RD401 - Virginia Outdoors Foundation Annual Report for Fiscal Year 2013


Executive Summary:
Voluntary land conservation has enjoyed broad support from Virginians for many years, from the creation of the Virginia Outdoors Foundation in 1966 to the establishment of the Land Preservation Tax Credit Program in 2000. These two programs, working with many other public and private partners, including thousands of landowners, have resulted in one of the most successful conservation easement programs in the nation over the last decade, protecting hundreds of thousands of acres of farmland, forests, habitat, and riparian land that yield countless benefits to our shared environment and quality of life.

This broad support was on full display during the last General Assembly session, when bills were introduced that would have eliminated the state tax credits. During the committee hearings for the bills, many groups and citizens expressed their desire to see the programs continue. Landowners contacted their representatives and told them how the tax credits have helped to save family farms, keeping productive forests from being developed, and protected the rural landscape that not only contributes to our state’s leading agriculture and forestry industries, but also to our natural and cultural heritage. As a result of these efforts, the bills to repeal the program were tabled and the programs left intact.

Despite our success, the economic situation at both the state and federal levels continues to place pressure on legislators to cut programs regardless of their popularity. As such, we continue to work hard to demonstrate to the public that these programs are some of the most efficient and effective uses of tax dollars in Virginia. In fact, the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission has pointed to the Land Preservation and Historic Preservation Tax credits as being the only two tax preferences that are both efficient and effective.

We at VOF are proud of what we’ve accomplished with a relatively small budget and staff. Our portfolio now stands over 700,000 acres—more than 1,000 square miles—of conserved land, most of which is the direct result of the tax incentives and the generosity of easement donors who have given away hundreds of millions of dollars in development value for the benefit of public values such as water quality and scenic open space. While this represents only two percent of Virginia’s land mass, these lands contain some of the best farming soils, highest-quality forests, cleanest waterways, most magnificent viewsheds, and richest wildlife habitat in the Commonwealth.

The greatest challenge to our work in the coming decades will be to defend the public’s investment in these easements as the properties change hands. The original easement donors are generally strong advocates for conservation, but subsequent landowners may not always understand the nature of the easement and the restrictions it places on the property in perpetuity. VOF will increasingly work to educate new landowners about the easements and establish positive relationships so that we can avoid conflict down the road.

As you read through the highlights in this year’s Annual Report, we hope you as a supporter will take pride in what we have accomplished on behalf of all Virginians. Our work touches nearly every corner of Virginia and impacts anyone who cares about clean water, healthy forests, productive farms, and open spaces for recreation and scenic enjoyment. More important, our work is providing a legacy that Virginians will be able to enjoy for generations to come.

Brett Glymph
Executive Director

Charles H. Seilheimer, Jr.
Chairman, Board of Trustees