qm_winter_2015

10 / 36

Virginia C apitol C onnections, Winter 2015
10
Inspired by the past, working for the future
In 2016—a year from now—the Virginia Department of
Conservation and Recreation will celebrate its 90th year in existence.
Few Virginians alive today remember its beginning, but virtually all
feel its influence and impact on the quality of life for Virginians.
In its first decade, it set out to capitalize on Virginia’s rich natural
treasures and cultural history. Between 1926 and 1936, massive
efforts were made to acquire land and to work collaboratively with the
federal government to design, build and open Shenandoah National
Park, the Blue Ridge Parkway andVirginia’s original six state parks—
Hungry Mother, Douthat, Fairy Stone, Staunton River, Westmoreland
and Seashore (now First Landing). They were big dreamers and they
accomplished a lot. These days Shenandoah entertains about 2 million
visits a year, the Blue Ridge Parkway is the most visited national park
with some 14 million annual visits and Virginia’s national award-
winning state parks enjoy about 9 million visits annually. These
parks, along with the many others in Virginia today, enhance the
quality of life for Virginians and our visitors, provide scenic habitat
for our remarkable flora and fauna, and stimulate economic activity in
nearby localities and the Commonwealth at large. Natural and cultural
tourism, and outdoor recreation, are big business.
Our state park system is coming off another record year with
nearly 9 million visits and a total economic impact of $208 million.
That is an 11.5 fold return on investment given that the system receives
about $18 million annually in general funds. Virginians are proud of
their state park system as evidenced by the more than 4,000 members
of theVirginia Association for Parks and the nearly 70 per cent support
when voters supported general obligation bond referendums in 1992
and 2002. Our system has been recognized on three occasions (1999,
2001 and 2013) as a finalist for the national gold medal that honors
state systems who have demonstrated “excellence in the field of park
and recreation management.” From 2001-2003, Virginia owned the
national gold medal.
One of the most recent accolades involves the new marina at
Occoneechee State Park near Clarksville. DCR’s consultant for
the project, Vanasse Hangen Brustlin Inc. (VHB), has received
an Engineering Excellence Award from the American Council of
Engineering Companies for design of the park’s 54-slip marina. The
award is to be presented in February.
But state parks are just a part of what DCR provides for the
Commonwealth.
Virginia’s official guide for the planning of public outdoor
recreation and land conservation has been revised and is available
online. The Virginia Outdoors Plan, which is updated every five years,
A Report on Virginia’s Conservation & Recreation Agency
By Julie Buchanan
highlights the beautiful natural resources and historical attractions
Virginia has to offer. This is the 10th plan to be produced since the 1965
publication of “Virginia’s Common Wealth,” the first comprehensive
study of Virginia’s outdoor recreation facilities and resources. It is the
first to be completely paperless and includes a user-friendly online tool
for mapping outdoor recreation resources and conserved lands.
This plan’s theme is “Virginia is for Outdoor Lovers,” and
recommendations focus heavily on expanding tourism opportunities
and the economy through outdoor recreation and land conservation.
First Lady Dorothy McAuliffe debuted the publication with a video
that can be viewed at
Virginia’s Natural Heritage Program, housed at DCR, is one of
the top programs of its kind. Natural heritage programs exist in all 50
states, all Canadian provinces and 18 Latin American countries. This
science-based program was presented in 1994 with the Outstanding
Natural Heritage Program Award and in 2006 with NatureServe’s
Conservation Impact Award. The program’s many contributions
include collecting new information on the natural communities
and species of Virginia, natural area protection and restoration, and
development of new technologies for biodiversity conservation.
Good decisions can only be made using current and accurate
information. A strength of the Virginia Natural Heritage Program is
that its biologists track information on 505 natural communities and
1,641 rare plants and animals in the Commonwealth. Notably, they
have discovered 313 species new to Virginia, including 36 species
never before known.
The State Natural Area Preserve System has grown to 61 preserves
and encompasses 55,300 acres protecting 441 different rare species and
natural communities. In addition to the management and restoration
of numerous rare habitats, the program has developed parking areas,
trails, boardwalks and interpretive signs at 21 preserves.
The Natural Heritage Program has data on 7,211 known locations
for rare species. Until recently, little was known about where else
these species were most likely to occur.With support from theVirginia
Tobacco Indemnification and Community Revitalization Commission,
Virginia Economic Development Partnership, the U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service, and theVirginia Department of Transportation, DCR
staff is among the first in the nation to use state-of-the-art technology
to model with the highest possible levels of certainty where else
these species are most likely to occur. In addition to informing land
conservation decisions, this information is critical to saving the
economic development community time, effort and money when
planning for projects.
Helping Virginians protect their soil and water resources
is another important function of the agency. DCR’s Soil and Water
Conservation staff works with Virginia’s agricultural
community and lawn-care companies to prevent runoff
pollution from entering local waterways. Much of this
work is done in partnership with Virginia’s 47 soil and
water conservation districts.
In December, Governor Terry McAuliffe presented 10
Virginia farmers with the prestigiousVirginia Grand Basin
Clean Water Farm Award. The award honors farmers and
farm owners who have reduced nutrient pollution through
innovative practices and technologies. The Governor
presented the awards at the annual meeting of the Virginia
Association of Soil and Water Conservation Districts.
Governor Terry McAuliffe joins Lou Ann Wallace, President of the
Virginia Association of Soil and Water Conservation Districts, and
Secretary of Natural Resources Molly Ward in presenting Willis
and Krystal Heatwole of Rockingham County with the Grand Basin
Clean Water Farm Award for the Shenandoah River basin.
Photos courtesy of DCR.