The Virginia Land Conservation Fund has announced grants for 28 projects across the commonwealth, including efforts to purchase tracts that hold cultural and archaeological significance for Native Americans and to preserve wetlands, forests, and Civil War battlefields.
By Cat McCue / Photo above: A $1.21 million grant will help the Monacan Indian Nation purchase more than 300 acres on Bear Mountain in Amherst County. © The Conservation Fund
In the Blue Ridge Country coverage area, 13 projects in 11 localities will receive a total of $5.586 million for protecting some 2,840 acres.Â
In Amherst County, the Monacan Indian Nation will use $1.21 million to purchase 339 acres of mostly hardwood forests on Bear Mountain, the tribe’s home for more than 10,000 years. In Culpeper County, the American Battlefield Trust will use its $879,000 grant for an easement to protect 476 acres of the Brandy Station Battlefield, site of the largest cavalry battle ever fought in North America.Â
Other types of conservation projects include: 240 acres of forest, grassland, and water resources in Grayson County that will provide new public access for boating, fishing, and wildlife viewing; 104 acres of habitat for several rare species in Montgomery County to be added to the Eastern Divide Natural Area Preserve; and 81 acres of prime farmland in Nelson County that hold significant cultural and heritage value, including frontage along the historic James River.Â
For the full list of projects: dcr.virginia.gov/land-conservation/vlcf-project-list-fy26Â Â Â
The story above first appeared in our May/June 2026 issue.
