Tuesday, July 01, 2014

Land donations for parkland leaves lasting legacy


NOVA Parks, with its reputation for conservation and running world class public sites has attracted land donations for many decades. Counting full ownership donations, partial value donations, and long-term leases for token amounts, we have 14 properties that have been contributed to the public good.

If you visit the headquarters of NOVA Parks there is one wall will back and white photos of land donors from the 1970s and 1980s. And outside the Board room is another wall with color photos of some of the more recent donations (although it is not fully up to date, due to recent donations).

Since 2006 there has been a new wave of land donations that are celebrated on this wall. The modern donations include:
  • Aldie Mill Historic Park - 2006
  •  Mt. Zion Historic Park - 2009
  • Additional area of Pohick Bay Regional Park  - 2009
  • Additional area of Pohick Bay Regional Park - 2012
  • Linn Nature Preserve - 2012
  • Rust Sanctuary - 2013
  • Webb Sanctuary - 2013
  • Mt. Defiance Historic Park - 2013
  • Jackson House (part of Balls Bluff) - 2014
  • Tinner Hill Historic Site - 2014 
Historically, big parks like Meadowlark Garden, Red Rock Overlook, and Temple Hall Farm Park were donated to NOVA Parks.

These donations have, and will continue to leave a legacy of history, nature, recreation, and open space that will enrich the lives of countless people in our region for generations to come!

If you are interested in exploring the idea of donating all, or part, of your land for public park use, contact me at pgilbert(at)nvrpa.org and we can help you think through the issues related to such a gift. Virginia continues to have one of the strongest tax credit programs in the nation to encourage this kind of gift.
Gary Knipling Donating one of his properties on Mason Neck

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