About the Western Virginia Land Trust
Conservation easements (in green) in the WVLT service area. These are held by WVLT, the Virginia Outdoors Foundation and other groups.
The Western Virginia Land Trust (WVLT) was formed in 1996 and works to preserve our region’s unique scenic, historic, agricultural, recreational and natural features. We work in ten counties in the Roanoke region: Bedford, Botetourt, Carroll, Craig, Floyd, Franklin, Henry, Montgomery, Patrick and Roanoke. WVLT is a private, 501(c)(3) non-profit and is accredited by the Land Trust Accreditation Commission, an independent program of the Land Trust Alliance. WVLT is one of just 135 land trusts nationwide (out of 1,700) to obtain accreditation.
WVLT protects more than 15,000 acres of land and 33 miles of streams in 40 conservation easements held by the land trust. Conservation easements are voluntary, permanent legal agreements between a private landowner and a land trust that preserve land in its rural or agricultural state (read more in our section for landowners). We’ve also helped to save 65,000 additional acres of land through conservation easements held by our partners at the Virginia Outdoors Foundation (a statewide land trust), and through donations and purchases of land.
By educating landowners, elected officials, businesses and the general public we encourage respect for the environment and arrange voluntary conservation easements that protect land forever. WVLT’s educational activities help landowners make informed decisions about how various land conservation options can affect their estate planning, taxes, and the future of their land.
We are proud to partner with our neighboring local land trusts: the New River Land Trust in Blacksburg, the Valley Conservation Council in Staunton and the Central Virginia Land Conservancy in Lynchburg.
Our Mission Statement:
Promoting the conservation of western Virginia’s natural resources–farms, forests, waterways and rural landscapes.
Goals:
- To educate landowners and professionals about conservation easements.
- To hold and be good stewards of conservation easements.
- To promote, through sound estate planning, the retention of family lands critical to preserving our rural landscapes
- To assist local, state and federal partners in the preservation of critical conservation lands
- To encourage land use planning which recognizes the importance of preserving our rural landscapes
- To encourage land development which minimizes impacts on the environment and creates sustainable communities
- To promote best management practices on agriculture and forestry
Priority Places:
- Family Farms
- Rivers, Streams and Watersheds
- Blue Ridge Parkway Viewsheds
- Ridgetops and Mountainsides
- Greenways and Trails, including the Appalachian Trail
Officers:
Sandy Light, President; Stephen M. Claytor, Vice President; F. Fulton Galer, Treasurer; Whitney H. Feldmann, Secretary
Board of Trustees:
Lynn M. Davis, Walter M. Dixon III, Lucy R. Ellett, Whitney H. Feldmann, Pete Fellers, Robert H. Hunt, David A. Hurt, George A. Kegley, James L. Kermes, Kenneth L. Lanford, J.W. “Bill” Mason, John H. Parrott, Jr., Janet Scheid, Daniel C. Summerlin, and James M. Turner, Jr.
Advisory Council:
Liza T. Field, William M. Hackworth, Talfourd H. Kemper, Robert B. Lambeth, Jr., Barbara B. Lemon, Stephen W. Lemon, Jeanne M. Martin, John B. Williamson, Jr., and Clifton A. Woodrum, III
Staff:
