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Preserving
The Board of the Western
Virginia Land Trust (WVLT) approved a policy statement in July 2007
requesting that the City of Roanoke place conservation easements on Mill In April 2008 the City
of Roanoke placed 6,185 acres of Carvins Cove Natural Reserve in a
conservation easement, which was the largest conservation easement in
the history of Virginia. Situated just northeast of the City and located
in Roanoke and Botetourt Counties, Carvins Cove makes up a vital part of
the Roanoke Valley’s water supply and is also a prime location for
outdoor recreation, including hiking, canoeing, fishing, and As the City of Roanoke clarifies future uses and management of the Cove property, it is our hope that City Council will complete the work they have begun and place the remaining 6,000 acres of the Cove under Conservation Easement. The Board of the Land Trust also continues to advocate and support placing a conservation easement on the forested slopes of Mill Mountain. While over 550 acres of Mill Mountain are ideally suited to an open space easement, the very top of the mountain, or “Zone 1” in the Mill Mountain Management Plan, is not suitable for an open space easement due to the extent of existing development. While an easement is not the right tool to protect the very top of Mill Mountain, WVLT does recommend that City Council implement the recommendations for Zone 1 described in the Management Plan, which include ensuring that all mountaintop development is below the tree line and “respects the natural character of the mountain.”
“We think this initiative represents a win-win for the people of Roanoke and a break from the confrontational debate that has been taking place,” said WVLT Executive Director Roger Holnback. “If we’re successful, we’ll preserve nearly all of Mill Mountain and leave the question of development at the very top of the mountain to City Council and the public process, where it belongs.” “Roanoke is looking for a way to sustainably grow and attract new business and new residents,” said Holnback. “Permanently protecting these natural features makes a bold statement about Roanoke’s commitment to its quality of life that no other city in Virginia can make.” Long-time Trustee and current President Janet Scheid is heading up the Land Trust’s committee that is pursuing these initiatives. The Land Trust hopes to meet with a variety of environmental groups, civic clubs, business organizations, and other interested parties to educate the public on the initiative. |
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Mountain
and Carvins Cove.
mountain
biking. This forward-thinking action has helped to showcase Roanoke as a
green city that is attractive to people who want to enjoy the outdoors.
For this and its other “Green” initiatives the Board of WVLT has
unanimously voted to recognize the City of Roanoke as the 2008 recipient
of the A. “Vic” Thomas Environmental Stewardship Award at its September
14 Conservation Celebration. 
It
is important to understand that Zone 1 represents only 15 acres out of
the 568-acre park and includes the star, radio tower, Discovery Center,
parking lots, wildflower garden, an access road, and the Mill Mountain
Zoo. This portion of Mill Mountain is not appropriate for an open space
easement due to the difficulty of monitoring activity in such a highly
developed, intensively-used area. 