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2. If the land is sold, the state must be notified in writing.
Furthermore, Mr. Dennis pointed out that easements are the best tool for preserving and even improving:
• Groundwater and stream management
• Wildlife habitat
• Views
• Fields and Forests
• The ecology of our region.
Putting land into an easement also protects an owner’s heirs from incurring high estate taxes and can make the transfer of property to heirs much simpler.
In Rappahannock, many more pieces of land are in the process of completing their easements, which will bring the county close to the 10 percent mark that is the amount that Clarke County now has in easement.
“Much of the land in Fauquier County north of Route 66 has been put into easements,” Dennis explained, “and this was done on a citizen-to-citizen basis. Everyone came together and realized that was the only way to stop the inevitable development that would ensue.”
The simplest approach to solving the future of our county’s development, Mr. Dennis asserted, would be to have 100 percent of our county’s land in conservation easement. The county would stay the way it is today.
Mr. Dennis explained that there is an informal group of easement property owners in the county that are glad to share their experiences and encourage others to consider the issue: Chris Bird, Doug Ginsburg, Ray Gooch, Dick McNear, Susan Babcock, James Gannon, Allen Dranitzke, Bruce Jones, Werner Krebser, Bob Dennis, and others. Bob Dennis is available at 364-2569.
The Rappahannock branch of the Piedmont Environmental Council (PEC), at 12715 Lee Highway (the old toll cabin opposite St. Peter’s Church), also provides information and brochures about easements. Their number is 987-9441. John Rice, their Conservation Officer who helps set up easements in our area, can be reached directly at 987-9437.
An inspiring map at the PEC shows the easement properties of our county in green, some being connected into large green park-like sections.
If we all did that soon, Rappahannock would never get that first stop light, that suburban subdivision, or its first strip mall: it would be an independent powerhouse of personal property preservation and remain the premier county in the U.S.A. we all know it to be.
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