Enhancing Forest Health & Habitat
After acquiring a purchase option from the Trust for Public Land, which unfortunately had been unable to secure federal acquisition funding through the Forest Service, the Biophilia Foundation purchased this 1,477 acre property in February of 2007. It consists of mountainous terrain with approximately 99% of the property in forest. The property is surrounded by the Jefferson National Forest on three sides, and thus decreases the habitat fragmentation along this National Forest boundary. Hutson Creek, which runs through the property, is one of the headwaters of the New River. In December of 2007, the Foundation donated a conservation easement on the entire property to the Virginia Outdoors Foundation. The easement allows for a main residence and two cabins to be built in reserved “building envelopes,” and allows forestry that will only enhance forest health and protects wildlife habitat and water quality. Biophilia Foundation sold this protected wildlife preserve to a private buyer in 2012.