We are excited to announce that just this week, we've closed on two new conserved properties, totaling 110 acres of protected land in Stafford County. The first, our 127th easement, is a 70-acre, nearly entirely forested property with significant wetlands. This ecological treasure provides a broad range of environmental and social benefits, including wildlife habitat, carbon sequestration, and air and water purification.
The second easement finalized this week, representing our 128th in total, is a 40-acre property of upland hardwood forestry. The Virginia Natural Heritage Data Explorer ranks portions of the property very high for its forest conservation value.
As you may know, NVCT has made a conscious effort to protect natural heritage throughout Northern Virginia and specifically in Stafford County. We remain proactive in protecting the banks of the Potomac River and its tributaries as the region contends with population increases and development pressure. Similar to the dedication of our Potomac Creek Heronry in 2020 as an addition to the Crow's Nest Natural Area preserve, land protections like the 110-acres we safeguarded this week will improve Northern Virginia's wildlife habitat and ecosystems for all time.
As we wish you a warm holiday season, we can not thank you, our supporters, enough for helping us save nearby nature throughout our region. We look forward to doing even more in 2022 to protect places that matter to us all.
