The story below is from our July/August 2018 issue. For more like it subscribe today, log in to read our digital edition or download our FREE iOS app. Thank you!
Kyle LaFerriere Photography
Locke Ogens
Locke Ogens, director of The Nature Conservancy in Virginia, on protecting that state’s highest-conservation-value lands: “This is a smart approach.”
Using a new strategy, the Department of Conservation and Recreation will focus on preserving lands with the highest conservation value, prioritizing the top 2 percent of such lands with a goal of protecting the top 10 percent by 2028. Benefits include protecting local water quality, recovering wildlife populations and habitats, making sure agriculture and forestry are sustainable, steering development away from vulnerable areas, providing access to the outdoors, and preserving historical sites. “The Commonwealth’s lands and waters are among its most precious assets, and this is a smart approach to making needed investments in their protection,” said Locke Ogens, The Nature Conservancy’s Virginia director. dcr.virginia.gov.