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The West Virginia Land Trust was recently awarded funds to identify and preserve lands with high conservation values in the Coal, Elk and Gauley watersheds. The Land Trust is developing partnerships with local organizations that have similar interests so that jointly we can actively work to conserve land through the acquisition and stewardship of voluntary conservation easements.
We will:
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Identify riparian areas and land that have significant conservation values in these watersheds. By working with local communities and organizations, we intend to identify those lands that are of the highest priority for inclusion in this project. We have a wealth of data regarding patterns of land use, ownership, and parcel sizes that can be used to analyze the best opportunities on which to focus.
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Educate property owners and communities in theses watersheds about the various tools available for land conservation. Our outreach includes holding meetings with community leaders and relevant organizations, as well as one-on-one meetings with property owners.
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Develop voluntary conservation easements with interested property owners who will participate in this program. With resources that have been made available to the West Virginia Land Trust, we intend to assist land owners with much of the legal and due diligence work associated with development of conservation easements and greatly reduce their burden in participating in this program.
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For more information about the Watershed Restoration Project, call (304) 346-7788 or email wvlt@te-associates.com.
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