Husband, wife donate second conservation easement to keep land rural

GOOCHLAND COUNTY, Va. (WRIC) -- A husband and wife donated their second conservation easement in September, adding to a designated "Rural Enhancement Area" nearby on Millers Lane in Goochland County.

After donating their first conservation easement on about 51 acres near their Manakin home in 2009, William “Whitey” Robertson and his wife, Mary, who have lived in Goochland for over 50 years, donated their second conservation easement on more than 10.5 acres nearby on Millers Lane in September.

Goochland County Supervisor Jonathan Lyle celebrated the conservation easement.

“Goochland County commends the Robertsons as community leaders who took action to save this land for future generations," Lyle said. "By others following their example, we are striving to keep Goochland County rural.”

The county holds its first conservation easement, and Robertsons sought the Capital Region Land Conservancy (CRLC) to keep this most recent one.

“Our family has laid down deep roots in Goochland County and its pastoral tranquility has given us much for which to be grateful,” said Whitey and Mary Robertson. “We couldn’t imagine how it would look to our grandchildren 50 years from now if we didn’t take steps to conserve the land today to keep it rural and available for farming.”

The protected property -- the "Cottage" -- is in an area that the county has designated as "Rural Enhancement Area" in its comprehensive plan and land use map, per the Capital Regional Land Conservancy. The property is primarily surrounded by land protected by conservation easements or deed restrictions and covenants, officials said.

Capital Regional Land Conservancy said 85% of the property contains Prime Farmland or Soils of Statewide Importance -- the highest agricultural value as determined by the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation’s (DCR) Virginia Heritage Data Explorer (NHDE).

“As we look back at our origins as an organization it includes the Goochland Land Alliance that began in 2002 by Sandy and Rossie Fisher and merged into CRLC in 2009,”said Parker C. Agelasto, CRLC’s Executive Director. “The Robertson’s dedication to land conservation goes back to these early efforts and is exemplary of how community values are enforced by selfless acts of neighbors.”

The conservation easement provides important water quality protection with a 50-foot riparian buffer around the wetlands. This allows them to meet DCR’s Watershed Impact Model goals.