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The easement on Rockcliffe Farm ensures that the property will remain in its natural wooded state while still providing income for Hugh and Joan as a retreat. Rockcliffe Farm has operated as a retreat and lodge since 2006, and the “peaceful woods are a critical amenity to the business”. While the easement limits division of the property and construction of buildings, the property remains available to guests for fishing, canoeing, swimming, hiking, trail riding, camping and getting reunited with nature.
The owners’ love of the property is evident.
“We’ve always felt this property, with its unique setting along the historic and gorgeous James River , should be shared with others,” said Joan Rockwell. “Hugh and I both came from semi-rural towns, which we watched turn into sprawling suburbs. We always loved being outdoors, and now we love sharing the quiet joys that come from being in the woods.”
While the woods provide a peaceful, scenic backdrop for the retreat business, they also provide a valuable resource, one that Hugh and Joan have worked closely with their VDOF Forester, Rick Butler, to manage and protect. Their main goals for the forest are to keep it healthy and to provide wildlife habitat while protecting water quality. But they have also made use of the forest, harvesting select trees and processing them in their onsite sawmill.
“We’ve always felt that a properly managed forest reaps greater benefits for the trees, wildlife and population around it,” Joan said. “When we cut down a tree, we select it carefully, then try to use every bit of it, maybe using the bulk of it to make boards in our sawmill, but then we use the scrap for firewood, the sawdust for pathways, and the leaves for mulch. We make things like coasters, benches and doorstops out of pieces that might otherwise get thrown away.”
Rockcliffe Farm is a certified Tree Farm and a Virginia Stewardship Forest .
Rob Farrell, VDOF forest conservation specialist, said, “Rockcliffe Farm is a great example of the many benefits our forests can provide. These woods can be used for recreation and hunting, while at the same time protecting water quality and providing beautiful scenery, and be responsibly managed for forest products.”
The VDOF conservation easement program is the only one in the state that focuses solely on protecting working forests. To be considered, a property must be at least 50 acres in size; 75 percent forested, and the landowner must be willing to follow a forest stewardship management plan.
“We are very appreciative of Joan’s and Hugh’s donation and their dedication to protecting the natural resource base in perpetuity,” Farrell said. “They have a deep commitment to their land, and we are thankful for the opportunity to contribute to their conservation goals.”
Joan said, “We knew we wanted to protect this property from development many years ago, but the ball really got rolling when we found out about the group of volunteers of Central Virginia Land Conservancy (CVaLC). Wendy Kendrick, in particular, helped facilitate discussions with potential easement-holding entities, such as The Nature Conservancy and the Virginia Outdoors Foundation (VOF). Wendy was the one who initially told us that forestry easements had become possible. After that, we gained a full team to assist us, which included our local forester, Rick Butler, Rob Farrell and the team at VDOF, as well as the other professional staff required for a project of this size. Conservation Partners, of Lexington , was invaluable in coordinating all the details and legal paperwork.”
With nearly 16 million acres of forestland and more than 144,000 Virginians employed in forestry, forest products and related industries, Virginia forests provide more than $27.5 billion annually in benefits to the Commonwealth. But these benefits are at risk as more than 27,000 acres of forest are converted to other uses every year across the state. Loss of forested acres and the fragmentation of the remaining acres reduce the potential of the forest to provide the economic, social and ecological benefits that all of us depend upon. This continues to be one of the most significant threats to the forest resource in Virginia.
For additional information on the VDOF conservation easement program, contact Mike Santucci, forest conservation specialist, at (434) 220-9182, or visit the VDOF Web site at www.dof.virginia.gov.
The Virginia Department of Forestry protects and develops healthy, sustainable forest resources for Virginians. Headquartered in Charlottesville , the Agency has forestry staff members assigned to every county to provide service to citizens of the Commonwealth. VDOF is an equal opportunity provider.
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