Back to Where We Work: Virginia

No matter how complex the conservation challenge, the Fund offers the expertise to make land protection a reality. That is the case with the Army Compatible Use Buffer Program (ACUB). Urban and suburban development can be problematic for military installations nationwide as incompatible land uses – primarily residential developments – close to an installation’s boundary can limit training and other military operations.

The ACUB program identifies priority land around installations and allows facilities, such as Fort A.P. Hill, to partner with agencies and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to share the cost of acquiring conservation easements from willing landowners. Under a conservation easement, the landowner retains ownership of the land and the ability to maintain its current use, while limiting future land use and development options. The Fund offers the technical assistance and guidance to make these complicated conservation transactions happen.

Land Conservation Projects Around Fort A.P. Hill

At nearly 76,000 acres, Fort A.P. Hill is one of the largest military installations on the East Coast, partially located in Caroline County, the third fastest growing county in Virginia. We've been working with Fort A.P. Hill, Virginia Outdoors Foundation and the landowners around the base to create land preservation agreements that guarantee landowners will keep their land while also ensuring future development will not impact training at Fort A.P. Hill.

Snead Farm

In 2011, we helped with a land preservation agreement that permanently protects the 290-acres of Emmett Snead III’s pick-your-own style farm. Under this land preservation agreement, Snead will continue to maintain its current use as a working farm while forever protecting this acreage from development detrimental to the health of the nearby Rappahannock River and Fort A.P. Hill.

“Generations from now when there are 14 billion people in the world, we believe the highest and best use for this property will be for farming,” owners Emmett and Ellen Snead said. Located along scenic U.S. Highway 17, Snead’s Farm and road side stand supports 20 local jobs and offers a variety of seasonal fruits and vegetables. Visitors are encouraged to walk around and explore every-day happenings on the farm from the sunflower field to the chicken coop to the pumpkin patch. In the winter, customers go to Snead’s to cut-their-own Christmas trees.

Fort A.P. Hill Garrison Commander Lt. Col. John W. Haefner said: “Protecting America’s investment in military readiness by ensuring we can train as we must fight is at the heart of our ACUB effort. We are grateful for neighboring landowners who support our combat training mission and are willing to work with us and our conservation partners to sustain that readiness as well as preserve family farms and open space.”

Read the press release for more information >>

Camdem Farm

We facilitated two easements at the Camden National Historic Landmark in 2009, which at the time was the highest priority for the ACUB partnership. One easement—granted to both Virginia Outdoors Foundation and the Virginia Department of Historic Resources—preserves 500 acres that contain the site of a 17th century American Indian community. The easement represents the country’s first example of the Department of Defense and a state historic preservation office working together to mitigate cultural impacts on a military installation through off-post resource conservation.

"With the innovate use of cultural mitigation at Camden Farm, we’re not only protecting history, we’re making history. The Conservation Fund is proud to work with such well-respected partners and passionate landowners, ” says Hall. Read the news release about this unique project >>

Watch a video by the Army about the Camden Farm project:

Photos: Historic building at Camdem Farm National Historic Site / Chita Middleton, The Conservation Fund (top); Christmas trees at Snead Farm / coourtesy Snead Farm (bottom).