Block · one region of the page, as the scanner read it. It may hold a whole story, part of one, several, or an advertisement; stitching blocks into articles is the next step. Text is supplied OCR.
Page 4 · column 3 of 3 · from the scan, no model involved
of directors, Dick McNear outlined his plan to other PEC folks in Rappahannock County, receiving offers of support (admittedly rather vague) should his plan prove to work. By late summer 1998, the McNears owned some of the Jenkins Mountain parcels and had negotiated options that secured the others.
So, last Sept. 4, McNear led a small group of County PEC leaders on a tour of Jenkins Mountain, I particularly remember a partially-cleared building site from which I seemed to look straight down on Gay Street and the courthouse. McNear was urged to “keep up the good work, and hang in there.” Another tour member accepted the challenge of finding the necessary money, the McNears would no longer be fully exposed financially.
Final success was achieved a couple of weeks ago. Jenkins Mountain is protected! What will ultimately happen there remains to be determined, but I do expect the protection to be formalized in the form of a conservation easement sometime next year. And, certainly, there will be no mega-mansions staring down on the Town of Washington or intruding upon the outlook from Skyline Drive.
Success can be repeated, but the most practical strategy is to concentrate on voluntary action by landowners. Happily, as an alternative to fund-raising and land purchase, our community can be protected by conservation easement gifts. If you’d like help in considering how an easement might work for your property and your neighborhood, please call me at (540) 364-2569.
Robert T. Dennis
Flint Hill
97.3%