Department of Conservation and Recreation
Conserve. Protect. Enjoy.
Department of Conservation and Recreation
Media inquiries: Please contact Dave Neudeck, dave.neudeck@dcr.virginia.gov, 804-786-5053.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Date: January 28, 2020
Contact: Julie Buchanan, Senior Public Relations and Marketing Specialist, 804-786-2292, julie.buchanan@dcr.virginia.gov
Virginia adds 136 acres to Deep Run Ponds Natural Area Preserve
(Editors: Follow this link to download an image. Photo caption: A Shenandoah Valley sinkhole pond at Deep Run Ponds Natural Area Preserve, Rockingham County, Virginia. Photo by Gary P. Fleming, Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation, Virginia Natural Heritage Program.)
RICHMOND — The addition of lands to the state-owned Deep Run Ponds Natural Area Preserve in Rockingham County will allow for continued protection and management of some of Virginia’s rarest ecosystems.
The Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation has acquired two tracts totaling 136 acres that will serve as critical additions to the preserve, which contains globally rare Shenandoah Valley sinkhole ponds. The ponds are characterized by fluctuating water levels throughout the year that support an extraordinary array of plants and animals, some of them rare, threatened or endangered.
“These tracts are now permanently protected and DCR Natural Heritage staff will conduct restoration activities to benefit the resources found there,” DCR Director Clyde Cristman said. “These lands are among the best examples of unique habitats and forests found in Virginia’s Blue Ridge Mountains, and DCR is proud to include them as part of the Virginia Natural Area Preserve System.”
The newly acquired tracts are identified by ConserveVirginia, a data-driven model for prioritizing land conservation decisions across the commonwealth. The project qualified in two ConserveVirginia categories: Natural Habitat and Ecosystem Diversity, and Protected Landscapes Resilience.
In addition to helping protect the preserve’s sensitive areas, the new tracts are habitat for migratory songbirds and lie within the Upper Blue Ridge Mountains Important Bird Area, a National Audubon Society designation. The additions expand the preserve to 906 acres.
When staff and operations support are available, DCR plans to offer public access at the preserve.
“Virginia’s natural areas once surrounded us, but now we surround them,” said Jason Bulluck, director of the Virginia Natural Heritage Program at DCR. “Protecting these key additions to Deep Run Ponds Natural Area Preserve expands state and federal public lands with some of the best remaining examples of Virginia’s natural communities. In addition, protection of large ecological core areas like this help to ensure that plant and animal species are resilient to climate change and other changes to their habitats.”
The acquisitions were made possible with funds from the DuPont Natural Resources Damage Assessment and Restoration settlement. The Commonwealth of Virginia and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service are trustees of the funds.
“We are thrilled to help our state partners expand their natural area preserve,” said Wendi Weber, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service northeast regional director. “To date, we’ve used the DuPont settlement funds to conserve more than 1,000 acres of land within the South Fork Shenandoah watershed, helping ensure space for our native wildlife and fantastic recreational opportunities.”
The Virginia Natural Area Preserve System was established in 1989 to protect the state’s rare plants, animals and natural communities. The system is made up of 63 preserves covering 57,656 acres. DCR owns most of the preserves, but several are owned by The Nature Conservancy, other nonprofits, universities or private individuals. Staff with the Virginia Natural Heritage Program at DCR manage these lands primarily to retain rare species habitat, but also to provide education, research and passive recreational opportunities.
Virginians may support the Virginia Natural Area Preserve System by making a contribution to the Natural Area Preservation Fund. Checks may be made out to “Natural Area Preservation Fund” and mailed to: Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation, Natural Heritage Program, 600 E. Main St., 24th Floor, Richmond, VA 23219.
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