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The key component to sustaining Virginia's hunting and angling
heritage is making sure Virginians have a place to hunt and
fish. To that end, The Wildlife Foundation has assisted in the
acquisition of over
2,800 acres to open to outdoor enthusiasts. We have worked
cooperatively with state agencies and private landholders in
Albemarle
County,
Accomack County,
Fluvanna County,
Charles City County and
Madison
County to promote public access initiatives. Following is a
list of our most recent acquisition projects:
Albemarle County
Fulfillment Farms
Since 1997, WFV
has owned 2,000 acres in Albemarle County, near Scottsville.
This property is managed for no-fee public access to hunting,
fishing, hiking, bird-watching, and horseback riding. Please
visit our
Fulfillment Farms page for
additional information about this unique property.
Accomack County
Guard Shore
In 2002, The Wildlife Foundation of Virginia gifted 110 acres of
tidal marshland and beach to the Virginia Department of Game and
Inland Fisheries. Located just south of the waterfowl refuge
area of Saxis Wildlife Management Area, the land has been maintained
in its natural state, and for several decades, has been the site of
public recreation in the form of shore fishing and wildlife
watching. This project enhances recreational opportunities on
the Eastern Shore of Virginia by providing access proximate to Saxis
WMA, and furthers existing DGIF programs in this region of the
Commonwealth. Click
here for a PDF map of the Saxis WMA, taken from the Game
Department website.
Fluvanna County
Hardware River Wildlife Management Area
In 2003, The Wildlife Foundation of Virginia gifted a key 19-acre
tract of land along the Hardware River to the Virginia Department of
Game and Inland Fisheries. Acquisition of this in-holding by
the Game Department resulted in making the Hardware River Wildlife
Management Area one continuous tract. The Hardware River WMA
provides valuable public access to the James River for boating,
fishing, hiking, hunting, wildlife viewing, and other outdoor
activities. The purchase of this property by WFV was made
possible by a generous donation from Dominion. Click
here for a PDF map of the Hardware
River WMA, taken from the Game Department website.
Charles City County
Game Farm Marsh Wildlife Management Area
In early 2005, The Wildlife Foundation partnered with the
Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries on a key
acquisition project in Charles City County. The Blue Wing
Tract is a 103-acre parcel adjacent to the 429-acre Game Farm Marsh
Wildlife Management Area in New Kent County. The tract was
purchased by DGIF with funding from WFV and a National Coastal
Wetland Conservation Grant.
There is very little public land in this eastern
region of Virginia, and we are hopeful that this project will
encourage other landowners in the area to consider conservancy
options on their properties. The Blue Wing Tract provides
interior access to the Game Farm Marsh WMA for individuals who wish
to use the area for waterfowl hunting, fishing, boating, and
wildlife watching.
WFV's monetary contribution to this project came
from private donations, and provided DGIF with matching dollars
needed to secure federal grant money to offset acquisition costs.
We are pleased to partner with DGIF on the long-term protection of
this unique wildlife habitat. Click
here
for a PDF map of the Game Farm WMA, taken from the Game Department
website.
Madison County
The Wildlife Foundation of Virginia recently
acquired approximately 550 acres of
forested habitat in Madison County, previously owned by brothers
John and Jack Fray. This key parcel is bound by conservation
lands: the Rapid an Wildlife Management Area lies to the north,
west, and south, and the Shenandoah National Park is directly to the
east. In 2006, the Foundation gifted the property
to the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries, for
inclusion in the Rapidan Wildlife Management Area.
The property owners have fulfilled their father's wishes
to keep the land in its natural state, and protected from
development in perpetuity. WFV worked with the owners to
structure a transaction that benefits all parties involved:
John and Jack Fray and their families have met their conservation and financial goals; WFV received an unspoiled tract of land in a high-pressure
development area; and the citizens of the Commonwealth will be able
to hunt, fish, and recreate on an additional 550 acres in Madison
County. | 