None The Nature Conservancy in Virginia Press Releases Search All Press Releases David Dadurka 240-731-1606 ddadurka@tnc.org

Wildlife Photographer Donates Conservation Easement over 119 Acres in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed

Land conservation agreement sets stage for restoring more than a mile of streams in the Goose Creek watershed

DELAPLANE, VA — December 3, 2007 — The Nature Conservancy announced today that wildlife photographer and retired executive Dennis Liberson of Great Falls, Virginia, donated a conservation easement to the international conservation group to protect and restore 119 acres of gentle, rolling pastures in Fauquier County. 

Located in Virginia's northern Piedmont and originally part of the historic Flint Hill Farm, the site now will serve as a stream and wetland restoration demonstration site—the largest stream restoration that the Conservancy has undertaken in Virginia to date.

The Conservancy plans to restore more than a mile of streams on the property near the headwaters of Goose Creek, which flows to the Potomac River and, ultimately, the Chesapeake Bay. This project will cover 42 acres, involve Bolling Branch and several unnamed tributaries, and create 5.5 acres of new wetlands. The Virginia Aquatic Resources Trust Fund, a cooperative program administered by the Conservancy and the Army Corps of Engineers, will pay for the restoration.

“The Nature Conservancy has identified Goose Creek as a conservation priority in the Chesapeake Bay watershed, because of the dense populations of fish species—from bluegill to smallmouth bass—that live there,” said Michael Lipford, Virginia executive director of The Nature Conservancy. “Private land owners, like the Libersons, play an important role in helping Virginia reach its goal of protecting 400,000 acres by 2010.

“Dennis is to be commended for seeking out the Conservancy to help improve his land for the benefit of nature,” Lipford added. “We encourage landowners to explore opportunities like the Virginia Aquatic Resources Trust Fund, which can provide technical and financial assistance for restoring our lands and waters.”

Liberson has long been interested in aquatic habitats and water quality. After retiring from 20 years as a human resource executive, he has pursued his passions for scuba diving, wildlife photography and conservation. His photographs have appeared in magazines such as Nature’s Best, National Wildlife and Scuba Diving. He is chairman of the board of directors of the Diver’s Alert Network and also serves on the board of directors and executive committee of The Coral Reef Alliance.

“Landowners in this region greatly value conservation, and they’re interested in opportunities such as repairing streambanks and planting trees that reduce the sediment and agricultural runoff entering the Chesapeake Bay," said Dennis Liberson. “I hope this project encourages others to work with The Nature Conservancy and similar organizations to enhance water quality in the Potomac River and the bay."
 
A conservation easement is a voluntary, legally binding agreement that limits certain types of uses or prevents development from taking place on a piece of property now and in the future, while protecting the property’s ecological or open-space values. A conservation easement selectively targets only those rights necessary to protect specific conservation values, including water quality or migration routes, and is individually tailored to meet a landowner’s needs.

Under the easement, Liberson and his family may board and keep horses, plant orchards, and restore native vegetation. The easement prohibits subdivision of the property and limits agricultural activities. In addition to reducing the property’s development potential, the easement places specific limits on impervious surfaces, such as pavement. The Conservancy will monitor the easement annually to ensure compliance and measure conservation effectiveness.

According to John K. Gott’s Flint Hill Farm: A History, George Washington obtained the property south of Goose Creek from Bryan Fairfax in 1772. Washington owned the property, which was referred to as the Chattin’s Run Tract, until his death in December of 1799. The property then changed hands several times until it was purchased in 1845 by John D. Rawlings.

Bolling Branch flows from Little Cobbler Mountain, through the Ashville Historical District (where freed African American slaves established a community following the Civil War), through the John Marshall home site at “Oak Hill,” through Flint Hill Farm, and finally into Goose Creek.

The Nature Conservancy is a leading conservation organization working around the world to protect ecologically important lands and waters for nature and people. To date, the Conservancy and its more than one million members have been responsible for the protection of more than 15 million acres in the United States and have helped preserve more than 102 million acres in Latin America, the Caribbean, Asia and the Pacific. Visit The Nature Conservancy on the Web at www.nature.org.