Forestlands Conservation Foundation protects 93 acres in Virginia Blue Ridge Mountains

The Charlotte-based nonprofit conserved 93 acres of mature oak-hickory forest in Amherst County, Virginia, to create a permanently protected nature preserve. The acquisition links existing conservation lands and aims to safeguard biodiversity, wildlife habitat and climate resilience in the Blue Ridge Mountains.

Why it matters: - The 93-acre tract will expand connected conservation land in the Blue Ridge Mountains. - Permanent protection through a conservation easement is intended to preserve habitat for imperiled species and support ecosystem adaptation to climate change. - The property sits in a region identified as a protection priority by multiple conservation planning tools, including the Southeast Conservation Blueprint, Conserve Virginia and the Virginia Wildlife Corridor Action Plan.

What happened: - The Forestlands Conservation Foundation conserved 93 acres of mature oak-hickory forest in Amherst County, Virginia. - The Charlotte, North Carolina-based nonprofit plans to protect the property permanently as a nature preserve through a conservation easement. - The acquisition was designed to connect and enlarge existing federal and privately owned conservation lands in the area. - The organization said it used conservation science geographic data from government agencies and nonprofit organizations to identify the property for acquisition.

The details: - The land includes biological and structural diversity tied to elevation changes. - The site provides breeding habitat for amphibians and insects. - Mature mast-producing hardwood trees on the property offer food and nesting places for wildlife. - Lichen-covered granitic outcroppings on the land provide cover. - The Virginia Wildlife Corridor Action Plan identifies the property as a critical Wildlife Biodiversity Resilience Corridor. - Founder and Executive Director Pam Pannozzo said the organization uses scientific data to direct limited financial resources toward the most important landscapes for natural systems. - Executive Board Member Sapna Gupta said connected landscapes give natural systems space to adapt and evolve as climatic changes occur.

Between the lines: - The acquisition reflects a strategy of targeting high-value parcels that can stitch together fragmented conservation land. - The organization is leaning on scientific prioritization rather than broad land buying, which can stretch private dollars further. - Board Member Jamie Plastina-Koch said rising land prices and pressure from development, resource extraction and recreation are making conservation more urgent. - The group framed private funding as a necessary counterweight to accelerating loss of natural systems and species decline.

What's next: - The Forestlands Conservation Foundation said it will continue acquiring land across seven eastern U.S. states. - The nonprofit’s mission is to preserve biological diversity and natural ecological and evolutionary processes through land acquisition. - Founded in 2025, the organization previously acquired 101 acres of oak-hickory forest in Alexander County, North Carolina, in October. - The group said more private investment is needed while biologically important land is still available for purchase.

The bottom line: - The Virginia purchase adds another connected conservation parcel to a growing regional land-protection effort focused on habitat, resilience and long-term ecological function.