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Dragon Run Special Area
Management Plan Advisory Group –
Traditional Uses/Habitat Work Group July 16, 2002 |
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Topics |
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Attendance
Neal Barber (VA Economic Development Partnership; Middle
Peninsula Land Trust); David Birdsall (Resource Management Service, Inc.);
Dorothy Miller (Essex); Davis Wilson (Middlesex); Pat Tyrrell (Tidewater
RC&D); Andy Lacatell (TNC); David Milby (VA DOF); David Fuss (MPPDC)
David Fuss asked the group to review the goals and
objectives of the project and to consider action plans to achieve those goals
and objectives. He explained that it was the group’s responsibility to
recommend specific actions to the Dragon Run Steering Committee to achieve the
goals and objectives that are part of the Memorandum of Agreement being
considered by the MPPDC and the four Boards of Supervisors.
The discussion began with a description of the effort by the
Tidewater RC&D Forestry Committee to develop a brochure that promotes the
economic value of forestry, including secondary benefits such as environmental
benefits. Initially, this product was targeted for the Boards of Supervisors
and Planning Commissions with presentations beginning in the winter. The
Forestry Committee, however, soon decided that the brochure should be intended
for public consumption, also. This effort is consistent with Goal II, Objective
B from the Dragon Run SAMP.
The work group decided that it could complement that work by
promoting the economic benefits of farming and forestry, as well as the
benefits of the natural features in the Dragon Run. Mr. Barber promoted the
idea of developing a marketing/communication plan by focusing on the following
questions: Who is the audience? What is the message? What methods will be used
to convey the message? Who will implement the plan?
The audience is to be the decision-makers, such as Boards of
Supervisors and Planning Commissions. It may also be useful to target the
constituents of those decision-makers. The message to decision-makers is that
they need to promote farming and forestry as money-making industries for the
counties and that they need to protect those industries as the base of the
economy. The Dragon Run Steering Committee should deliver the message via
presentations to Planning Commissions/Boards of Supervisors, including
materials to be distributed. The local news media could also be used before,
during, and following the presentations.
Data and information for the presentations could be
collected from existing data sets (e.g. IMPLAN) and organizations (e.g.
American Farmland Trust, Farm Bureau, Extension Service). The group should also
try to seek endorsements from the following organizations: TNC; CBF; MP Land
Trust; Tidewater RC&D; SWCDs; Farm Bureau; VA Forestry Association; Society
of American Foresters; VA Deer Hunters Federation; Ducks Unlimited; Turkey
Hunters Association; American Tree Farming; Save the ‘Ole Piankatank; Friends
of Dragon Run.
It was noted that Virginia loses more than 50,000 acres of
timberland per year. An example of the problem was noted for Gloucester, where
the timber value is taxed in addition to the real estate tax. Due to this
situation and the roadside buffer ordinance that was passed, the message from
Gloucester is that they do not really want forestry.
There is a need to look at future land use. This
precipitated a discussion of the matrix of comp plans and zoning ordinances
that David Fuss had prepared for the Local Government work group. It was noted
that there is a lot of crossover between the issues of the Local Government
work group and the Traditional Uses/Habitat Management work group. It was
proposed that these two groups meet together next month to raise the profile of
actions to revolve around timberland and agricultural land preservation.
The discussion then shifted to tools of timberland/ag land
preservation. The Nature Conservancy did a study in Chesapeake to justify the
development of the Purchase of Development Rights program and promoted the fact
that farming and forestry generate much more revenue in taxes than they consume
in public services. Other options mentioned were: Transfer of Development
Rights, Sale of Conservation Tax Credits, and Conservation Easements.
The main easement holders in the Dragon Run Watershed would
be the Virginia Outdoors Foundation, The Nature Conservancy, and the Friends of
Dragon Run. Mr. Wilson proposed that the counties offer generous tax breaks for
conservation easements by setting the tax rate at the same level for many years
into the future. At the same time, he does not think that easements are very
desirable to landowners because people want to get money for giving up the
easement and they don’t want to give away something if they don’t get something
in return. Mr. Birdsall suggested that there needs to be adequate development
pressure to sell the land and that the landowner wants to keep the land before
the landowner would consider selling development rights. Mr. Barber suggested
that the group recommend educating the professionals (e.g. attorneys, estate
planners, accountants, bankers) about the utility and advantages of easements.
One way to do this is to demonstrate the potential buildout from development
pressure. Mr. Birdsall noted that market swings can cause drastic changes in
the real estate market. He has recently received twice the number of calls
about land purchases because of the dropping stock market. People are beginning
to invest in real estate instead of stocks.
The consensus about conservation easements was that the
group should continue to convey the message that they are available to
landowners as a land protection tool. The Tidewater RC&D Forestry Committee
plans to pursue a class in February concerning conservation easements and
preserving ag/forest land (partnering with VA Tech).
Conversation then switched to Goal III with the idea of
acknowledging the good conservation measures that people have taken. Annual
Conservationist of the Year awards could be given for best conservationist,
most improved, using Best Management Practices, etc. We could solicit
recommendations from the Game Warden, Dept. of Forestry, or Soil and Water
Conservation Districts. Another idea is the concept of a Dragon Celebration for
landowners – possibly some kind of picnic like the one held at Big Island by
the Friends of Dragon Run.
David Fuss agreed to find a suitable meeting time for the
Local Government and the Traditional Uses/Habitat work groups to meet in
August. The meeting was adjourned.