Governor Tim Kaine announced this morning at the new Thomas Jefferson Visitor Center at Monticello that his administration surpassed the goal of preserving 400,000 acres across the Commonwealth.
“I am glad to tell you that as of the end of December, our total acquisitions since the beginning of the 2006 fiscal year is 424,103 acres,” Kaine said. “That was just until the end of December, I still have another week.”
The most recent acquisition, the 1,300-acre Biscuit Run state park, along with Dragon Run and Moore’s Creek, have helped reach that goal.
Ultimately, conservation efforts resulted in five new state forests, three new state parks, three new wildlife management areas, and 13 natural area preserves.
In addition to this announcement, Kaine acknowledged the benefits Biscuit Run will have for area residents and for the state.
“This is going to be a magnificent piece of property in an area that really needs it,” he said, noting that one of the goals of the Virginia State Park System was to add a state park in the Charlottesville area.
“As a state park, Biscuit Run will not only benefit residents of Albemarle and Charlottesville, but also of the Commonwealth for recreation, natural resource protection, preservation of open space. The property itself is a real jewel and we just don’t have opportunities like this happen very often.”
And at such a good price.
In late December, the Commonwealth bought Biscuit Run as a bargain sale for $9.8 million and tax credits. “It was worth dramatically more than that,” Kaine told reporters.
In fact, the Breeden family sold the property to developers for about $46.2 million in 2005.
Boyd Tinsley, fiddler for the Dave Matthews Band, hopes that the park will attract businesses and people “who love nature, who love this area. Hopefully, too, it will remind this community of the beauty of it,” he said.
As for the lost investment, Tinsley said, “the financial loss that we have taken pales in comparison to the contribution that we have now made to the community.”
DMB member Boyd Tinsley and Gov. Tim Kaine shake hands at the Thomas Jefferson Visitor Center at Monticello. “The financial loss that we have taken pales in comparison to the contribution that we have now made to the community,” Tinsley said.
