Undeveloped Peninsula In Stafford to Be Saved

Most of Crow's Nest Could Become Park

The wilderness peninsula in Stafford County where Pocahontas once roamed will probably remain in its natural state, Northern Virginia conservationists said last week.

After decades of work to preserve the Crow's Nest peninsula, Stafford officials said an agreement has been reached with the property owner that would protect nearly 3,000 acres of the 4,000-acre tract nestled between the Potomac and Accokeek creeks.

"We view this as a very significant project not just for Stafford, but for people in the entire D.C. area and the country, because it is so intimately connected to the history of the United States," said Michael Nardolilli, president of the Northern Virginia Conservation Trust. "I'm happy to see the landowner has stepped up to the plate so we can preserve the property."

The Stafford County Board of Supervisors paid $19 million for 1,720 acres of the peninsula last year. The property owner, Stafford Lakes Limited Partnership, has agreed to reduce the price for an additional 1,100 acres, knocking $2 million off its $16.2 million asking price if the county turns the money over by July 31.

"We are pleased that a mutually beneficial agreement could be reached here that helps the county and state save the property, while still not taking away from the value the landowner earned on the property," said Clark Leming, an attorney for the company.

Most of the funding for the acquisition is in place. Sources include federal grants and the state, said Stafford County Supervisor Paul Milde (R-Aquia), noting that Gov. Timothy M. Kaine (D) has committed $4 million to the project. The last piece of the puzzle will be to get about $3 million from the federal Coastal and Estuarine Land Conservation Program, which should come from the $410 billion omnibus spending bill that President Obama signed last week.

"Crow's Nest was ranked the number one priority nationwide for the [land conservation program's] funds. Therefore, the first $3 million appropriated will go to Crow's Nest," said Joseph H. Maroon, director of the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation. "We feel fairly confident that all funding will be in place in time to close on the acquisition this summer."

Conservationists have eyed Crow's Nest for more than 40 years, Maroon said. The area has a wealth of rare plant life and is home to one of the largest heron rookeries in the Chesapeake Bay watershed. Maroon said it is also one of the most significant undeveloped natural areas along the East Coast.

Northern Virginia Conservation Trust officials said the area also has a rich history. In 1613, Pocahontas was abducted off the shores of Crow's Nest by Capt. Samuel Argall. The land served as a Civil War staging area and has 47 archaeological sites, including gravesites, domestic farmsteads and Native American encampments.

"It is remarkable to think that, after all of the various attempts, that with the completion of the pending acquisition, DCR and Stafford will have been able to secure the conservation of nearly 3,000 acres of this extremely valuable resource," Maroon said. "This has truly been a team effort with many partners, but we still need to bring the deal to the finish line."

The land that is about to swap hands has belonged to Stafford Lakes since the 1980s, when the company purchased it as an investment, Leming said. The company had planned to build about 750 houses until the county filed for condemnation of the property in 2006. Leming said it made sense to drop the selling price now if it means the county can pay immediately and end years of intense negotiations.

"We have made stunning progress over the last 38 months as persistence has paid off," said Milde, who spearheaded the negotiations. "When the owner agreed to reduce the sale price, we realized we had the money to go to closing."

Of the peninsula's remaining land, about a third belongs to Stafford Lakes, and the rest belongs to other private owners, including the Northern Virginia Conservation Trust, Nardolilli said. Because the ownership is divided, it is not under as great a threat of development, he said, and it is not considered as important ecologically as the land under government protection. But, he added, when conservationists celebrate the purchase from Stafford Lakes this year, they also will begin planning the preservation campaign for the remaining tracts.

Once the current purchase is complete, the property will be placed in the commonwealth's Natural Area Preserve System and eventually be opened to the public, Maroon said. The state is planning a park, which could include hiking trails, wildlife observation areas and a canoe launching site. Funding for improvements, however, is not available.

"It's not uncommon for the department to acquire land . . . and find that we must wait several years to have the resources to open such properties," Maroon said. "Until funding becomes available, public visits to Crow's Nest will need to be limited."