Nice job by Gov. Kaine on this one. With just a few months left to go in his term as governor of Virginia, it looks like land preservation is going to be (by far) his most positive and long-lasting legacy.
GOVERNOR KAINE ANNOUNCES CONSERVATION OF 4,188 ACRES WITHIN DRAGON RUN WATERSHED
~ Vital tributary to Chesapeake Bay to be permanently protected
Governor Timothy M. Kaine today announced that the Commonwealth and The Nature Conservancy have purchased 4,188 acres of environmentally extraordinary land within the Dragon Run watershed from the Hancock Timber Resource Group. This purchase brings the total land conservation under Governor Kaine to 335,000 acres, well on pace to meet his goal of preserving 400,000 acres during his term.
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Dubbed the “second most ecologically important watershed in the Chesapeake Bay” by the Smithsonian Institution, Dragon Run includes the northern-most tidal cypress swamp community on the western shore of the Chesapeake Bay. Ninety bird species, such as bald eagles and prothonotary warblers, are found in the area, along with 55 species of fish. The waters provide vital nurseries for perch, rockfish, and alewives, which are important for Chesapeake commercial fishermen and sportsmen.
