Grace Furnace
Photo by Neil Jordan, courtesy of the Open Space Institute
The USDA Forest Service, the Open Space Institute and Chesapeake Conservancy partnered to conserve a 4,664.5-acre property in Botetourt County, Virginia and expand George Washington and Jefferson National Forests.
The 2019 purchase of the preserved a local historic asset, enhanced recreational access and protected the water quality of Craig Creek, a tributary to the James River and the Chesapeake Bay. The property is one of Virginia's largest tracts to be acquired for conservation purposes in decades.
The acquisition of this tract, which the National Forest borders on three sides, not only enhances Forest Service management but also ensures protection for freshwater streams in the Chesapeake Bay watershed. The tract supports 14 freshwater springs, 10 miles of trout streams and borders 1,000 feet of Craig Creek. The tract contains potential aquatic habitat for the federally listed endangered James spinymussel and two state-listed threatened species, Atlantic pigtoe mussel and orange madtom fish.
With crucial support from the Wyss Foundation, the Open Space Institute (OSI) purchased the Grace Furnace Property in December 2016 and conveyed it to the Forest Service on October 10, 2019, which prioritized this project for funding from the Land and Water Conservation Fund, America’s premier land conservation program.
Chesapeake Conservancy coordinated the Rivers of the Chesapeake Land and Water Conservation Fund Collaborative Landscape proposal that provided partial funding for this important project and generated significant partner support for land conservation across the Chesapeake Bay watershed.
