Saving Land

WVLT celebrates 15 years at Conservation Celebration 2011Kegleys to receive Vic Thomas AwardCommunity comes together for Read MountainDunkenbergers all agree to conserve Montgomery County landLand+Link Photo Competition Opening Sept. 7

westernvirginialandtrust.org

I N W E S T E R N V I R G I N I A f a l l 2011

Louise and George Kegley survey their farm from the porch of Monterey

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by Laura Lemon

Drop all your plans and come join us in kicking off this year’s Conservation Celebration on Sunday, September 18 from 4 - 7 pm at Braeloch in Vinton, VA. Shake off all of your worries and enjoy good food, good music, and good company while surrounded by the famously beautiful Virginia mountains. This year Blue Ridge Catering will continue its reign in providing a delicious dinner for everyone. In addition, local beer from Big Daddy’s Brewing Company and Valhalla wine will be served, along with hard cider from Foggy Ridge Cider in Floyd and Carroll counties. Other events of the evening will include live bluegrass music by the Ephraim Vause Memorial String Band as well as a silent auction that will feature vacation getaways, sailboat cruises, framed photographs from the winners of the Land+Link photo competition and much more!

This year we will be honoring George and Louise Kegley with the A. Victor Thomas Environmental Stewardship Award. George and Louise Kegley live on the only farm inside Roanoke City limits that is under a conservation easement. Their 116-acre farm sits between the Ole Monterey and Blue Hills golf courses and features a beautiful 1845 Southern Greek Revival home, which is listed on the Virginia Land Register and the National Register of Historic Places. Their farm continues to be a working farm with many beef cattle.

Tickets for this fabulous event are $55 a person by September 9 and $60 thereafter. (Current WVLT supporters received invitations in mid-August; don’t forget to RSVP!) All of the food and beverages are included in the price, so feel free to drink and eat as much as you wish! Children under the age of 12 are free. Come and enjoy Mother Nature’s wonderful work and appreciate everything good and traditional about Southwest Virginia at this year’s Conservation Celebration! For more information, visit westernvirginialandtrust.org/celebration.

Conservation Celebration is September 18th

Conservation Celebration is September 18George and Louise Kegley to be honored

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The view from Braeloch

SiLenT AuCTion Bring your checkbooks and get ready to bid! Items include vacation getaways to the Homestead, sail cruises on Smith Mountain Lake, glider rides from the New Castle International Gliderport, guided canoe fishing trips, quail hunts, and much more!

3Since the onset of our new fiscal year, I’ve enjoyed

reflecting upon the outstanding contributions the WVLT brings to the quality of life in our region. I’ve also been thinking about how very fortunate I am to be a part of this wonderful organization. Our Land Trust has aided in the conservation of over

80,000 acres and 33 miles of streams, including 11,500 acres in the Carvins Cove Natural Reserve (the largest city park east of the Rocky Mountains!) since our founding in 1996. We have received the Governor’s Environmental Excellence Award (2008) and have been honored multiple times for our preservation of Carvins Cove, Tinker Mountain, Mill Mountain, and the land adjacent to the Blue Ridge Parkway. In 2000 the Land Trust received the Virginia Viewshed Award for helping to preserve the 8500 acre “Big Survey” tract in Wythe County which contains the water supply for the town of Wytheville. Additionally, this year the Western Virginia Land Trust achieved accreditation from the Land Trust

Alliance—an honor bestowed upon only 7.5 percent of land trusts in United States! This is a certain indicator of our strength, performance, and permanence. While we are so proud of WVLT’s many accomplishments, there is more work to be done. Soon we will initiate programs to increase community awareness of our efforts. Enhancement of community support is essential to the advancement of one of the Land Trust’s most vital components—that of land stewardship. And speaking of community awareness and participation, please join us for our annual Conservation Celebration (truly one of the area’s BEST celebrations!) on Sunday, Sept. 18 from 4-7 pm. A link with all info can be found on our website. In addition to an exceptional catered dinner, live music, and our ever-evolving silent auction, we will honor George and Louise Kegley for their commitment to open space in Virginia as well as for their outstanding and ongoing contributions to the Land Trust. Purchase your (extraordinarily-reasonably-priced) tickets now and bring 10-20 of your best friends. I’ll be looking forward to seeing you on the 18th!

The fall of 2011 brings two significant milestones to the land trust. The land trust will be 15 years old and I will have been its director for 10 years. It does seem like just the other day that I was asked by Barbara Lemon (our founding board president) to come in as the interim director. I was the only full time staff member back then and we were the only private land trust in the

southwestern third of Virginia-- 23 counties from Lynchburg to the Cumberland Gap in Tennessee. Before Christmas that year we moved to a better office space (that we still occupy--thank you, Jim Woltz). We were proud to have helped preserve over 15,000 acres in our first five years. Within the first year we committed to the hiring of a second full-time staff person, David Hurt, who is now back with WVLT as a board member.

While still a staff of two we always leveraged our board and staff ’s talents, commitment and energy through partnerships with local groups, local governments and state and federal agencies.

We now have a park on Read Mountain, and easements on Carvins Cove, Mill Mountain and parts of Tinker Mountain. We have helped preserve over 81,000 acres now through partnerships with the Virginia Outdoors Foundation, the National Park Service, the VA Department of Game and Inland Fisheries, five Soil and Water Conservation Districts, the Roanoke Valley Greenways Commission, and a number of the cities and counties we serve. We work regularly with NGOs like the Nature Conservancy, the Conservation Fund, the Virginia Conservation Network, Scenic Virginia, Friends of the Rivers of Virginia, the New River Land Trust, the Valley Conservation Council and our statewide land

From the President

Sandy Light

From the Director by Roger Holnback

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continued page 13

Roger Holnback

4Race for open Space another success

More than 100 runners and walkers took to the trails of Green Hill Park in Roanoke County in June at the third annual Race for Open Space, a fundraiser for the land trust. Andrew Parkins of Salem was first overall on the 3k course in a time of 10:15, while Lynn Howard of Roanoke was the top overall female in a time of 14:33. Lynn was also the top overall individual fundraiser for the race, which earned her a pair of tickets to the Appalachian State-Virginia Tech game on Sept. 3! More than 40 cash and in-kind sponsors supported the event, which raised nearly $4,700 for the land trust. For full results and more information about the race, please visit the race website at westernvirginialandtrust.org/race.

4Western Virginia Land TrustPromoting the conservation of western

Virginia’s natural resources – farms, forests, waterways, and rural landscapes.

722 First St., SW, Suite LRoanoke, VA 24016-4120Phone/fax (540) 985-0000

www.westernvirginialandtrust.org

BoARD oF TRuSTeeSSandy Light, President

Stephen M. Claytor, Vice PresidentF. Fulton Galer, Treasurer

Whitney H. Feldmann, Secretary

Lynn M. DavisWalter M. Dixon, III

Lucy R. EllettPeter M. Fellers

William M. HackworthRobert H. HuntDavid A. Hurt

George A. KegleyJames L. Kermes

Kenneth L. LanfordJ.W. “Bill” Mason

John H. Parrott, Jr.Janet Scheid

Daniel C. SummerlinJames M. Turner, Jr.

Steve Waterman

Advisory CouncilLiza T. Field

Talfourd H. KemperRobert B. Lambeth, Jr.

Barbara B. LemonStephen W. LemonJeanne M. Martin

John B. Williamson, III

StaffRoger B. HolnbackExecutive Director

David C. PerryAssistant Director

Cover photo: George and Louise Kegley on the porch of their home, Monterey,

in Roanoke. Credit: David Perry.

news

Two runners head for the finish.

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WVLT has received a $630 grant from the Community Foundation of the New River Valley to host a conservation workshop in Montgomery County this fall. Funding was provided by the Hawk’s Ridge Fund, one of the Community Foundation’s several donor-advised funds. WVLT is appreciative of the Community Foundation of the New River Valley’s and the Hawk’s Ridge Fund’s support. Be sure to watch the WVLT website and WVLT e-news for specifics on the workshop later this fall.

WVLT receives grant from Community Foundation of the new River Valley

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University of Virginia student Jessica Church and North Cross School student Laura Lemon interned at the Western Virginia Land Trust over the summer, helping staff complete vital monitoring visits to properties that WVLT protects and other important tasks. Jessica, age 20 and a Hidden Valley High School graduate, is double-majoring in Environmental Thought and Practice and Religious Studies at UVa. Jessica worked 35-40 hours a week for most of the summer. “Jessica was a tremendous help. She’s very intelligent and a real self-starter. Just point her at a project and turn her loose,” says WVLT’s assistant director, David Perry.

Laura, a 17-year-old from south Roanoke, put in two, two-week stints at the land trust and made a tremendous impact by contacting landowners who were once considering conservation easements that WVLT staff hadn’t heard from in a while. “Laura really helped us determine which landowners still have an interest and which have decided that an easement isn’t for them,” said Roger. “Hopefully she gained some exposure that will help her in her college and career decisions.” Thank you, Jessica and Laura!

WVLT named new officers and appointed new trustees for the 2011-12 fiscal year at its July meeting. Sandy Light, a community volunteer from Roanoke, was named president. Steve Claytor of Roanoke County, vice president of development with Fralin & Waldron, was named vice president. F. Fulton Galer of Roanoke, a partner with Cherry, Bekaert & Holland in Roanoke, was reappointed treasurer, and Whitney Feldmann, a conservation easement donor and community volunteer from Roanoke, was renamed secretary.

New trustees appointed to the board were Bill Mason of Roanoke, a manager with N.B. Handy Co., David Hurt of Hardy, a conservation easement donor and Roanoke Valley Sales Manager with Wordsprint, Inc., John Parrott of Roanoke, executive vice president with Rutherfoord, Pete Fellers of Goode, a conservation easement donor and farmer, and Dan Summerlin of Roanoke, an attorney with Woods Rogers, PLC. Welcome and thanks to everyone!

WVLT appoints new trustees and officers

Sandy Light

Fulton Galer

SteveClaytor

WhitneyFeldmann

Bill Mason

David Hurt

John Parrott

Pete Fellers

DanSummerlin

Looking for our annual list of donors? Watch for it as part of the 2010-11 Annual Report,

coming out in the Winter 2011-12 issue of Saving Land in November

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(L-R) Jessica Church & Laura Lemon.

interns help WVLT over the summer

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The Roanoke Star-Sentinel salutes the

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The property began as the family homestead, then was passed to Tom’s grandfather who ran it as a dairy farm. Eventually, it transitioned to a beef cattle operation, which is still run today by Tom’s Uncle Bill. And all the while, through the dairy and the beef, it has been used as a family recreation center for all to take pleasure in.

There are several springs on the property, one of which fed the original Shawsville water system and now feeds two man-made ponds. Both of the ponds are stocked with fish, and a zip-line runs over the upper pond where the kids (or adults)

can glide over and drop into the water. The property also boasts a sandy beach and large pavilion near the pond with tables, fans, and lights. It’s everything you need for a great afternoon outdoors. “We hold church picnics, weddings, grad parties, and business retreats there. The local sheriff ’s department has even used it,” says Tom.

Along with ponds, picnic tables, and ziplines, the property is also full of wildlife. Every Thanksgiving, the men in the family would go bird hunting. “The only turkey I’ve ever shot was on that land,” said Tom. There are also grouse, deer, coyotes, foxes, and bear, all of which keep company with the 200 head of beef cattle, of course. Several years ago, the Dunkenbergers learned of a more subtle illustration of wildlife that resides on their land: a rare species of flowers called Echinacea laevigata or smooth purple coneflowers. They’re a member of the Asteraceae family, which also encompasses sunflowers and daisies, and are on the endangered species list. They occur in just a few counties in four states.

On the day I visited the property, it was especially warm outside. Not even the cows could be spotted in the grassy hollows; they had fled to the wooded ridges for shade. The land was beautiful though, and clearly well-managed. The Dunkenbergers have achieved the best of both worlds with their property: a conservation easement to protect it and a family recreation area to enjoy it.

trust association VaULT (Virginia’s United Land Trusts).

During the past ten years I have had the pleasure to work with and hopefully educate and assist hundreds of landowners who care about their land and legacy. Many have gone on to do conservation easements and many have not, and that is okay. Because in regards to landowners, I learned an important lesson even before joining WVLT while working for the Appalachian

Trail Land Trust, and that is: if a landowner cares enough about their land to take the time to learn about conservation easements, they have the right personal ethics in regards to their land and families. They care. They are responsible. They understand that we all must be stewards of the land we own. They want to do right by their families. They are the salt of the earth and I am blessed to have had a chance to know so many of them. What a great ten years!

Director: continued from page 3

Dunkenberger: continued from 15

Tom on his family’s Montgomery County farm.

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In late 2001, the Read Mountain Alliance went to Al Durham, a landowner on Read Mountain, to ask if he would be interested in putting his property into a conservation easement. They explained how conservation easements work, their ultimate goal, and of course the tax benefits. It wasn’t long before Dr. Durham was on board. In 2002, the 90-acre easement was donated to the Western Virginia Land Trust.

Several years later, in September of 2005, Fralin & Waldron Inc. acquired 203 acres on the base of Read Mountain, but only kept 51 of them for development; the rest they put into a conservation easement held by the Virginia Outdoors Foundation. Once the easement was completed, Fralin & Waldron knew that they wanted to donate the land to Roanoke County because it would allow the maximum number of people the chance to enjoy it. In December of 2006, they generously did so. This not only added to the land that would eventually become the Read Mountain Preserve; it also took care of the legal problems that come with allowing the public to hike on a piece of property.

The last piece of the land parcel puzzle to fall into place involves private landowners John and Matilda Bradshaw, who don’t currently have an easement on their property. And yet, they made the decision to allow Roanoke County to lease their land for just $1 per year, and that is the type of cooperation that comes from long-term relationships and a common vision. “Everybody was committed to the ultimate outcome of preserving the mountain,” said Steve Claytor, Vice President of Development for Fralin & Waldron. Steve also became a member of the WVLT’s board of trustees in 2008.

But what’s a forested park with no trails? Enter the Wednesday Crew. Twelve years ago, before the Read Mountain Alliance, before the conservation easements, before the Read Mountain

Preserve was even an idea, a group of around 14 men and women started donating their time and hard work to build and maintain natural surface trails. Each and every Wednesday, Bill Gordge and his crew would take a hike, alternating pleasure hikes with work hikes. Their first project was the Star Trail on Mill Mountain, a trail that is still popular today.

After roughly a decade of projects around the valley, the Wednesday Crew started working on the Read Mountain Preserve. The Crew spent over 1,000 person-hours working on the original trail. “It’s slow work,” explained Bill, who has taken classes and participated in workshops to educate himself on safe and sustainable trail building. The park opened in the fall of 2008, but the Wednesday Crew is still working; their current project is to cut a trail that will travel along the ridge and eventually form a several mile loop.

The result of all this cooperation is a beautiful wilderness oasis. The Read Mountain Preserve is especially unique because it’s within 2 miles of 12,000 people. And yet, while hiking through the woods, one would never know it. “It’s finally become a reality,” remarked Ron Crawford. The businesses, non-profits, citizens, and governments of the Roanoke Valley have accomplished their goal: to protect and preserve Read Mountain.

The Wednesday Crew on Read Mountain this summer. (L-R) Hugh Scruggs, Bud LaRoche, Bill Gordge, John VanLuik, Blanche Brower and Jim Roberson (with Lumps the dog)

Community: continued from 15

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15by Jessica Church

At age 5, Tom Dunkenberger can remember taking rides through the family’s Shawsville property in his grandfather’s Pontiac sedan, a sedan whose engine once ended up sitting on the ground after it hit a tree stump. Tom remembers his

grandfather just laughing it off and his father having to walk into town for help. It has been decades since then, but Tom Dunkenberger still drives through the property, only now in a modern day SUV. The land has been in the family since the 1700’s, and they expect it to remain in its natural state forever, thanks to a conservation easement held by the Virginia Outdoors Foundation.

When asked how he learned about conservation easements, Tom explained that it was all through word of mouth. Several other families in the Shawsville area had completed

them, families whose land actually adjoins the Dunkenberger property. (WVLT has been active in land conservation along the “straightaway” in eastern Montgomery County for years, helping with several conservation easements and holding its 2006 Conservation Celebration at Madison Marye’s conserved farm.) But this is a special piece of property for many reasons, not the least of which is the fact that the main parcel was acquired through a land grant from King George III.

by Jessica ChurchA little teamwork can go a long way, both on the field and in the world of land conservation. This is especially the case with the Read Mountain Preserve, located on the southeastern side of Read Mountain. Encompassing

243 acres, it is Roanoke County’s largest park, but you won’t find soccer fields here; the Preserve will remain in its natural state, with intact forest and natural surface trails. The Read Mountain Preserve wouldn’t be here without the cooperation of business, government, non-profits, and

civilian volunteers, all of whom deserve thanks and acknowledgement.

Ron Crawford, a retired architect and landowner on Read Mountain, was one of the first to envision this mountain wholly protected. Growing up in Roanoke, he always admired the property and hoped to someday protect the entire mountain, but short of buying the whole thing, he wasn’t sure how to go about it. The first step was to form a citizens’ alliance, which he did in 2001. The next step was to acquire some land.

Dunkenbergers turn family farm into recreational paradise

Community rallies to protect land, build trails on Read Mountain

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A view of the farm’s recreational area.

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You’re invited: Land+Link Photo Competition Reception

Please join us for a special exhibition opening for the first Land+Link Photo Competition, a joint project of the Western Virginia Land Trust and the O.

Winston Link Museum. The opening will take place on Wednesday, Sept. 7 from 6-8 pm at the Link Museum in downtown Roanoke, and will feature the finalists and top three over winners as judged by our panel jury: Roanoke Outside’s Pete Eshelman, Hollins University President Nancy Gray, and Roanoke Times outdoors editor Mark Taylor. Attendees will also be able to vote with their pocketbooks on the “People’s Choice” award, so bring your wallet or checkbook and get ready to stuff the ballot boxes for your favorite photos. The event will feature hors d’oeuvres by Blue Ridge Catering and a cash bar.

The photos will be on display at the Link Museum from Sept. 7-16, and then will be placed in the silent auction at

the land trust’s Conservation Celebration on Sept. 18 at Braeloch in Roanoke County. Jordan’s Custom Framing is providing framing for the top three photos before they enter the auction, and PhotoUSA is providing high-quality prints of all the finalists. As a courtesy, please call the Land Trust at (540) 985-0000 or e-mail dperry@westernvirginialandtrust.org to let us know you’re coming. For more information, visit the competition website at westernvirginialandtrust.org/photo.

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