~ Press release issued by the Land Trust of Virginia
MIDDLEBURG, Dec. 3 — The Land Trust of Virginia (LTV) is pleased to announce a conservation easement on Weaver Hollow, a 19.39 acre property in Page County, owned by the Potomac Appalachian Trail Club (PATC).
“This is our first easement in Page County, and we are thrilled to complete this project with a trusted conservation ally, PATC,” said Sally Price, executive director of LTV. “We now hold easements in 21 counties throughout Virginia.”
Weaver Hollow has been owned by PATC since 1977. Five PATC members purchased and partitioned a large farm property along the West Branch of Naked Creek. Long-time PATC member, Clifford Firestone, owned this parcel of the farm known as the Weaver Hollow Tract. Upon Firestone’s death in 2012, the property was willed to PATC to ensure its continued preservation.
Located about 8 miles northeast of Elkton, Weaver Hollow is just 100 feet from Shenandoah National Park. It is steeply sloped and entirely forested. The southern boundary of the property runs along 670 feet of the West Branch of Naked Creek, classified by the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources as a “Class II (Wild Trout)” stream, meaning it contains a naturally reproducing population of native Brook Trout. The property is within the watersheds of Naked Creek, the South Fork of the Shenandoah River, the Shenandoah River, the Potomac River and the Chesapeake Bay.
There are two cabins on the property that are now permanently protected. Robert Humphrey Cabin, formerly known as Weaver Cabin, was built between 1780-1820. It was moved to this site and served as the Joe Lam family homestead for more than 140 years. Firestone had Cliff’s House built in 1978, per his own design, to include a living area upstairs and a workshop downstairs. Cliff’s House and Robert Humphrey Cabin are now part of the PATC’s robust cabin rental program.
“The Potomac Appalachian Trail Club is proud to work with the Land Trust of Virginia to protect Virginia’s natural resources,” said Joe Lombardo, PATC president. “We have worked with LTV before and hope to do more in the future. LTV is a terrific partner that helps us further our mission to maintain the trails and lands in the Mid-Atlantic region.”
Weaver Hollow is the 213th easement completed by the Land Trust of Virginia.
The Land Trust of Virginia is a nonprofit organization that partners with private landowners who voluntarily protect and preserve properties with significant historic, scenic, or ecological value. LTV has worked with 211 families, conserving a total of 24,759 acres in 21 counties in Virginia. While LTV charges landowners for their services, the fees charged only cover about 28 percent of LTV’s actual costs so fundraising is essential to our mission.
For more information about their work, please visit http://www.landtrustva.org.
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