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The Virginia Natural Area Preserve System is a system of protected areas in the state of Virginia. As of 2016 there were sixty-three dedicated preserves in Virginia, containing examples of some of the rarest natural communities in the state; in addition, many serve as a home for locally, nationally, and globally rare species.
Contents
History
In 1986, the Virginia Natural Heritage Program was formed through a cooperative agreement between the Commonwealth of Virginia and The Nature Conservancy; the program was placed under the control of the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) two years later. To further the Natural Heritage Program's mission to conserve and manage sites identified as significant natural areas within the state, The Virginia Natural Area Preserve System was established in 1989. The system's first preserve, North Landing River Natural Area Preserve, was established the following year. By 2007, the preserve system included 50 protected areas. As of 2016, 63 Natural Area Preserves were established in Virginia.
Description
The Virginia Natural Area Preserve System is managed as part of the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation's Natural Heritage Program, with the purpose of protecting threatened or rare plants, animals, and natural communities. To become a part of the system, a Natural Area Preserve must be accepted by the director of the Department of Conservation and Recreation, although they may be initially dedicated by other departments and agencies of the Commonwealth of Virginia. Natural Area Preserves may be acquired by the Commonwealth of Virginia, or may continue to be owned by independent conservation organizations or other private landowners. Dedication itself is similar to a conservation easement, as it places certain legal strictures on future development of a given portion of land.
Public access
Most properties are owned by the Department of Conservation and Recreation, however some are owned by local government, universities, private citizens, and independent conservation organizations such as The Nature Conservancy. Many properties owned by Virginia are freely open to the public for low-impact uses such as hiking; however other state-owned properties require that arrangements be made with a state-employed land steward prior to visitation. Privately held properties may restrict public access, although visitation may sometimes be arranged in coordination with the preserve's owner. Access to any individual Natural Area Preserve may be temporarily restricted if it is determined that such a closure is necessary to protect sensitive plant and animal populations within the preserve, or to enact management actions such as prescribed burns. Activities such as camping or the building of campfires are typically forbidden.
List of Virginia Natural Area Preserves
The following table lists Virginia's Natural Area Preserves as of 2016. Those listed as being accessible "by arrangement" require prospective visitors to contact either state-employed land stewards, private property owners, or both.