Preserving native, rare parts of Virginia

Nelson County has become a sanctuary for several rare plant species and ecosystems through the Virginia Natural Heritage Program, a program that recently celebrated its 25 th anniversary.

The Virginia Natural Heritage Program began in 1986 as part of a national movement to preserve native and rare plants, animals and ecosystems through inventory, protection and stewardship. It is a member of NatureServ, a nonprofit conservation organization made up of biological inventories from all 50 states, all Canadian provinces and territories, 11 Latin American countries and parts of the Caribbean.

“The importance is really trying to preserve the parts of Virginia that were here before people settled and to ensure those special places are there for our children and grandchildren to enjoy,” said Tom Smith, the director of the Virginia Natural Heritage Program.

Nearly 1000 species inhabit the Naked Mountain and Crawford’s Knob natural area preserves, which span 1,630 acres of land in Nelson County, said Ryan Klopf, the Mountain Region steward for the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation’s Division of Natural Heritage.

The Naked Mountain preserve covers 284 acres of land and protects three rare species.

In the spring of 2006, the owners of the property noticed the vibrant periwinkle blossoms of the Shooting Stars in the open areas of the wooded mountainside. Shooting Stars are more common in the South and Midwest and many states list it as endangered.

The Natural Heritage Program’s staff found Torrey’s mountain mint, a globally rare plant, and two rare communities — a low-elevation basic outcrop barren and a mountain basic woodland.

Shortly after the discovery, the land was placed under a conservation easement.

“There are many conservation values protected at Naked Mountain Natural Area Preserve that benefit Nelson County,” Klopf said.

Among the benefits are providing a habitat for the white-tail deer, black bears, wild turkeys and birds. It protects portions of the Tye River and Rockfish River watersheds. The area also preserves the scenic views from U.S. 29 and Virginia 56.

Crawford’s Knob Natural Area Preserve is located on the hump of Humpback Mountain and covers 1,346 acres of forest. The greenstone-influenced soil led to the creation of a rare wetland community known as a seepage swamp and the spring water from Paul’s Creek helps support the numerous plants in the preserve, including the rare Large Purple-Fringed Orchid.

The preserve is privately owned by Wintergreen Hospitality Partners and managed by the Wintergreen Nature Foundation and the Virginia Department of Conservation, heritage division. In 2009, it joined the Natural Heritage Program through a conservation easement.

“Crawford’s Knob Natural Area Preserve protects a rare species’ habitat and natural ecological communities for the perpetual benefit, education, and enjoyment of Virginia’s citizens,” Klopf said.

He added the preserve contributes to the beauty of Nelson County and it protects the water quality in Paul’s Creek, which is a tributary of Rockfish River.

To preserve the natural habitats for the species that live there, the conservation easements place restrictions on what can be done on the land. Some of the prohibited activities include commercial forest management, mining, new building construction, and division or subdivision of the property.

The Virginia Heritage Program has about 40 full-time and 10 part-time staff members. It is funded by $2.5 million in state funds and about $800,000 in grants and contracts, said Smith.

Virginia was the 43 rd state to create such a program. There are 2,200 sites across Virginia containing one or more rare plants, animals or special ecosystems. Of the 2,200 sites, 14 percent are part of a state or federal park, under a conservation easement, or on a Natural Area State Preserve — 62 percent is federally owned, 28 percent state owned, 4 percent is locally owned and 6 percent is privately owned.

The amount of time it takes for a site to become part of the program varies with the biggest factors being funding and a land owner willing to sell, said Smith.

It took about a year for each of Nelson County’s areas to be incorporated in the program, said Klopf.

Smith said when the program first began, there were no natural area preserves and now there are 60.

It has discovered 30 species new to science in Virginia, including the Valley doll’s-daisy, a plant that grows in the Shenandoah Valley, and the Dragon Run stonefly. Most of the new species found are small invertebrates. About 300 species that are new to Virginia have been detected, including the Southeastern Myotis, a bat found in the Dismal Swamp. The program has saved numerous species, bringing them from extinction to a healthy population.

The past years also have brought concerns for the protected areas including invasive species and global warming; things Smith said they didn’t worry about when the program began in 1986.

The popularity of these natural sites grew among visitors too. Visiting natural areas has crept up the outdoor usage survey, conducted by the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation and the Virginia Commonwealth University every five years.
The activity was barely existent on the survey 15 years ago, but grew to the 11 th spot 10 years ago and had the 4 th place spot five years ago, Smith said.

Although Crawford’s Knob and Naked Mountain are privately owned, a visit can be arranged through the Mountain Region steward.

“I think people getting out and seeing natural areas will continue to be an ever increasing popular thing to do,” Smith said.