Stafford aims to purchase, preserve more than 150 acres of land

Updated September 30, 2022 — Stafford County wants to buy more land for environmental preservation.

The plan to add 152 acres of land to the county’s Purchase of Development Rights program was discussed at a recent meeting of the county’s Community and Economic Development Committee meeting.

The county is considering two parcels called the Jones and Moore properties. The Jones property is 70 acres, while the Moore property is 82.

Both parcels sit in the rural George Washington District, in the southeast portion of the county. The recommendation to acquire these lands was made in January 2018 by the county’s Agriculture and Land Conservation Committee.

According to its website, the program enables Stafford County to acquire voluntary conservation easements given voluntarily by property owners to ensure that local resources are protected and used efficiently. The program already has 1,035 acres of local land under its auspices.

The parcels’ inclusion in the program would also limit any further residential development on the property.

According to the county spokeswoman Shannon Eubanks, the properties would be acquired to preserve prime agricultural soils, farmland, forestland, and other significant natural resources.

The county would pay $362,500 for both pieces of land. The Jones parcel will cost $152,500, while the Moore parcel will cost $200,000.

Once a government buys property through a purchase of development rights program, the property owner may continue to live and farm on the land or sell it. However, the owner may never build on the property.

The county has applied for funding through the Virginia Land Conservation Foundation and the U.S. Department of Agriculture. It will also use its funds for costs such as appraisal and closing fees. According to county documents, that revenue will need to be appropriated from Roll Back Tax revenue, which has been earmarked for the land purchase.

Stafford County is currently accepting new submissions for the program. New applicants have until September 30 to apply for the program.

The county’s acquisition of the parcels is currently in progress and is expected to be completed by December 2022.

*This story has been corrected.