Bedford Historical Society meeting honors conservation easement grantors
By Anne Chisom

The Bedford Historical Society held its annual meeting and luncheon last Sunday, Feb. 19, at the Bedford Welcome Center.

A primary focus of this year's meeting was recognition of area residents who have protected their properties for future generations by creating conservation or preservation easements. Currently, there are 18 conservation easements and eight preservation easements on Bedford city or county properties.
 

Bedford Historical Society board member Robert Lambeth introduced those owners of local properties who have added conservation easements to their property and who were present at the meeting. He also read the complete list of these owners.

Barbara Hatcher, now deceased, who owned Twin Oaks Farm, was the first person in Bedford County to add conservation and preservation easements to her property. Others who have followed her example are Anne and David Barrett, Laura Radford Goley and Gene Goley, Hugh and Anne Bond, Boyd Claytor (in conjunction with Lynchburg College), Pete Fellers and the Fellers Family Limited Partnership, John and Sara Gilkey and Frances Harris. Also, Mike and Dorothy Reynolds, Ruth Watson Shade, Steve Stevick and Nancy Raine are included in this group.

Others include Eliza Thomas, now deceased, and her family, Peter and Gail Thomas. Harry Woolridge, Anita Braun, Mary Patterson McGrory, Dan Layman, Nancy McWane, Charles Hagan, Barney and Frances Hodges, and Al and Bill Chambers, Karl E. Balliett, Madeleine E. Love and Gordon Love are also easement grantors.

Lambeth also stressed the work of the Bedford Citizens for Land Preservation to protect and preserve the unique character of the Bedford community. This citizen-based non-profit organization has been actively working since 2002, with the goal of “supporting responsible growth in Bedford County, while preserving its rural quality of life,” according to literature it distributed at Sunday's meeting.

BCLP board member Steve Stevick briefly mentioned that he feels his involvement as a member of the Bedford County Planning Commission helps to further the aims of both groups to promote planned, responsible growth for the community.

The featured guest speaker at the meeting was Roger Holnback, executive director of the Western Virginia Land Trust. During his presentation, Holnback gave an overview of the benefits of creating conservation easements. Besides the benefit of preserving large tracts of land from overdevelopment in the future, there are immediate advantages to the owners of these properties.

Holnback's presentation also answered several of the questions that usually arise in a conversation about the pros and cons of conservation easements. He pointed out that these easements “limit development, but the property may be sold, traded, or gifted.”

In addition, he said that the easements are flexible. His presentation materials stated that such an easement restriction “may limit subdivision, but doesn't restrict traditional land uses, such as farming, hunting, fishing or forestry.”

Another misconception about conservation easements is that they prevent the land from be subdivided at all, ever. After the meeting, Historical Society board member Betty Gerreau stressed again that “You're not giving your land or home away.”

She added, “Often, you can subdivide to a point.”

This misunderstanding comes from the use of the word "subdivide." The property cannot be split into small parcels for development that would change its character and use, but often owners place wording into their easements that allows for future division into one, two or a few smaller parcels.

In other business at the meeting, Karl and Amy Gellis and Peter Viemester were elected to the Historical Society board of directors. Outgoing president Ann Vest announced that Roni Sutton will take over the duties of president of the group at their upcoming board meeting in March.

Other properties not named above that benefit from their conservation and/or preservation easement protections include Avenel, Citizens Bank Building, Bedford City/County Museum, and 124 South Bridge Street. The rescue of one of these properties, the Bedford Historic Meeting House, is what originally led to the formation of the Bedford Historical Society in 1969.

For more information about the Historical Society, contact them by e-mail at webmaster@bedfordhistory.org.

Bedford Citizens for Land Preservation can be reached at its Web site, www.bedfordpreservation.org. The contact information for the Western Virginia Land Trust is www.westernvirginialandtrust.org.