LANDHOLDINGS -
      The Land Trust owns and manages a mature forest habitat property in Monongalia County. The 89 acres donated and endowed by Elizabeth Zimmerman is used for nature education, and to protect existing forest for evolution to “old growth: status. (The Land Trust is documenting the property’s evolution from mature to old growth forest.) WVLT's model management plan for enhancing old growth ecosystems can be adapted by other landowners.

The Cheat Preserve is an important viewshed we are helping protect with easements.

CONSERVATION EASEMENTS -

1. The Land Trust’s first conservation easement is a 100-acre lakefront nature preserve in Monongalia County. This easement was donated by landowners who buffered a cluster development. The landowners use the property for scientific research and nature education and recreation. The easement will protect a large parcel of greenspace in a developing area.
2. The Land Trust holds a farmland preservation easement on the Reynolds Farm outside of Clarksburg protecting 90 acres of an historic family farm.
3. The Hodges easement protects a riparian corridor and forested hillside along the Cacapon River in Hampshire County and is over 2,000 acres.
4. The Land Trust holds a conservation easement on a 50 acre property donated by a private landowner to the Kanawha County Parks and Recreation Commission as a nature preserve for recreation and education purposes. We are currently planning for establishment of one of an eventual three trailheads to improve access to this magnificent community resource.
5. The Land Trust recently completed a conservation easement on 55 acres belonging to private landowners in Kanawha County. The family worked closely with the Land Trust to construct and implement permanent legal protection of their land’s resources. The land’s wildlife habitat, forests, plants, streams and views will be forever preserved. This action is particularly important in this corner of the county, where development has increased significantly over the last several years.
6. The Land Trust is building the capacity of local land trusts by partnering to co-hold easements. Our first co-hold is with the Monroe County Farmland Protection Board on property of over 50 acres.

THE GREATER CHARLESTON GREENWAY -
      The Land Trust led a community public-private steering committee to capture resident feedback and recommendations for green space preservation planning in the urban environment of the state’s capitol. Public meetings were held to ensure citizens have the chance to review maps of the area and discuss priorities for planning, and this information was shared with riverfront architects hired by the City of Charleston.

OUR HISTORY of LAND PROTECTION PROJECTS

COOPERS ROCK -
      The West Virginia Land Trust and the Cooper's Rock Foundation mounted a campaign to protect the spectacular 2000-acre viewshed property across from Coopers Rock State Forest from condominium development. The groups worked with the Trust for Public Land and facilitated the purchase of the viewshed by the State of West Virginia. The purchase created a publicly-owned 2,000 acre wildlife management area, and protects habitat of an endangered species, three toothed, flat-spired land snail.

TRACE FORK CANYON -
      The Land Trust organized support for the protection of this valuable Kanawha County natural area, buffering Little Creek Park. The landowner placed a conservation easement on the land and opened up a prehistoric Indian trail to public access.

BLACKWATER CANYON -
      The Land Trust educated the public about threats to the Blackwater Canyon, adjacent to Blackwater Falls State Park. The 3000 acre Canyon contains 3 threatened and endangered species, West Virginia’s most famous scenic view, a river proposed for Wild and Scenic status, a $1,000,000 state trout fishery and a critical scenic rail-trail link. Environmental groups around the state have rallied to the cause of saving the Canyon.