Contact: Heather Richards 540-347-2334 ext. 23. or hrichards[at]pecva.org

The fund is a first for the county, and a major initiative in PEC's efforts to help protect lands threatened by sprawl development. It will help protect Orange County's farms, natural resources and historic lands. Orange County currently has approximately 20,500 acres in conservation easement, which represents about only 9% of the total land in the county. The new Conservation Fund offers an exciting opportunity to add properties to Orange County's protected open space, lands that we otherwise may not have been able to preserve from development. The fund may be used to reimburse easement donors for fees incurred during the donation process and/or for a portion of the appraised value of the easement. The Fund Advisory Committee identifies priority areas within the county where funds should be expended and determines the amount of funding to allocate to individual projects.