Dan Bieker and his next-door neighbor live about 15 miles southwest of Charlottesville, off US-29, and they love the scenery— rolling hills, farmland and lots of forest. So, they decided to put their property into permanent conservation easement, pledging not to harvest trees.
“There will never be a housing development here or a road built up through there," he explains. "This is 200 to 300 acres that’s been protected – basically the whole side of the mountain. After I’m gone, the easement will stay with the property.”
Forests store carbon, filter our water and provide a place for wildlife.
“I have identified 146 bird species so far. We have bear, turkey, fox, bobcat,” Bieker boasts.
He made the commitment through a group called the 500-Year Forest Foundation which helps manage 11 privately owned properties.
“When forests are logged repeatedly or clear cut, we lose the biodiversity that’s available," says Foundation Board Member Jeff Smith. “That variety helps to keep our forests healthy. It helps to keep our environment healthy.”
Smith says landowners get tax credits for protecting their forests which are threatened by a global economy that introduced damaging fungus, insects and invasive plants that crowd out native trees.
