Compensating for Impacts to Cultural and Historic Resources from a Transmission Line Upgrade

While working on mitigation efforts for Dominion Energy’s Atlantic Coast Pipeline, an opportunity for The Conservation Fund to provide mitigation solutions for another one of the company’s projects took shape in Virginia. At that time, Dominion was proposing to construct the Surry-Skiffes Creek-Whealton Transmission Line Project, an electric transmission line to service an area where a coal-based power plant was being retired. The transmission line crosses the James River within the viewshed of cultural and historic resources listed as eligible for the National Register of Historic Places. Consultation under Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA) determined the project would have adverse impacts to these eligible resources; therefore, mitigation would be required to offset these impacts.

THE CONSERVATION SOLUTION

Dominion committed significant financial resources to mitigate for the impacts to the cultural and historic resources resulting from the transmission line. A memorandum of agreement between Dominion and the consulting parties to the consultation under the NHPA required a number of different projects be completed to mitigate for the line’s impacts. The Conservation Fund was chosen to manage funds related to several specific projects related to Historic Jamestowne, Carters Grove and the Colonial National Historic Park. The Conservation Fund worked closely with Dominion, partners at the state and federal level and with private landowners and holders of archeological collections to develop projects which provided benefit to the impacted resources.

OUTCOME HIGHLIGHTS

Conservation

To date, we have acquired more than 643 acres of new public lands in Virginia that were offered and accepted as mitigation for impacts from the Surry-Skiffes transmission line to state-held conservation interests. Additionally, The Conservation Fund has funded critical archaeology and restoration on Jamestown Island with Preservation Virginia and the National Park Service, in an effort to fully understand and interpret the history of Virginia’s first settlement and the site of the first elected legislature in the New World.

Machicomoco State Park

Dominion’s mitigation obligation for this project also involved acquisition of land to help interpret the story and history of Werowocomoco, Powhatan’s capital at the time of Captain John Smith’s exploration. In partnership with the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation (VA DCR), Dominion and The Conservation Fund pioneered an innovative partnership with VA DCR to acquire, design and develop a new state park, with the Fund taking the lead on the acquisition of the land to be used for the park. Virginia’s indigenous communities have a deep importance to the history of America. This new state park, Machicomoco (which means a special meeting place), was Virginia’s first state park celebrating the legacy of its Native Tribes. Not only does the 643-acre park offer recreational activities, but it also serves as an interpretative site for nearby Werowocomoco, which is owned by the National Park Service. We’re honored to have assisted with the permanent protection of this land and its story.

^{Machicomoco State Park. Credit: Heather Richards}

Credit: Heather Richards

PROJECT EXPERTS

Nick Morgan
Director, Mitigation Solutions
Greg Good
Senior Program Manager, Mitigation Solutions
Heather Richards
State Director, Virginia and Director, Mid-Atlantic Region, Conservation Acquisition

PROJECT PROGRAMS

Mitigation Solutions