The Virginia Outdoors Foundation (VOF) today announced $2,819,944 in grants for 17 open-space conservation projects.
The grants were awarded from VOF’s Preservation Trust Fund, which provides grants for the protection of open space for farming, forestry, recreation, wildlife, water quality, and more. To learn more about VOF’s grant programs, visit https://www.vof.org/protect/grants/.
Grant Recipient Summaries
Grantee: Afro American Historical Association of Fauquier County
Project Title: The Morgantown School Project: A Moment in Time…
Locality: Fauquier County
Grant Amount: $185,000
Description: The Afro American Historical Association of Fauquier County proposes to restore the Morgantown School building and grounds and to protect its future by granting an open-space easement to Fauquier County. Phase I of the project is underway and work at the site is about to begin. The Fauquier County Board of Supervisors supports the request for restoration and approved the use of the school building as a small museum with Special Exception Approval on October 12, 2023.
Grantee: American Battlefield Trust
Project Title: Robinson Tract at First Manassas
Locality: Fairfax County
Grant Amount: $260,955
Description: The American Battlefield Trust’s main goal in acquiring the Robinson Tract is to preserve a historically significant portion of the First Manassas Battlefield. The adjacency to the Manassas National Battlefield Park and historic significance of the property make it a high priority for preservation. The Trust entered a contract to acquire the tract in December 2024, after previous fundraising attempts, including an unsuccessful application for VLCF grant, and prior contracts were unsuccessful.
Grantee: Bruce and Katherine Johnson
Project Title: Panamint Farms
Locality: Louisa County
Grant Amount: $100,000
Description: This purchase of an open-space easement would result in the protection of active farmland in Louisa County. Panamint Farm consists of 533 acres of agricultural land. The gently rolling land is home to an all-natural cow/calf operation, and the farm contains a mixture of open fields and woodland with Gold Mine Creek flowing along the western property boundary.
Grantee: Capital Region Land Conservancy
Project Title: Urban Agriculture at Doran Road
Locality: Henrico County
Grant Amount: $400,000
Description: Capital Region Land Conservancy seeks funding for an easement on donated land. Once protected, the property would be transferred to Central Virginia Agrarian Commons to support urban agriculture and small farms. Twenty-five acres of the 61-acre parcel are farmed; the remainder of the property is composed of forest and wetlands along an unnamed stream. The Virginia Capital Trail crosses through the property. Henricopolis SWCD would co-hold the easement and offer educational programming on the property.
Grantee: City of Portsmouth
Project Title: Parkview Living Shoreline and Stormwater Park
Locality: City of Portsmouth
Grant Amount: $128,000
Description: The City of Portsmouth is proposing a living shoreline and stormwater park in the Parkview neighborhood to reduce localized flooding and provide open space and natural amenities for its residents. The park will capture and reduce stormwater flow, incorporating native plants, educational signage, and a walking path to connect with the living shoreline proposed one block north on a city-owned parcel adjacent to Scotts Creek. Both properties will be dedicated to open space in perpetuity.
Grantee: Friends of the Rappahannock
Project Title: Public Access, Fall Hill Ave & Rappahannock River
Locality: City of Fredericksburg
Grant Amount: $100,000
Description: The Friends of the Rappahannock will purchase a 20.59-acre property in Fredericksburg for water quality and historic preservation, as well as increased public access to recreational resources along the river. The project bridges a gap in protected lands, connecting more than 100 acres of protected land, and enhances community connections. The property will support outreach programs benefiting disadvantaged and diverse populations.
Grantee: Little River Marsh, LLC
Project Title: Little River Marsh
Locality: Hanover County
Grant Amount: $240,000
Description: This purchase of an open-space easement on Little River Marsh will protect 140 acres of prime forestland and 88 acres of wetlands on the Little River, a tributary of the North Anna River and the Chesapeake Bay. The easement will eliminate 14 development and housing sites and will establish a permanent riparian buffer zone on the Little River and associated wetlands, providing protection for a variety of species in the Little River system.
Grantee: Lunenburg County
Project Title: Lunenburg Airport Trailhead
Locality: Lunenburg County
Grant Amount: $75,000
Description: Lunenburg County is applying for grant funding to acquire and protect 11 acres of land adjacent to the Lunenburg County Airport. The existing Tobacco Heritage Trail begins in the Town of Victoria and ends adjacent to the project property. Development of a trailhead and extension to the existing trail would give nearby county residents access to the trail without having to drive several miles into the Town of Victoria. This project would provide a vital link in trail connectivity.
Grantee: Marks Brothers Farms, LLC
Project Title: Marks Brothers Farm
Locality: Southampton County
Grant Amount: $100,000
Description: This purchase of an open-space easement on 340 acres of agricultural land will be an addition to the state-designated Scenic Nottoway conservation corridor. The property is adjacent to three conserved farms on the Nottoway and is downriver from several other VOF projects. The property contains a large bottomland sand deposit. An easement will terminate the risk of developing that resource and will preserve this area for water quality and habitat protection.
Grantee: Monacan Indian Nation
Project Title: Monacan Indian Nation – Daisy Adcock Property
Locality: Amherst County
Grant Amount: $206,989
Description: The Monacan Indian Nation is a federally recognized tribe with more than 2,600 citizens. Bear Mountain in Amherst County has been the home of the Monacan people for more than 10,000 years and remains the cultural hub of the community. This project would allow the Monacan Indian Nation to acquire and protect 100.4 forested acres adjacent to the Monacan Museum and Culture Center to prevent impacts to this important cultural site while preserving natural and cultural resources.
Grantee: New River Land Trust
Project Title: Mill Creek Headwaters Protection
Locality: Montgomery County
Grant Amount: $175,500
Description: This purchase of an open-space easement will add 64 acres and revise an existing VOF easement, resulting in 202 acres of newly conserved land through an easement amendment. The New River Land Trust and the landowner are coordinating with VOF on revising the 2011 deed language to bring it up to current VOF standards, and with a proposal for 20 acres of the parcel to be dedicated as a Natural Area Preserve with the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation.
Grantee: New River Soil & Water Conservation District
Project Title: New River Hill Park Expansion II
Locality: Grayson County
Grant Amount: $314,300
Description: The New River Hill Park Expansion II project will acquire and protect 145 acres in Grayson County. The land will be operated and maintained by the New River SWCD as a public park and protect the natural and cultural resources on the land in perpetuity.
Grantee: Patrick Brendan Burke & Lillian Grace Azevedo
Project Title: Haw Branch
Locality: Amelia County
Grant Amount: $264,000
Description: This easement will protect Haw Branch, an historic farm on the National Register of Historic Places, described by the Virginia Department of Historic Resources as “an outstanding example of Southside Virginia federal architecture, one of the finest plantation houses in the region.” The farm contains many important resources identified by models from United States Department of Agriculture, Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation, American Farmland Trust, and Audubon Society.
Grantee: Richard Rolen
Project Title: Richard Rolen
Locality: Washington County
Grant Amount: $33,500
Description: Located along the North Fork Holston River in Washington County, this 700-acre, predominantly wooded property is prime forestland, with numerous ponds and streams supporting many species of life on the property. The forestland is identified by models from the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation and the Virginia Department of Forestry as having very high ecological integrity as well as very high conservation value.
Grantee: Town of Keysville
Project Title: Keysville Reservoir Revitalization
Locality: Charlotte County
Grant Amount: $150,000
Description: The Town of Keysville is requesting funding to revitalize the Keysville Reservoir and to develop a recreational area. In addition to dedicating the land to open space in perpetuity, the project includes re-graveling the parking lot, creating a boat launch area, and redeveloping an existing trail. These improvements will provide enhanced outdoor recreational opportunities for the public, promote local tourism, and support the community’s health and well-being through accessible outdoor activities.
Grantee: Town of South Hill
Project Title: Whittle’s Mill Historic Site and Park
Locality: Mecklenburg County
Grant Amount: $61,700
Description: The Town of South Hill is applying for grant funding to revitalize the Whittle’s Mill Dam / Max B. Crowder Memorial Park. After dedicating the land to open space in perpetuity, the requested funding will be used to make site improvements focused on public safety and accessibility. Planned improvements include installing a heavy-duty fence along the south side of the dam, public safety and wayfinding signage, and a boat restraining cable with buoys.
Grantee: Woodland Restoration Foundation
Project Title: Woodland Cemetery Restoration Work
Locality: Henrico County
Grant Amount: $25,000
Description: This project will remove an impediment to access in this historic African American cemetery and continue the work being done by the Woodland Restoration Foundation. The improved roads will allow greater access to the abundant open space, historic, and cultural resources on the property. If a grant is awarded, the Foundation will partner with Henrico County, placing an open-space easement on the 30-acre property.
