More Crow's Nest acres purchased for protection

STAFFORD — An additional 1,100 acres has been purchased for preservation on the Crow’s Nest peninsula.

The $14.2 million deal wrapped up Wednesday adds 1,100 acres to the 1,770 acres already purchased in the first phase of the preservation effort at the Crow’s Nest Natural Area Preserve in Stafford County, according to the office of Virginia Gov. Timothy Kaine.

The deal means that 2,870 acres of coastal habitat will be permanently protected.

“Virginians strongly support conserving significant natural and historic lands,” said Kaine. “This purchase brings us 1,100 acres closer to my goal of preserving 400,000 acres statewide by 2010, while also improving water quality.”

To date, more than 340,000 acres statewide have been preserved.

Kaine told the Stafford County Sun on Wednesday that it was a “very complex deal” and he is “thrilled” to be able to share the news that the additional acres have been purchased for preservation, noting: “All’s well that end’s well.”

The purchase results from a partnership between the Stafford County Board of Supervisors and the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation. Funds for the purchase of the second piece of land came from the Commonwealth in the form of grants and low-interest loans.

Crow’s Nest, Virginia’s 54th natural area preserve, includes 138 species of migratory birds, bald eagles, 750 acres of wetlands and 2,200 acres of hardwood forests.

George Schwartz, chairman of the Stafford County Board of Supervisors, said that he is pleased that Stafford’s residents are now the collective owners of nearly 3,000 acres of a local treasure.

“…The preservation of this tract will allow us to continue enjoying all that Crow’s Nest has to offer, including rare wildlife and plants,” he said.

Stafford Supervisor Paul Milde, R-Aquia, who leads the district where Crow’s Nest lies, said that Kaine mentioned something noteworthy he agrees with, that being: there aren’t too many things like this [Crow’s Nest] that you can be a part of as a politician that can’t be undone by the next politician. This, said Milde, is forever.

“We have been negotiating to save Crow’s Nest for years because we were committed to preserving this priceless and environmentally sensitive area for visitors today and generations to come,” he said. “Our hard work will pay dividends to our citizens and visitors, and hopefully, will be an inspiration to other groups who seek to preserve natural and historic treasures.”

Phase 1 of the purchase came to fruition in December 2007 for $19 million. It was the culmination of a group of people working together to negotiate with Stafford Lakes Limited Partnership to buy the land. Those people included citizens groups, and county, state and federal officials.

“Acquisition of Crow’s Nest Phase Two is a critical step in ensuring the protection of the original 1,770 acres purchased in 2007,” said Joseph H. Maroon, Department of Conservation and Recreation director. “This tract is also an important property in its own right, with 73 acres of wetlands, more than 1,000 acres of upland forest and nearly six miles of streams.”

Secretary of Natural Resources for the Commonwealth of Virginia Preston Bryant said that at about 1:15 p.m. on Wednesday, the last of the paperwork was sent off to the county courthouse, first making a stop along Kaine’s Cabinet Community Day — a tour of five local events — for the proper approval.

Milde, he said, has been the “tenacious bulldog on this project.” Because of his efforts, Bryant said the project was completed earlier than expected.

Virginia natural area preserves allow public access for interests such as hiking, canoeing and bird watching. Currently, “limited access” improvements are being planned including parking areas, trails and a canoe launch. DCR staff is also in the process of planning some fall weekends when the preserve will be open to the public. But, the preserve will stay closed on a regular basis until funding is in place and access improvements are made, according to a press release from the governor’s office.

But there’s still more land, known as the Crow’s Nest Harbor, which is unprotected. Milde said it’s about 500 to 600 acres in total, and it could either be purchased or put on a conservation easement, in theory. The property has multiple owners.

“We’ll keep working on it,” he said.

For now, Milde said he is happy with the way things came together.

“Lots of folks had to come together to make this happen,” he said. “This plan came together like clockwork. I was determined that this day would come.”

Tracy Bell is managing editor of the Stafford County Sun. Reach her at tbell@staffordcountysun.com.