CAPITAL REGION LAND CONSERVANCY INC

FORM 990-EZ, PART III, LINE 28, PROGRAM SERVICE ACCOMPLISHMENTS DURING 2023: IN 2023 CAPITAL REGION LAND CONSERVANCY, INC. ("THE CONSERVANCY) RECORDED FOUR CONSERVATION EASEMENTS SOLELY HELD BY THE CONSERVANCY, FOUR CONSERVATION EASEMENTS CO-HELD BY THE CONSERVANCY, ONE THIRD PARTY RIGHT TO ENFORCE, AND ACQUIRED TWO PROPERTIES UNDER OWNERSHIP. THE EASEMENTS INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING: 1) 57.9-ACRE EASEMENT IN CHARLES CITY COUNTY LOCATED ALONG WEST RUN CREEK AND PROTECTS A GLOBALLY THREATENED PLANT SPECIES; 2) 5.26-ACRE EASEMENT IN CHESTERFIELD COUNTY IN THE BON AIR HISTORIC DISTRICT; 3) 87.13-ACRE EASEMENT IN POWHATAN COUNTY WITH FRONTAGE ON MUDDY CREEK AND WITHIN THE VIRGINIA WILDLIFE BIODIVERSITY RESILIENCE CORRIDOR; 4) 130.14-ACRE EASEMENT IN HANOVER COUNTY CONTAINS 88.69 ACRES OF PRIME FARMLAND, 2,832 FEET ALONG NEWFOUND RIVER, AND 35 ACRES OF FRESHWATER EMERGENT AND FRESHWATER FORESTED/SHRUB WETLANDS. THE CO-HELD EASEMENTS INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING: 1) 4.3-ACRE EASEMENT IN THE CITY OF RICHMOND CO-HELD WITH THE VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF CONSERVATION AND RECREATION TO PROTECT A PORTION OF THE JAMES RIVER PARK SYSTEM LOCATED ON DOCK STREET; 2) 170.09-ACRE EASEMENT IN HENRICO COUNTY CO-HELD WITH THE HENRICOPOLIS SOIL & WATER CONSERVATION DISTRICT CONTAINS 124 ACRES OF FRESHWATER FORESTED/SHRUB AND FRESHWATER EMERGENT WETLANDS AND 1.575 MILES ALONG THE CHICKAHOMINY RIVER; 3) 130.14-ACRE EASEMENT IN POWHATAN COUNTY CO-HELD WITH THE MONACAN SOIL & WATER CONSERVATION DISTRICT CONTAINS 113 ACRES OF PRIME FARMLAND AND EQUESTRIAN CENTER; 4) 287.51-ACRE EASEMENT IN HENRICO AND NEW KENT COUNTIES, ASSIGNED BY THE NATURE CONSERVANCY AND RESTATED, CO-HELD WITH THE HENRICOPOLIS SOIL & WATER CONSERVATION DISTRICT CONTAINS APPROXIMATELY A HALF MILE ALONG THE CHICKAHOMINY RIVER AND IMPORTANT ECOLOGICAL CORE. THE THIRD PARTY RIGHT TO ENFORCE WAS ACQUIRED FROM THE HISTORIC JAMES GREENBELT CORPORATION ON LAND THAT WAS GIFTED TO THE CITY OF RICHMOND AND IS PART OF THE JAMES RIVER PARK SYSTEM. THE LAND ACQUISITIONS INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING: 1) 49.09 ACRES IN HENRICO COUNTY OFF NEW MARKET ROAD, KNOWN AS THE HASKINS TRACT. THE PROPERTY CONTAINS 2,300 FEET ALONG AN UNNAMED TRIBUTARY OF FOUR MILE CREEK, APPROXIMATELY 800 FEET OF WELL-PRESERVED CIVIL WAR EARTHWORKS, AND IS ENTIRELY WITHIN THE CORE OF NEW MARKET HEIGHTS BATTLEFIELD. THE CONSERVANCY GRANTED A CONSERVATION EASEMENT TO THE VIRGINIA BOARD OF HISTORIC RESOURCES ON THE HASKINS TRACT IN 2023; 2) 41.02 ACRES IN HENRICO COUNTY ALONG ROUTE 5 A VIRGINIA SCENIC BYWAY - KNOWN AS LITTLE MALVERN HILL TRACT. THE PROPERTY CONTAINS 34.6 ACRES OF PRIME FARMLAND AND IS ENTIRELY WITHIN THE CORE OF GLENDALE, MALVERN HILL, AND FIRST DEEP BOTTOM BATTLEFIELDS AND BUFFERS THE ADJACENT RICHMOND NATIONAL BATTLEFIELD PARK.THE CONSERVANCY IS WORKING TO GRANT A CONSERVATION EASEMENT TO THE VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF HISTORIC RESOURCES ON THE LITTLE MALVERN HILL TRACT. THE CONSERVANCY GRANTED A CONSERVATION EASEMENT ON 34.645 ACRES TO THE VIRGINIA OUTDOORS FOUNDATION IN CHESTERFIELD COUNTY AND THE ISLANDS IN THE APPOMATTOX RIVER LOCATED WITHIN CHESTERFIELD COUNTY AND THE CITY OF PETERSBURG. THE CONSERVANCY IS WORKING TO TRANSFER THE PROPERTY TO CHESTERFIELD COUNTY. THE CONSERVANCY FACILITATED THREE ADDITIONAL EASEMENTS. THE LAND TRUST OF VIRGINIA CONSERVED THE 85.96-ACRE PROPERTY IN HANOVER COUNTY THAT IS DOMINATED BY PRIME AGRICULTURAL SOILS. THE VIRGINIA BOARD OF HISTORIC RESOURCES CONSERVED THE 56.4-ACRE DREXEL-MORRELL PROPERTY IN POWHATAN COUNTY THAT PRESERVES THE HISTORIC ROSEMONT HOUSE AND GROUNDS. THE AMERICAN BATTLEFIELD TRUST PROTECTED THE 50.4-ACRE ROBERTSON-WELCH TRACT IN THE CORE OF FIRST DEEP BOTTOM BATTLEFIELD. THE CONSERVANCY MAINTAINED FULL ACCREDITATION BY THE LAND TRUST ACCREDITATION COMMISSION, AN INDEPENDENT PROGRAM OF THE LAND TRUST ALLIANCE. THE CONSERVANCY ALSO MAINTAINED ACCREDITATION BY THE BETTER BUSINESS BUREAU AND EARNED THE GUIDESTAR PLATINUM SEAL OF TRANSPARENCY FOR 2023. IN 2023, THE CONSERVANCY WAS RECOGNIZED WITH THE AWARD OF MERIT FROM THE HENRICO HISTORIC PRESERVATION ADVISORY COMMITTEE, THE COMMUNITY PARTNER AWARD FROM FRIENDS OF THE LOWER APPOMATTOX RIVER, AND THE OUTSTANDING COMMUNITY PRESERVATION AWARD FROM PRESERVATION VIRGINIA. CRLCS DIRECTOR OF CONSERVATION PARTNERSHIPS MICHAEL LIPFORD WAS RECOGNIZED WITH THE BRIDGE BUILDER AWARD FROM VIRGINIAFOREVER. THE CONSERVANCY SPONSORED THE RVA ENVIRONMENTAL FILM FESTIVAL AND VIRGINIAS UNITED LAND TRUSTSS ANNUAL CONFERENCE. THE CONSERVANCY COORDINATED GUIDED NATURE HIKES OF SIX OF THEIR CONSERVATION EASEMENT PROPERTIES WITH A TOTAL OF 153 ATTENDEES; COORDINATED TWO VOLUNTEER CLEAN-UPS AT PROPERTIES OWNED BY THE CONSERVANCY CONTRIBUTING A TOTAL OF 112 VOLUNTEER HOURS; PARTICIPATED IN NUMEROUS MEETINGS OF THE RVAGREEN 2050 ENVIRONMENTAL WORKING GROUP, LOWER CHICKAHOMINY WATERSHED COLLABORATIVE, AND VIRGINIA CONSERVATION NETWORK WORKGROUPS; STAFF ATTENDED THE VIRGINIAS UNITED LAND TRUSTS CONFERENCE HELD IN APRIL; INCREASED TO 1,940 FOLLOWERS ON FACEBOOK, 1,099 FOLLOWERS ON INSTAGRAM, AND 327 FOLLOWERS ON TWITTER; SHARED ORGANIZATIONAL NEWS WITH 2,677 SUBSCRIBERS VIA 21 EMAIL NEWSLETTERS; RECEIVED CONTRIBUTIONS FROM 605 DONORS INCLUDING 156 NEW MEMBERS; RENEWAL RATE IN EXCESS OF 73%; AND GARNERED MORE THAN 115 PRESS MENTIONS DISCUSSING CRLCS CONSERVATION WORK AND THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN LAND CONSERVATION AND WATER QUALITY IN SUCH PUBLICATIONS AS THE RICHMOND TIMES-DISPATCH, VIRGINIA BUSINESS, RICHMOND FREE PRESS, RICHMOND MAGAZINE, HENRICO CITIZEN, AXIOS, RICHMOND BIZSENSE, POWHATAN TODAY, GOOCHLAND GAZETTE, BLUE RIDGE OUTDOORS MAGAZINE, VARIOUS ORGANIZATIONAL NEWSLETTERS, AS WELL AS VIRGINIA PUBLIC MEDIA/NATIONAL PUBLIC RADIO, CBS6, NBC12, ABC8, AND OTHER LOCAL TELEVISION BROADCASTS. THE CONSERVANCY FACILITATED EDUCATION AND ADVOCACY ON THE URGENCY OF ENSURING THAT ALL VIRGINIANS HAVE DAILY ACCESS TO THE OUTDOORS. MAINTAINED A MODERN, USER-FRIENDLY CRLC WEBSITE WITH 3 BLOG POSTS; STAFF WERE GUEST SPEAKERS AT 15 COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS; TABLED AT 6 COMMUNITY EVENTS; AND EDUCATED NUMEROUS LANDOWNERS IN PRESERVING THEIR PROPERTY. AT ITS VARINA LANDLAB, THE CONSERVANCY IMPROVED THREE VISITOR PARKING AREAS AND INFORMATIONAL KIOSKS, MANAGED 4 MILES OF TRAILS, AND OFFICIALLY OPENED THE PROPERTY TO THE PUBLIC. THE CONSERVANCY HOSTED STUDENT VISITS FROM CLASSES AT VIRGINIA COMMONWEALTH UNIVERSITY AND HENRICO COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS. THE CONSERVANCY HELPED SECURE LAND FOR PUBLIC ACCESS IN RICHMOND CITY, CHESTERFIELD COUNTY, AND HENRICO COUNTY. THE CONSERVANCY CO-AUTHORED WITH TWO OTHER NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS A WHITE-PAPER PUBLISHED IN THE VIRGINIA CONSERVATION NETWORKS OUR COMMON AGENDA: 2023 ENVIRONMENTAL BRIEFING BOOK. THE CONSERVANCY LEAD EFFORTS TO PRODUCE WRITING THE LAND: VIRGINIA AN ANTHOLOGY OF POETRY FEATURING 11 LAND TRUSTS ACROSS THE COMMONWEALTH. THE CONSERVANCY HOSTED THE 2023 FIELDS, FORESTS + STREAMS ANNUAL FUNDRAISING EVENT THAT RAISED APPROXIMATELY 32,000 TO SUPPORT THE CONSERVANCYS OPERATIONS.