Bedford Citizens for Land Preservation

The statistics on land preservation in Bedford County are sobering -- especially when you consider that it is the fastest growing locality west of Richmond. To date less than one half of one percent of the private land in Bedford County has been preserved as open space for our children and grandchildren. The open space that is protected is there because a few private landowners – fourteen so far -- have chosen to preserve their land through conservation easements. These individual decisions by private citizens to preserve their land provide the only way the county’s scenic assets are going to be protected. Forty-one percent of Bedford’s land is privately owned and in agricultural use. Private conservation efforts are expanding year by year, but we’re racing against the clock and will need dozens of new conservation easements in the next few years if we’re going to have a lasting and meaningful impact on preserving Bedford County’s rural landscape.

David Hurt, Program Manager, Western Virginia Land Trust, March 21, 2005

“…while population growth in most Central Virginia communities is simmering, Bedford County’s growth is like a bonfire.

The News and Advance, Lynchburg, VA, August 23, 2002

Location

Bedford County is located between the cities of Lynchburg and Roanoke. Bedford (city): one of the first five Main Street Communities and 21st in Best 100 Small Towns in America.

Bedford’s current zoning ordinance allows between 106,000 and 525,000 more homes. Based on an average occupancy rate of 2.5 persons per household, Bedford County could accommodate between 265,000 (minimum) to 1.3 million people (maximum) in the future.

Between 1980 and 2000 Bedford County’s population increased 73%. Between 1990 and 2000 it increased by 32.5%, well above the Virginia average of 19.89%. (US Census) The Department of Planning has projected population growth at 136,000 by 2030, assuming the rate of growth remains steady at 32.5%.

However, between 1990 and 2000 the population in the Forest and Goode area grew by 135%, according to US Census data – twice as much as any other census tract in Western Virginia. Recent trends in these areas and at Smith Mountain Lake suggest the growth rate may not remain steady at 32.5%.

Bedford County’s Agricultural Trends

We are seeing a continuation of trends – loss of farmland and number of farms, increase in the average age of farmers, a drop in commodities like milk cows, corn for silage, wheat, tobacco, etc. While some areas of agriculture are declining, others are relatively stable or increasing. One growing area is grapes. In 2002, 36 acres were reported. No census information was available for 1997, but I know this is a substantial increase from 1997. Agriculture remains a significant industry in the County, generating about $20 million in sales. When you consider the multiplier effect of associated activities – farm supplies and equipment, fertilizer, etc., agriculture continues to be a viable part of the economy.

Scott M. Baker, Extension Agent, Agriculture and Natural Resources, Virginia Extension Service, Bedford Extension Office.

In the five year period between 1997 and 2002, Bedford lost 165 farms; 8,032 acres of farmland was taken out of agricultural use.

The 2002 Census of Agriculture changed its statistical methodology, making it difficult to compare data from earlier years with data from 2002. However, using data compiled by the Bedford Extension Office from the 2002 Census (with revised numbers from the 1997 Census formulated for comparison purposes), Bedford’s Agricultural Situation during this period is accurately represented in the chart that follows.

The 2002 Census of Agriculture is available at USDA’s NASS website: www.usda.gov/nass. Click on Census of Agriculture.

For more on Bedford County growth, Click on Grassroots Articles # 5, 6 & 7

Land Preservation in Bedford County (as of March, 2005)

Agricultural land is desirable for building because it tends to be flat, well drained and generally more affordable to developers than to farmers. Far more farmland is being converted than is necessary to provide housing for a growing population. Over the past 20 years, the acreage per person for new housing almost doubled. Most of this land is outside of existing urban areas. Since 1994, lots of 10 to 22 acres accounted for 55% of the growth in housing areas.

Why Save Farmland?, The American Farmland Trust, January 2003

*If there is land left-over after the subdivision of a single tract into five, three-acre lots, additional lots of 20 acres are permitted until all of the land in a tract is divided.

Current Bedford County Zoning Map

To learn more, Click on Grassroots Article #13.

Water and Air Quality

13 bodies of water in Bedford County are impaired; 10 of 13 have fecal coliform impairment (The Virginia Department of Environmental Quality.) The impaired bodies of water are: James River, Reed Creek, Beaverdam Creek, SML/Roanoke River, SML/Craddock Creek, Leesville Lake/Roanoke River, Goose Creek, Sheep’s Creek, Elk Creek, Little Otter River, John’s Creek, Machine Creek and Big Otter River.

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The number one source of impairment: agricultural and urban non-point source pollution (Virginia Depart of Environmental Quality).

-- Smith Mountain Lake’s total phosphorus has increased by 97% between 1997 and 2003 with a 53.7% increase from 2002 to 2003. (SML Water Quality Monitoring Program, 2003 Report).

-- Chlorophyll-A concentrations with Smith Mountain Lake increased 112% from 2002 to 2003 (SML Water Quality Monitoring Program, 2003 Report).

-- 9.55% of Virginia’s CO emissions come from Bedford County (Virginia Department of Environmental Quality).

-- Bedford County and City have higher air pollutant emissions than Roanoke County, Roanoke City and Salem City combined.

Climate:
Mean annual temperature: 54 F.
Rainfall: 38.272
Snowfall: 18.22
Elevation: 7951 to 42002 above sea level

Getting there:
Major Roads: Routes 29, 460, 501 and 221 pass through Bedford County
Airlines: Lynchburg Regional and Roanoke Regional
Other: Amtrak Station in Lynchburg
Greyhound bus Line

Bedford County tourist attractions
A survey of the tourist and historical attractions in Bedford County including a map of the county locating the various sites