The Virginia Natural Area Preserve System is a system of protected areas in the state of Virginia. It is managed by the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation.
, there are sixty-seven (67) dedicated preserves totaling . These preserves contain examples of some of the rarest natural communities in the state; in addition, many serve as a home for locally, nationally, and globally rare species.
History In 1986, the Virginia Natural Heritage Program was formed through a cooperative agreement between the Commonwealth of Virginia and The Nature Conservancy. In 1988 the program was placed under the control of the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR). To further the Natural Heritage Program's mission to conserve and manage sites identified as significant natural areas within the state, The Virginia Natural Area Preserve System was established in 1989.
The system's first preserve, North Landing River Natural Area Preserve, was established in 1990. By 2007, the preserve system included 50 protected areas.
Description The Virginia Natural Area Preserve System is managed as part of the Natural Heritage Program of the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation, with the purpose of protecting threatened or rare plants, animals, and natural communities.
To become a part of the system, a Natural Area Preserve must be accepted by the director of the Department of Conservation and Recreation, although they may be initially dedicated by other departments and agencies of the Commonwealth of Virginia. Natural Area Preserves may be acquired by the Commonwealth of Virginia, or may continue to be owned by independent conservation organizations or other private landowners. Dedication itself is similar to a conservation easement, as it places certain legal strictures on future development of a given portion of land.
Access Most properties are owned by the state's Department of Conservation and Recreation. However, some are owned by local governments, universities, private citizens, and independent conservation organizations, such as The Nature Conservancy.
Many state-owned properties are freely open to the public for low-impact uses, such as hiking and birdwatching. However, some state-owned properties with rare and/or species and habitats require that arrangements be made with a state-employed land steward prior to visitation.
Privately held properties may restrict public access, although sometimes it can be arranged in coordination with a preserve's owner.
Access to any individual Virginia Natural Area Preserve may be temporarily restricted or closed when it is determined as necessary to protect sensitive plant and animal populations within the preserve, for seasonal migration habitat, or for habitat management and ecological restoration activities, such as prescribed burns. Visitor impactful activities, such as camping, hunting, fishing, timber cutting, campfires, vegetation harvesting, and motorized trail vehicles are typically forbidden at all preserves.
List of Virginia Natural Area Preserves
The following table lists Virginia's Natural Area Preserves . Those listed as being accessible "by arrangement" require prospective visitors to contact either state-employed land stewards, private property owners, or both.
Preserve nameCounty orcountiesInformation included in this column is sourced from individual pages listed at: AreaOwnerPublicaccess?Notes Antioch Pines Isle of Wight DCR By arrangement Bald Knob Franklin DCR No Bethel Beach Mathews DCR Yes Big Spring Bog Grayson DCR By arrangement Blackwater Ecological Preserve Isle of Wight Old Dominion University By arrangement Blackwater Sandhills Isle of Wight Isle of Wight County No Buffalo Mountain Floyd DCR Yes Bull Run Mountains Fauquier,Prince William Virginia Outdoors Foundation Yes No dogs allowed on property. Highpoint Cliffs area is closed to the public. Bush Mill Stream Northumberland DCR Yes Camp Branch Wetlands Floyd Private No Cape Charles Coastal Habitat Northampton DCR Yes Cave HillAugustaMadison Cave Hill LLCNo The Cedars Lee DCR By arrangement The Channels Washington,Russell Virginia Department of Forestry Yes Cherry Orchard Bog Sussex,Prince George DCR By arrangement Chestnut Creek Wetlands Floyd DCR By arrangement Chestnut Ridge Giles, Bland DCR By arrangement Chotank Creek King George Private No Chub Sandhill Sussex DCR Yes Cleveland Barrens Russell DCR/The Nature Conservancy By arrangement Clover Hollow Giles DCR By permission Access permitted only for the purpose of data collection and monitoring. Cowbane Prairie Augusta DCR By arrangement Crawford's Knob Nelson Private By arrangement Crow's Nest Stafford Stafford County Yes Cumberland MarshNew KentThe Nature ConservancyYes Cypress Bridge Southampton DCR By arrangement Dameron Marsh Northumberland DCR Yes Deep Run Ponds Rockingham DCR By arrangement Dendron Swamp Sussex DCR By arrangement Contains the Charles C. Steirly Natural Area, an essentially virgin bald cypress swamp that was designated a National Natural Landmark in 1974. Difficult Creek Halifax DCR Yes Dundas Granite Flatrock Brunswick Private By arrangement Elklick Woodlands Fairfax Fairfax County Park Authority By arrangement False Cape Virginia Beach DCR Yes Fletcher Ford Lee The Nature Conservancy By arrangement Folly Mills Creek Fen Augusta Private By arrangement Goshen Pass Rockbridge DCR Yes Grafton Ponds York Newport News Yes Grassy Hill Franklin DCR Yes Grayson Glades Grayson DCR By arrangement Hickory Hollow Lancaster Northern Neck Audubon Society Yes Hughlett Point Northumberland DCR Yes Johnsons Creek Alleghany DCR By arrangement Lyndhurst PondsAugustaDCRBy arrangement Magothy Bay Northampton DCR Yes Mark's and Jack's Island Accomack The Nature Conservancy By arrangement Mill Creek Springs Montgomery The Nature Conservancy By arrangement Mount Joy Pond Augusta DCR By arrangement Mutton Hunk Fen Accomack DCR Yes Naked Mountain Nelson Private By arrangement New Point Comfort Mathews The Nature Conservancy Yes North Landing River Virginia Beach DCR No After a decade of closure due to illegal activities, this preserve was scheduled to re-open for public use in 2016 or 2017. Northwest River Chesapeake DCR By arrangement Ogdens Cave Frederick DCR By arrangement Parkers Marsh Accomack DCR Yes Parramore Island Accomack The Nature Conservancy By arrangement Access permitted for research or educational purposes only. Pedlar Hills Glades Montgomery DCR By arrangement Pickett's Harbor Northampton DCR By arrangement Piney Grove FlatwoodsSussexThe Nature ConservancyBy arrangement Pinnacle Russell DCR Yes Poor Mountain Roanoke DCR Yes Redrock Mountain Smyth DCR By arrangement Savage Neck Dunes Northampton DCR Yes South Quay Sandhills Southampton,City of Suffolk DCR/The Nature Conservancy By arrangement Southside SavannahHalifaxDCRBy arrangement Sweet Springs Montgomery Private By arrangement Unthanks Cave Lee DCR By permission Access permitted only for the purpose of data collection and monitoring. Wreck Island Northampton DCR Yes
See also
Virginia Wildlife Management Areas List of Virginia state forests List of Virginia state parks
References
External links Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation.gov: official Natural Area Preserve System website — all current NAPS preserves.