More than 90 acres of land have been earmarked for protection instead of development in the Historic Triangle.
The separate parcels, located in James City County and Suffolk, have been donated to the Historic Virginia Land Conservancy and will be preserved permanently, according to a release.
“With the addition of these two properties, the Conservancy has increased the amount of land we protect to over 6,550 acres,” Conservancy Board Chair Travis Crayosky said in a release. “While these two properties are very different in size and in location, they are both rich in natural resources that are worthy of being conserved.”
One of the parcels, measuring eight acres, is in James City County’s Seasons Trace neighborhood. The land has a wooded setting and was previously slated for a 24-unit subdivision, Autumn West.
The 88-acre Suffolk parcel borders the Great Dismal Swamp National Wildlife Refuge. The property had been approved for development as a 316-unit subdivision.
The Suffolk land includes roughly 19 acres of freshwater forested/shrub wetlands, including habitat for the Red-Cockaded Woodpecker, which is listed as an endangered species by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
The property also includes critical habitat for the Canebrake Rattlesnake and Mabee’s Salamander.
For more information about the Historic Virginia Land Conservancy, go here.
