Stafford County recently added a 70-acre farm to its Purchase of Development Rights Program (PDR). Bringing the total number of acres preserved by the program to 1,105 and the number of development rights retired to 286.
More in Stafford County’s press release:
Additionally, 152 acres are in progress to potentially be added to the program, and 59 more development rights are to be extinguished. The Purchase of Development Rights Program is one of the County’s tools to preserve open space and promote Healthy Growth.
“We greatly appreciate the Jones family for putting their 70 acres into our PDR Program and helping us with our vision of preserving open, green spaces,” said Chairman of the Board of Supervisors Meg Bohmke, Falmouth District. “Through the use of a variety of tools, 12,508 acres will never be developed in Stafford County, and 4,241 development rights will be retired.”
The 12,508 acres include conservation easements, properties in the Purchase of Development Rights Program and Transfer of Development Right Program properties.
The Jones Property on Forest Lane Road totals 70 acres. It has a mix of forest and agricultural uses and contains sensitive environmental resources.
To further the PDR Program and the preservation of open land, Stafford Board authorized a partnership between Stafford and the Northern Virginia Conservation Trust (NVCT) to hire a position dedicated to Stafford County. The staff member has been working to develop professional relationships with landowners, various agencies, and potential partners. Part of the person’s responsibility is to promote, educate and inform landowners about Stafford County conservation initiatives and programs and identify and pursue new potential conservation projects and funding opportunities.
To learn more about applying to the Purchase of Development Rights Program, please visit www.staffordcountyva.gov/pdr.
