Powhatan County, VA – Bearing witness to development threats and the rapid conversion of rural areas, many landowners are increasingly putting nature first. Such is the case of Powhatan County resident Cynthia Booten who prioritized wildlife habitat and ecological values when designing and building her home, creating a pond, and nurturing the forests of her property since the 1980s. By recording a conservation easement with Capital Region Land Conservancy (CRLC), co-held by the Monacan Soil & Water Conservation District (MSCWD), Ms. Booten has helped preserve Powhatan’s rural character and also achieve a personal goal.

The conservation easement protects over 55 acres along Three Bridge Road. Because the eastern boundary of the property is formed by 1,273 feet along Solomons Creek, it ranks as “high priority” land by the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation (DHR) Natural Heritage Data Explorer’s ConserveVirginia 3.0 for conservation according to the Water Quality Improvement category.  Protecting the healthy waters of Solomons Creek as a tributary of James River has many downstream benefits. The 100-foot buffer required by the conservation easement will naturally absorb and filter nitrogen and phosphorus from stormwater before entering the river and subsequently the Chesapeake Bay.

In addition to improving water quality, the easement restricts future commercial timber harvest of the more than 100-year-old hardwood forest. Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation’s Forest Conservation Value model scores 95 percent of the property as “high” to “very high” and “outstanding.” The Booten forest, also known as “Golden Ring Farm” because of the fall color of its tree canopy encircling the pond, is part of the Natural Lands Network due to its contributions to an ecological core that adds to a larger landscape to support thousands of species of animals and plants. The conservation easement will further buffer the Central Piedmont Wildlife Biodiversity Resilience Corridor.

Commenting on her life’s work to nurture her land, Ms. Booten said, “Most people couldn’t have done what I have on the property. They would have given up and moved to town. Most people wouldn’t have done all the hard work that I did to bring this dream together. Now, my trees are saved forever.”

“Just like each property is different, the journey to conserving one’s land is unique. Cindy’s determination to achieve her goals was evident since first contacting CRLC in 2010. We are thrilled she persevered in making her dreams come true by recording a conservation easement on this majestic landscape,” said Capital Region Land Conservancy executive director, Parker Agelasto.

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About Capital Region Land Conservancy (CRLC): CRLC seeks 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. CRLC is devoted to the conservation of land within the capital region serving the City of Richmond and the Counties of Charles City, Chesterfield, Goochland, Hanover, Henrico, New Kent, and Powhatan. CRLC educates landowners about voluntary land protection tools, facilitates the process of donating conservation easements, and holds conservation easements or co-holds easements with other conservation organizations. Since 2005, CRLC has helped protect more than 14,000 acres, including easements on more than 3,400 acres.

For more information: Contact Parker C. Agelasto, Executive Director parker@capitalregionland.org

About Monacan Soil and Water Conservation District (MSWCD): Monacan Soil and Water Conservation District encompasses Powhatan and Goochland County. Monacan SWCD assists landowners, land managers, and citizens in conserving our soil and water resources. The District appreciates the financial support from the Commonwealth of Virginia, Goochland County, Powhatan County, and other sources to conduct local conservation efforts.

For more information: Contact Keith Burgess, District Manager keith.burgess@vaswcd.org