Newly Protected Property in King George County – Every Acre Matters!

The Northern Virginia Conservation Trust (NVCT) has placed 89 acres of undeveloped forest in King George County, just outside Fredericksburg, under a conservation easement. Bordering an existing 138-acre preserve protected by the Virginia Outdoors Foundation, this property expands protected habitat. For us, its protection reminded us that in a region with growing development, undistrubed lands of this size are particularly critical. At NVCT, we conserve properties ranging from less than an acre to over 400 acres. Each protected property matters because we know how important

it is to create habitat connectivity for our wildlife and spread the benefits of nearby nature.

This property in particular is a mesic mixed hardwood forest. What does this mean? It’s a forest made up of broad-leafed deciduous trees in loamy, acidic, relatively nutrient-poor soil.  Trees found in these forests include white oak, tulip-tree, and American beech, to name a few. Loamy soil is ideal for absorbing rainfall and redistributing moisture to the surrounding environment. Moisture in the air may not be great for your hair, but it helps keep natural vegetation hydrated!

Species that rely on mesic mixed hardwood forests include the Cooper’s hawk, timber rattlesnake, and eastern box turtles. Connected habitat is essential for wildlife suffering from habitat fragmentation, and Northern Virginia is an increasingly developed region. Forests, meadows, and wetlands are broken apart every day here, leaving wildlife with no choice but to wander into urban areas. It’s charming to occasionally spot a deer in your backyard or a fox running across the road at night, but their presence in our neighborhoods indicates their shrinking habitat. Connecting these pieces of land provides shelter for these traveling species, helping them stay clear of the road and other places they aren’t supposed to be, like eating out of your garbage cans!

For us, more trees, vegetation, and open space mean fresh air and places to recreate and relax! Another added benefit is flood prevention. This property, and mixed mesic areas in general, have sloping topography, ideal for water to pool downward and be absorbed into the soil.  The preserve also features an 800-foot stretch of stream that drains into Muddy Creek, then the Rappahannock River, then the Chesapeake Bay. Rainfall that enters the stream is first filtered through the soil, before being channeled to the Bay.

This is our first property protected in King George County. Neighboring areas like Stafford, Spotsylvania, and Caroline Counties represent the rural portion of our service area. Defined by agricultural land and wide-open spaces, landowners most often tell us that development has begun to creep into these areas. Connectivity of conserved land is important in these regions as well. No matter the landscape, our mission is to protect land for wildlife habitat, recreation, and healthy communities. That mission is embodied by protecting all kinds of properties, no matter the size.