Land adjacent to Buffalo Mountain will be designated as a state conservation area to preserve the popular hiking summit and 14 miles of native trout streams in Floyd and Carroll counties, according to a Thursday announcement from the governor’s office.
Buffalo Mountain was included in the 2,211 acres acquired by the state from the Lawson Co. in the two counties through a $9.5 million federal Forest Legacy Grant and in partnership with The Conservation Fund and the Virginia Department of Forestry. The expansion brings the total acres of land owned by the state Department of Conservation and Recreation at Buffalo Mountain to 4,332.
“Virginia is home to some of America’s most treasured natural areas, and it is our responsibility to make sure they are protected for generations to come,” Gov. Abigail Spanberger said in the news release announcing the acquisition. “I know this land will continue to be cherished and enjoyed by Virginians, now with new confidence that comes from the commonwealth’s protection.”
The property serves as a buffer adjacent to the 2,121-acre Buffalo Mountain Natural Area Preserve, which is managed by the Department of Conservation and Recreation’s Virginia Natural Heritage Program. The state conservation area is near the Blue Ridge Parkway and less than 50 miles from Blacksburg.
Protecting the land from development will benefit water quality at the headwaters of the New River, the governor’s office said. The land also includes creeks and streams that support eastern brook trout and brown trout, the release said.
The federal Forest Legacy Program is funded by the Land and Water Conservation Fund, which was permanently funded with the passage of the 2020 Great American Outdoors Act, according to the fund’s website. The fund, which was established in 1965, reinvests a percentage of offshore energy revenues in conservation and recreation access projects, the governor’s office said.
U.S. Sens. Mark Warner, D-Va., and Tim Kaine, D-Va., along with U.S. Rep. Morgan Griffith, R-Salem, joined the governor in celebrating the effort to protect Buffalo Mountain.
“Buffalo Mountain is one of Southwest Virginia’s most cherished natural landmarks, and I’m thrilled to see more than 2,200 additional acres protected for generations to come,” Warner said in the news release.
Kaine said that he is glad that the additional acreage will be protected.
“I was proud to help secure funding through the federal Forest Legacy Program to make this possible. I will continue working with The Conservation Fund and state partners to conserve our lands for generations to come,” he said in the news release.
Griffith added that he is excited to celebrate the news that Buffalo Mountain will be designated as a state conservation area.
“Conservation and recreation areas help local economies, promote public access and preserve the natural resource heritage of Virginia’s 9th District,” Griffith said in the release. “Whether as a local visitor or somebody from out of town, we will all continue to marvel at and appreciate Buffalo Mountain for its iconic landscape.”
The governor’s office estimated that 15,000 people visit the preserve annually.
The Department of Conservation and Recreation has not established a timeline for public access to the property, spokesman Dave Neudeck said Thursday via email. Public access to the Buffalo Mountain Natural Area Preserve will continue throughout the process.
The agency’s next step, he said, is to develop a management plan that will guide future use of the conservation area, including opportunities for public access and the timeline for implementation.
