Enviva Forest Conservation Fund Helps Protect Sensitive Bottomland Hardwood Ecosystem Along Nottoway River

Virginia Outdoor Foundation takes lead in conservation transaction

U.S. Endowment for Forestry and Communities, Greenville, SC

For IMMEDIATE RELEASE (November 19, 2019)

Greenville, S.C. – An important watershed forest along the beautiful and biodiverse Nottoway River in Southampton County, Virginia, will now be permanently preserved thanks in part to a grant from the Enviva Forest Conservation Fund (Fund). The Virginia Outdoor Foundation (VOF) of Tappahannock has acquired the 246 acres of high conservation value forest and will hold it in a conservation easement. The tract will be managed in perpetuity using a combination of working forest plans with riparian and special habitat protection.

The tract – 55 acres of riparian buffer or approximately 2.3 miles – includes “no-harvest” areas that will provide water quality benefits, complement the growing corridor of protected tracts on the Nottoway, and protect a Coastal Plain bottomland forest. The site is located in a Virginia longleaf pine priority conservation area.

The lowland portion is home to multiple plant and animal species of concern including the rare crowfoot sedge (Carex crus-corvi) [a plant] and the yellow lampmussel (Lampsilis cariosa) [ a freshwater mussel]. Through the easement, this critical habitat will be preserved and continuously enhanced. The upland portions are to remain as working forest, providing sustainable wood products to a variety of markets.

“We are excited to be able to acquire and preserve this beautiful and important riparian forest that is home to so many plants and animals,” said Brett Christina Glymph, Executive Director of the VOF. “The property will have both rare species conservation and sustainable forest management. We are grateful to Enviva for their contribution to our conservation mission.”

Hunter Darden, the property owner, said, “My wife Kathy and I are pleased to be a part of protecting this property for future generations to come, and to preserve the natural beauty of the Nottoway River.”

“This land will be preserved and managed indefinitely as forest, rather than being converted to agriculture or other non-forest uses,” said Carlton Owen, President and CEO of the U.S. Endowment for Forestry and Communities. “Forested watersheds play a vital role in storing and purifying water for downstream consumers and provide two-thirds of the drinking water in the U.S.”

The Fund’s goal is to be a catalyst for investments in forest and habitat conservation in the southeastern Virginia region and North Carolina’s coastal plain. More than four years into the planned 10-year partnership, 17 projects have been funded with a total commitment approaching $2.0 million, including the grant announced today. When these projects are completed, the Fund will have helped protect an estimated 24,000 acres of sensitive wetland forest and other habitats.

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About the Enviva Forest Conservation Fund

The Enviva Forest Conservation Fund is a $5 million, 10-year program established by Enviva Holdings, LP in December 2015 to protect environmentally sensitive bottomland and wetland forests. Administered by the U.S. Endowment for Forestry and Communities, the Fund awards grants annually to nonprofit organizations and government agencies for conservation projects in North Carolina and Virginia. Learn more: www.envivaforestfund.org

About Virginia Outdoor Foundation
The Virginia Outdoors Foundation is Virginia’s leader in land conservation, protecting nearly 850,000 acres in 109 counties and cities. The Virginia General Assembly created VOF in 1966. Today, we receive both public and private support for our work. VOF protects a wide variety of open spaces, from farms and forests to parks and historic landscapes. We work with federal, state, local, and private conservation organizations to achieve our mission. Learn more: www.virginiaoutdoorsfoundation.org

About the U.S. Endowment for Forestry and Communities
The U.S. Endowment for Forestry and Communities (the Endowment) is a not-for-profit public charity working collaboratively with partners in the public and private sectors to advance systemic, transformative, and sustainable change for the health and vitality of the nation’s working forests and forest-reliant communities. Learn more: www.usendowment.org

For more information, contact:
Alicia Cramer, Senior Vice President, (205) 792-8650, alicia@usendowment.org