For Immediate Release: February 18, 2022
Contacts:
Aaron Kershaw, Communications Coordinator
Northern Virginia Conservation Trust
akershaw@nvct.org / (703) 354-5093, ext. 103
The Northern Virginia Conservation Trust is excited to announce the protection of a forested 40-acre property in Stafford County consisting of nearly one hundred percent upland hardwood. The land includes American beech, American holly, and red maple trees and is virtually free of invasive plant species known to often overwhelm native plant life in our region.
“We are very pleased with the work the Northern Virginia Conservation Trust continues to do to preserve land in our county and across Virginia. Preserving natural resources and open space are key foundations to our Healthy Growth strategy in Stafford County,” said Supervisor Tinesha Allen, Griffis-Widewater District. “The Little Clifton property will join more than 12,000 acres of open space lands in Stafford that will be preserved in perpetuity.”
Conserved areas such as this one provide much-needed habitat for migratory birds and native wildlife, including deer, foxes, and other small mammals. With the parcel sitting a third of a mile from the Potomac River, small reptiles and amphibians also frequent parts of the property that protects the river corridor. This forty acre preserved site also sits adjacent to a 443 acre natural area that NVCT safeguarded just last year, thus creating a larger area of connected wildlife habitat that will never face the pressures of development. The property sits immediately south of Marine Corps Base Quantico and provides a valuable buffer for military base operations.
The Virginia Natural Heritage Data Explorer ranks significant portions of the property "Very High" and "Outstanding" for its Forest Conservation Value. Safeguarding such vitally important sites impacts plants and animals alike, as the quality of the land, water, and air significantly affect our health and well-being. This easement's protection of the forests will continue to benefit the region's ecosystem, including wildlife habitat, carbon sequestration, and air and water purification.
“Anytime we can add to a previously protected site by safeguarding the property that abuts it, we are able to create larger, connected, and intact habitat that wildlife in our region need,” said NVCT Executive Director Alan Rowsome.
“With climate change and development putting more pressure on our region every day, this refuge will forever be a safe place for critical species and now secures this section of the Potomac River heading out to the Chesapeake Bay.”
ABOUT NORTHERN VIRGINIA CONSERVATION TRUST
The Northern Virginia Conservation Trust (NVCT) is a regional, nonprofit land trust that forever conserves, manages, and advocates for land that has natural, historical, and cultural value to our Northern Virginia communities. NVCT works with conservation partners, local governments, and private landowners to preserve, restore and steward the land in Northern Virginia. Since its founding in 1994, NVCT has protected over 8,000 acres in urban and rural areas. To learn more, visit nvct.org and follow us on Twitter and Facebook.
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