Nestled in the rolling hills of Southern Warren County, a site that’s gone from military horses to endangered species. This is the story of the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute in Front Royal, Virginia.
The Smithsonian Conservation & Research Center
The Smithsonian Conservation Center (SCC) is celebrating its top 7 news events for 2024, and three of those remarkable moments happened right here in Warren County.
First on the list is Antonia, the cloned black-footed ferret, who gave birth to two pups this year.
In third place is Walnut, the crane who tragically died but made headlines because she fell for her keeper, Chris Crowe.
And in sixth place, Joe Kolowski and his team are tracking 60 American kestrels across Virginia using solar-powered backpacks to study the importance of their habitats.
These events highlight the incredible conservation efforts taking place in our own backyard!
For more news from across the Shenandoah Valley, click here.
Exciting changes are here!
The Valley Conservation Council is changing its name to Shenandoah Valley Conservancy.
Along with the new name, they have updated their branding and launched a stunning new website at shenandoah.org.
With this new name the aim to:
• Clearly defines our geographic focus and strengthens potential for external funding.
• Sparks a fresh conversation about innovative conservation initiatives and long-standing legacy.
• Honors their origins by keeping “Valley” and simplifying “Conservation Council” to
“Conservancy,” reflecting our identity as a land trust.
For more news from across the Shenandoah Valley, click here.
The Virginia Department of Forestry is now accepting applications for Riparian Forests for Landowners Program project funding.
This is a new statewide landowner assistance program that helps landowners create riparian forest buffer.
Selected service providers will facilitate the installation of, and one year of maintenance on, riparian forest buffers at no cost to the landowner.
Riparian forest buffers are areas near streams, lakes, or wetlands that contain a combination of trees, shrubs, and other perennial plants, primarily to provide conservation benefits.
Riparian forest buffers filter nutrients, pesticides and animal waste from agricultural land runoff, filtering sediment from runoff, stabilizing eroding banks, providing shade, shelter and food for fish and provide wildlife.
For more news from across the Shenandoah Valley, click here.
The National Forests, across the country, are home to dozens of species of fish, frogs, and wildlife that are on the endangered species list.
The Endangered Species Act was signed on December 28, 1973, and has prevented the extinction of 99% of the species under federal protection.
The uninterrupted habitats that extend for hundreds of acres and areas of complete solitude give many species the space needed for recovery of their populations.
Each conservation effort has been a combined project for 50 years between individuals, organizations, and agencies.
For more news from across the Shenandoah Valley, click here.
Sixty-five acres at Double Tollgate has been rezoned where Rappahannock Electric Cooperative (REC) plans to build its new regional headquarters.
Following a public hearing on Oct. 17, the Clarke County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved rezoning the land from Agricultural‐Open Space‐Conservation to Highway Commercial and Highway Access Corridor Overlay District so that REC can develop a regional office as a “public utility facility”.
REC is Clarke County’s main electricity provider.
By moving its headquarters from Front Royal to Double Tollgate, located near the boundaries of Clarke, Warren and Frederick counties, REC can better serve all customers.
REC will pay all applicable Clarke County taxes, and a representative said cattle may continue to graze on the property.
REC also plans to continue to allow cattle to graze on the property.
For more news from across the Shenandoah Valley, click here.
Governor Glenn Youngkin announced the establishment of the Virginia Security Corridor along with two federal Sentinel Landscape designations in the Commonwealth.
The Sentinel Landscapes Partnership seeks to protect lands for military use in combination with combating climate change by protecting key habitats, threatened species, and improving water quality.
The Virginia Security Corridor will include 10 military installations and 2.9 million acres that mutually support military, agriculture, and recreational interests with the two newly designated areas named “Potomac” and “Tidewater”.
Secretary of Agriculture and Forestry Matthew Lohr supported the decision stating, “The Virginia Security Corridor partnership is home to some of the Commonwealth’s most abundant natural resources, which includes productive forests, open and active agricultural lands, and complex marsh and riverine systems that all connect to the nation’s largest estuary – the Chesapeake Bay.”
“Virginia now joins a network of similar commitments stretching from Delaware to Florida, creating a substantial opportunity for governments and the private sector to pool resources and collaborate regionally to support conservation, biodiversity, and military facility and mission readiness.” said Zack Greenberg, an officer with The Pew Charitable Trusts.
To view the full announcement, click here.
For more news from across the Shenandoah Valley, click here.
