conserved nationwide since 2005, including 1,129,787 acres trusts that ensure clean water, local food and places to play, for our
right here in Virginia. Virginia ranked first overall in the Southeast children and for generations to come.”
and fifth in the nation in total acres of land conserved.
Since its creation in 2005, the Capital Region Land Conservancy has
The National Land Trust Census, released by the Land Trust facilitated the conservation of over 5,000 acres of land, including
Alliance, shows that voluntarily protected land increased 27 percent over 33 miles of stream and river frontage. CRLC was instrumental
between 2005 and 2010. In the same time period, the federal Land and in the donation of 113 acres to Chesterfield County last fall for use
Water Conservation Fund, a major federal conservation program, as a planned future public park. The land trust is also one of the
added just over 500,000 acres and saw a 38% funding cut. The holders of the conservation easement on Richmond’s James River
census is online at www.lta.org/census.
Park System (JRPS) and played a key role in the creation of this
important 280-acre easement.
A total of 47 million acres—an area over twice the size of all the
national parks in the contiguous United States—are now protected An enhanced federal tax deduction for conservation easement
by land trusts. A greater percentage of the new acreage comes donations has helped America’s land trusts work with farmers,
through local and state land trusts like the Capital Region Land ranchers and other modest-income landowners to sustain a
Conservancy (CRLC), based here in Richmond. In Virginia, land remarkable pace of more than one million acres protected by
trusts conserved 1,129,787 acres between 2005 and 2010, a 77% conservation easements each year! However, that enhanced tax
increase in land protected.
deduction expired at the end of December, 2011, and if Congress
does not renew it landowners will receive fewer tax benefits from the
“Central Virginia residents value their land, and we are conserving it
generous donation of development rights on their land.
at the community level,” said CRLC Board President, Bill Greenleaf.
2011 was an incredible year for the Our Land and Water
Campaign, which focused our work on protecting the
region’s drinking water and helping restore the Chesapeake
Bay through strategic land conservation in the Richmond
region. Accomplishments achieved included:
Virginia Leads the Southeast in Land Conservation
Virginia’s own land preservation tax credit (LPTC)
program is considered to be one of the most important
conservation tools available in Virginia. Virginia allows an
income tax credit for 40 percent of the value of donated
land or conservation easements. Unused credits may be
sold, allowing individuals with little or no Virginia income
tax burden to take advantage of this benefit. Virginia’s
program is one of the most generous nationwide, just one
of several reasons that the Commonwealth has conserved
so much of its precious heritage to date.
Cut here to send your contribution to Capital Region Land Conservancy
SUPPORT CRLC!
n Member — $35.00
n Sustaining — $50.00
n Leader — $100.00
Join us in our effort to preserve our region’s natural resources
and open space for future generations.
Capital Region Land Conservancy is a member- and grant-supported nonprofit organization
that is dedicated to conserving and protecting the natural and historic land and water
resources of Virginia’s Capital Region for the benefit of current and future generations.
________________________________________________________________________
NAME
n Sponsor — $250.00
________________________________________________________________________
n Partner — $500.00
________________________________________________________________________
ADDRESS
CITY
n Patron — $1,000.00
n Other ____________
________________________________________________________________________
STATEZIP
________________________________________________________________________
EMAIL ADDRESS (to receive our newsletter)
Please make checks payable to “Capital Region Land Conservancy”and mail to:
CRLC / P.O. Box 17306 / Richmond, VA 23226 OR log onto www.capitalregionland.org and join on-line.
Capital Region Land Conservancy is a non-profit, tax-exempt charitable organization under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code.
Donations are tax-deductible as allowable by law.
n Protection of over 100 acres in Chesterfield County on
Courthouse Road for use as a future planned public park –
Atkins Acres Community Park. This project in partnership
with Chesterfield Parks and Recreation Department was
awarded a 2012 Governor’s Environmental Excellence
Honorable Mention Award in April!
n Preservation of a 300-acre working forest in Goochland
County under conservation easement with the VA Department
of Forestry
n Completion of a Virginia Outdoors Foundation conservation
easement on 47 historic and scenic acres in Powhatan County
n Co-holding a conservation easement with the Land Trust of
Virginia on 70 acres of beautiful forestland in Hanover County
CRLC has been very active helping to educate the
community through land conservation seminars
around the area. So far in 2012 we have already:
n Presented two seminars on land conservation
tools February 26 and March 15 in Hanover
and Powhatan Counties in collaboration with
Conservation Partners LLC
n Sponsored a two-part farm transition seminar in
Powhatan County February 23 and March 1 with
Virginia Cooperative Extension
n Partnered with the Virginia Department of Forestry to
present a day-long workshop and panel discussion on
the details of placing a conservation easement on your
land at the New Kent Forestry Center in New Kent
County on March 30
n Joined Virginia Conservation Credit Exchange in
Goochland County to help inform local residents
about their land preservation options
Do you shop at Kroger? Buy food and save land!
How would you like 5% of your grocery bill to go to land conservation? Well, it’s easy to make this happen at no extra cost to you.
Through a special charitable program from Kroger, CRLC will receive 5% of every purchase made with a special CRLC Kroger gift card.
Contact Tara Quinn at 804-301-5352 for more information or [email protected].
Double
Your
Donation
Now!
Thanks to an anonymous challenge grant, you have the opportunity to DOUBLE YOUR
DONATION! A committed donor has pledged a $25,000 matching grant to CRLC, but
we must match that amount in first time donor contributions by October 1.
Will you please help us match this generosity by making a
donation of $50, $250, $500, or even $1,000 today?
Your tax-deductible investment can go twice as far, and will be deeply appreciated by your
fellow supporters, our board and staff.
People like you have already made significant donations toward the matching grant to date!
Thank you so much to those who have already helped us toward our goal!
There is no other organization like CRLC in our area, with its singular focus on
the Richmond region. CRLC first provides education and then support to property
owners who desire to gift our community and future generations with the stewardship of
their land through the donation of permanent conservation easements. We count on your
support to make our work possible for the remainder of 2012 and beyond. By coming
together as a community, we can sustain a strong CRLC and protect the lands we love for
now and for future generations!
It’s easy. Make a tax-deductible donation online (www.GiveRichmond.org) or use the
enclosed reply form. A portion of every dollar contributed by new donors will be matched
by a long-term CRLC supporter – doubling the impact of your support! Your contribution
will help CRLC to continue working to preserve the precious places that make the
Richmond Region special.
And don’t stop there. Please help spread the word.
Tell five friends how important CRLC is and how they can
double their dollars by making a donation now.