Milstead-Garnett Conservation Easement
Project Description
This conservation easement protects a 228-acre property in or near Yellow Springs, in Hampshire County, WV. It is almost entirely forested with oaks, tulip tree, hickory and pine. The valley bottom and slopes are predominantly mixed hardwoods.
Two ponds are located near an existing house. There is a small wetland near the southern end of the property near the valley floor; the outlet from this wetland area provides the water that feeds the stream, an "unnamed tributary," and two ponds. The swamp area includes red maple, black gum, tulip tree, and white oak.
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Project Map
County: Hampshire County, WV
Project Size:
- 227.59 acres
Project Sites
- Milstead Garnett Easement (Not publicly accessible)
Goals and Targets
Primary Motivations:
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Conservation Mission
The Potomac Conservancy’s primary focus is to restore water quality by advocating sound policy and promoting thoughtful land management. The Conservancy protects and restores Potomac landscapes by enhancing a network of rivers, forests, and natural areas. The Cacapon and Lost Rivers Land Trust assists landowners and communities in maintaining healthy rivers, protecting forests and farmland, and preserving rural heritage for the enjoyment and well being of present and future generations. -
Public Benefit
Protection of conservation values, including scenic benefit to the general public and water quality.
Primary Goals:
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This deed of conservation easement is for the protection of the significant conservation values including the dominant water resources, wildlife habitat, scenic, cultural, rural, agricultural, and woodland characteristics of the property, especially the unbroken forest and vegetated riparian land which provides habitat for wildlife and helps to maintain and enhance water quality.
Consistent With Plans:
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Land Trust Strategic Conservation Plan
This property lies in the Cacapon River watershed, a Priority Subwatershed of the Potomac Conservancy. The Cacapon and Lost Rivers Land Trust concentrates but doesn't limit its land protection efforts in specific areas where neighbors are encouraging their neighbors to protect land, and where these blocks of protected land connect with public parcels such as the George Washington National Forest and Short Mountain Wildlife Management Area.
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Forest Plan
Timber harvest and forest management is prohibited unless it is in accordance with a Forest Management Plan, the goals of which are to support, maintain, and enhance wildlife habitat, to promote the long-term sustainability of contiguous forest, and to maintain and enhance riparian forest in order to protect water quality and prevent water pollution.
Targeted Habitats:
- Aquatic
- Rivers and Streams
- Forests and Woodlands
- Mixed Hardwoods and Conifer
- Wetlands and Riparian Habitats
- Montane Riparian Forests and Shrublands
Targeted Species:
No targeted species were identified for this project.
Conservation Actions
| Action | Status | Start Year | End Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Other - Enhance stewardship (timber, ranch, farm, urban): Forest Management Plan | Ongoing Management | -- | -- |
Timber harvest and forest management must be in accordance with Forest Management Plan |
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| Maintain or create natural stream buffers | Ongoing Management | -- | -- |
A 50 foot riparian buffer along the unnamed tributary shall be permitted to naturally revegetate and shall not be disturbed. |
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| Conservation easement | Completed | -- | -- |
Outcomes
Is the success of this project's actions being monitored? YesMonitoring Activities
annual easement stewardship visits