[From the U.S. Government Printing Office, www.gpo.gov]

                                                                             FY'91               Task 10

                                                                                  Final Product
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                                                                                       3/31/93
                    CONSERVATION PLANNING FOR THE NATURAL AREAS

                             OF THE LOWER PENINSULA OF VIRGINIA

                                               FINAL REPORT



















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                    VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF CONSERVATION AND RECREATION
                                    DIVISION OF NATURAL HERITAGE

                        NATURAL HERITAGE TECHNICAL REPORT NUMBER 93-4
                                              8 MARCH 1993













                                CONSERVATION PLANNING


                                FOR THE NATURAL AREAS


                               OF THE LOWER PENINSULA


                                     OF VIRGINIA


                                    FINAL REPORT



                                   Prepared by the
                 Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation
                            Division of Natural Heritage
                          1500 East Main Street, Suite 312
                                  Richmond,VA 23219

                                   Project Manager
                                  Lawrence R. Smith

                            Principle Investigator/Author
                                  Kennedy H. Clark

                                Contributing Authors
                               Christopher A. Clampitt
                                    Shepard Moon
                                   Janit L. Potter

                                    Prepared for
                                  James City County
                                     York County
                               City of Williamsburg
         ATMO-,,,, This report was funded, in part, by the Virginia council
          I..     on the Environment's Coastal Resources Management
                  Program through Grant number NA170ZO359-01 of the
                  National oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Office
                  of Ocean and Coastal Resource Management, under the
                  Coastal Zone Management Act of 1972, as amended.

         This report should be cited as follows:

             Clark, K.H. 1993. Conservation Planning for the Natural Areas
                  of the Lower Peninsula of Virginia. Natural Heritage
                  Technical Report # 93-4. Virginia Department of
                  Conservation and Recreation, Division of Natural
                  Heritage. 8 March 1993. 193 pp.

         Cover illustration: the cover illustration by Caren Caljouw
         depicts three natural heritage resources known to occur on the
         Lower Peninsula - bald eagle, sensitive joint-vetch, and tidal
         freshwater marsh.


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                                      Staff of the
                   Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation
                              Division of Natural Heritage




            Thomas Smith - Division Director
                Patricia Jarrell - Executive Secretary
                    'Faye McKinney - Secretary/Receptionist
                Leslie Trew - Natural Heritage Program Manager
                     Allen Belden - Field Botanist
                     Christopher Clampitt - Inventory Ecologist
                     Gary Flemming - Field Ecologist
                     Christopher Ludwig - Botanist
                     Sarah Maybe - Migratory Songbird Research Specialist
                     Thomas Rawinski - Vegetation Ecologist
                     Steve Roble - Zoologist
                     Phillip Stevenson - Zoology Research Specialist
                     Nancy Van Alstine - Botany Research Specialist
                Steven Carter-Lovejoy - Information Manager
                     Sarah Holbrook - Conservation Intern
                     Timothy O'Connell -Environmental Review Coordinator
                     Tracy O'Connell - Conservation Intern
                     Megan Rollins - Data Specialist
                Lawrence Smith   Natural Areas Program Manager
                Caren Caljouw   Stewardship Coordinator
                     Kennedy Clark   Stewardship Biologist
                     Sandra Erdle   Preserve Design Research Assistant












                                            CONTENTS



             SUMMARY  .....................................................     1


             INTRODUCTION   ................................................    2
             Overview of Natural Heritage Division     .......................  2
             Review of Natural Areas Inventory     ............................ 5
             Conservation Planning Project    ...............................   6

             METHODS  .....................................................     7
             Collection of Information    ...................................   7
             Conservation Planning Principles     ............................  8
             Ecological Boundaries    .......................................   9
             Geographic Information Systems     .............................  10
             Protection of Natural Areas    ................................   10
             Stewardship Guidelines    .....................................   11
             Recreational, Scenic, and Educational Considerations       ....... 13

             RESULTS AND RECOMMENDATIONS    .................................  14
             Natural Heritage Resources    .................................   15
             Biodiversity Rank Updates    ..................................   15
             Changes in Natural Area Sizes     ..............................  15
             Site Accounts   ..............................................    16


             BIBLIOGRAPHY   ..............................................   164


             ACKNOWLEDGMENTS   ...........................................   167


             APPENDICES
             A. Local Options for Conserving Natural Areas      ............. A-1
             B. Scientific and Technical Names     ......................... B-1






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                                          SUMMARY



            The Virginia Natural Area Preserves Act defines natural areas as
            "any area of land, water, or both ... which is important in
            preserving rare or vanishing flora, fauna, native ecological
            systems, geological, natural historical, scenic, or other similar
            feature-of the Commonwealth" (section 10.1-209, Code of
            Virginia). Natural heritage resources are defined as "the
            habitat of rare, threatened, or endangered plant and animal
            species, rare or state significant natural communities or
            geologic sites, and similar features of scientific interest"
            (section 10.1-209, Code of Virginia). The Virginia Department of
            Conservation and Recreation administers the Virginia Natural Area
            Preserves Act through its Division of Natural Heritage.

            In 1992, the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation
            received a grant from the Coastal Resources Management-Program of
            the Virginia-Council on the Environment to conduct conservation
            planning for the twenty-five natural areas identified in the
            natural areas inventory of James City County, City of
            Williamsburg, and York County, together known as the Lower
            Peninsula.  *The goal of the conservation planning project was to
            provide comprehensive and refined information to guide the
            conservation of the Lower Peninsula's natural areas.

            Additional data regarding each site's natural heritage resources,
            threats, and ownership were collected. By combining the new data
            with existing knowledge from the inventory project, the following
            information was provided for each of the twenty-five natural
            areas through this project:

                primary and secondary ecological boundaries for each
                      natural area,
                descriptions of the natural heritage resources of each
                      site,
                information-regarding the current status, use,
                      ownership, and zoning of each natural area,
                considerations for the recreational, scenic, and
                      educational value of the sites
                digitized ecological boundaries for use in geographic
                      information systems, and
                guidelines on options that local governments can use to
                      protect their natural areas.

            The purpose of this information is to facilitate well-informed
            planning and wise land use decisions by the local governments.
            The information is also intended to help guide the localities in
            their own endeavors to actively protect the natural diversity of
            @heir jurisdictions. The report can be further utilized to
            increase awareness of local officials and residents of regional
            biodiversity issues, guide environmental review of projects which
            may affect the natural areas, and to assist local conservation
            organizations in their land protection and environmental
            education efforts.






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                                      INTRODUCTION


            In 1989, the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation,
            through its Division of Natural Heritage, was contracted by the
            governments of James City County, the City of Williamsburg, and
            York County to conduct a three-year natural areas inventory. The
            project was supported financially through Coastal Zone Management
            Grants from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
            with matching funds provided by the local governments. The
            grants were administered by the Coastal Resources Management
            Program of the Virginia council on the Environment. The goal of
            the inventory was to systematically identify the region's best
            remaining natural areas. The final report for the natural areas
            inventory was completed in early 1992.

            In 1992, the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation
            received a grant from the Coastal Resources Management Program to
            conduct conservation planning for the natural areas identified in
            the inventory. Matching funds were provided by the Virginia -
            Department of Conservation and Recreation. This report relates
            the methods, results, and conclusions of the Lower Peninsula
            conservation planning project.

            OVERVIEW OF NATURAL HERITAGE DIVISION

            The Virginia Natural Area Preserves Act of 1989 (section 10.1-209
            et seg., Code of Virginia) directs the Virginia.Department of
            Conservation and Recreation to "preserve the natural diversity of
            biological,resources of the'Commonwealth.11 The Act further
            establishes the Virginia Natural Heritage Program and requires
            the Department to develop a natural heritage plan, produce an
            inventory of the Commonwealth's natural heritage resources,
            maintain a natural heritage data bank of inventory data, and
            provide for the protection and stewardship of natural areas. The
            Department of Conservation and Recreation's Division of Natural
            Heritage fulfills this mandate. The Division of Natural Heritage
            is the Commonwealth's principal collector and manager of
            information on natural heritage resources and performs a variety
            of protection and stewardship tasks for priority natural heritage
            resources throughout the state. Natural heritage resources are
            defined as "the habitat of rare, threatened, or endangered plant
            and animal species, rare or state significant natural communities
            or geologic sites, and similar features of scientific interest"
            (section 10.1-209, Code of Virginia). The Virginia Natural
            Area Preserves Act defines natural area as "any area of land,
            water, or both ... which is important in preserving rare or
            vanishing flora, fauna, native ecological systems, geologic,
            natural historical, scenic, or similar features... of the
            Commonwealth" (section 10.1-209, Code of Virginia).

            Each natural heritage resource is assigned a rank that indicates
            its relative rarity on a five-poi'nt scale (1 = extremely rare, 5
            = common) or otherwise indicates the status of the species with
            letters (eq, X = apparently extirpated). Table 1 defines each






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                 TABLE 1 - DEFINITION OF NATURAL  HERITAGE RARITY RANKS

            State rarity ranks are defined below; global rarity ranks are
            similar, but refer to a species rarity throughout its entire
            range. State and global ranks are denoted, respectively, with an
            11S11 and a "G11 followed by a character. Note that GA and GN are
            not used and GX means extinct. These ranks should not be
            interpreted as legal designations.


            S1  extremely rare; usually five or fewer occurrences in the
                state or may be a few remaining individuals; often especially
                vulnerable to extirpation

            S2  very rare; usually between five and twenty occurrences or
                with many individuals in fewer occurrences; often susceptible
                to becoming extirpated

            S3  rare to uncommon; usually between twenty and one hundred
                occurrences; may have fewer occurrences, but with a large
                number of individuals in some populations; may be vulnerable
                to large-scale disturbances

            S4  uncommon to common; usually more than one hundred
                occurrences, but may be fewer occurrences with many large
                populations; may be restricted to only a portion of the
                state; not usually vulnerable to immediate threats

            S5  very common; demonstrably secure under present conditions

            SA  accidental in the state

            SH  historically known from the state, but not verified for an
                extended period (usually fifteen or more years); this rank is
                used primarily when inventory has been attempted recently

            SN  regularly occurring migrants, transients, or non-breeding
                seasonal residents; usually no specific site can be
                identified with its range in the state; note that
                congregation and staging areas are monitored separately

            SU  status uncertain; often because of low search effort or
                cryptic nature of resource

            SX  apparently extirpated from the state






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            rank in deta il. Each natural heritage resource receives-two
            ranks. One rank indicates the resource's rarity throughout its
            entire range (the global or IIGII rank) and the other indicates the
            resource's rarity within Virginia (the state or 'IS" rank). For
            example, mountain camellia is ranked as G4/S2 indicating the
            species is uncommon throughout its range and very rare in@
            Virginia.

            The primary criterion for ranking natural heritage resources is
            the number of occurrences, that is the number of known distinct
            locations containing that resource. Also of great importance to
            the ranking process is the number of individuals at each location
            or, for highly mobile organisms, the total number of individuals.
            Other considerations include the condition of the occurrences,
            the number of protected occurrences, and threats. Although all
            species protected under state or federal endangered species laws
            are rare, not all rare species are listed as endangered or
            threatened. Natural heritage rarity ranks should not be
            interpreted as legal designations, but as indices.of known
            biological rarity.

            In addition to ranking each natural heritage resource in terms of
            rarity, Department of Conservation and Recreation scientists also
            rank each location or occurrence of natural heritage resources in
            Virginia on a four-point scale (A = excellent, D = poor), so that
            protection efforts can be aimed not only at the rarest natural
            heritage resources, but at the best examples of each. In the
            case of species, an occurrence of a natural heritage resource is
            ranked according to its quality (size and vigor of population,
            etc.), condition (naturalness of habitat, etc.), viability (the
            likelihood of long-term survival of resource), and defensibility
            (level of difficulty of protecting the resource). Given the
            intimate relationship between a natural community and its
            environment, occurrences of rare or exemplary natural communities
            are ranked in terms of their quality and size.

            One of the many ways that the Division of Natural Heritage uses
            the ranks of natural heritage resources and their locations is to
            assess the overall biodiversity significance of a natural area,
            which may include only one natural heritage resource or may
            harbor many. Based upon the ranks, each site is assigned a
            biodiversity (or 11BII) rank on the following five-point scale:

                 B1  outstanding significance, only known site for a natural
                     heritage resource or an excellent occurrence of a G1
                     species;

                 B2  very high significance, the best example of any natural
                     community type, a good occurrence of a G1 species, or an
                     excellent occurrence of a G2 or G3 species;

                 B3  high significance, excellent example of any natural
                     community type, a good occurrence of a G3 species;






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                B4   moderate significance, a good example of a rare natural
                     community type, a fair occurrence of a G3 species, an
                     excellent or good occurrence of a S1 or S2 species;

                B5   general significance, fair to poor occurrence of a rare
                     natural community, an S1 species, or S2 species, an
                     excellent or good occurrence of a S3 species.

            Natural areas which harbor many natural heritage resources may
            have their B rank upgraded to a level higher than that which
            would be indicated by the presence of any one of the resources.
            For example, a site containing good occurrences of four different
            G3 species would be ranked B2, rather than B3.

            REVIEW OF NATURAL AREAS INVENTORY

            The goal of the natural areas inventory conducted from 1989 to
            1992 was to systematically identify the best remaining natural
            areas of the Lower Peninsula. The natural areas inventory was
            conducted in six steps:

            1)  review aerial photographs,
            2)  gather existing information,
            3)  conduct aerial reconnaissance of potential natural areas,
            4)  perform an initial ground survey,
            5)  complete a thorough biological survey of each potential
                natural area, and
            6)  compile the results and prepare a final report.

            At the completion of the inventory, the Division of Natural
            Heritage had records of 7 rare vertebrate species, 10 rare
            invertebrate species, and 45 rare plant species from the three
            localities. Eleven natural communities of statewide significance
            were also identified.

            Ninety-five potential natural areas were identified during the
            inventory. Of these, thirty-three were found to support natural
            heritage resources. In reviewing the results of the inventory,
            several of the potential natural areas were merged to form
            twenty-five natural areas, which ranged in size from 70 acres to
            over 5000 acres. Seventeen of the twenty-five natural areas are
            of statewide significance (ie., ranked B4 or higher). During
            this inventory, Department of Conservation and Recreation
            scientists developed preliminary conservation planning boundaries
            for these seventeen sites. In developing these boundaries, the
            scientists considered a number of factors, including habitat for
            rare species, protection of water quality, and buffers from
            adjacent land uses.

            The preliminary conservation planning boundaries were intended to
            be used to support wise planning and decision-making for the
            @onservation of the natural areas. In the final report on the
            inventory project, the Department of Conservation and Recreation
            encouraged the localities to take appropriate actions to protect
            these sites.






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            Further information regarding the inventory project can be found
            in Natural Areas Inventory 2f the Lower Peninsula of Virginia
            (Natural Heritage Technical Report #92-1).

            CONSERVATION PLANNING PROJECT

            The goal of the Lower Peninsula conservation planning project is
            to provide more comprehensive and refined information to guide
            the conservation of the twenty-five natural areas identified in
            the inventory project. Conservation planning for the natural
            areas of the Lower Peninsula is the logical next step after the
            natural areas inventory. Additional data regarding each site's
            natural heritage resources, threats, and ownership was collected.
            By combining the new data with existing knowledge from the
            inventory project, the following information is provided through
            this project:

                refined conservation planning boundaries and
                     biodiversity ranks for the seventeen state-
                     significant sites;
                conservation boundaries for the eight regionally
                     significant natural areas;
                more detailed descriptions for the natural heritage
                     resources and ecological significance of each site
              .expanded protection and stewardship recommendations for
                     each natural area;
                further information on the current status and use of
                     each site;
                basic information regarding ownership and zoning of each
                     natural area;
                considerations for the recreational, scenic, and
                     educational value of each site;
                digitized conservation planning boundaries for use by
                     local governments in their geographic information
                     systems; and
                information regarding options local governments can
                     utilize to protect their natural areas.

            The purpose of the information provided in this report is to
            facilitate well-informed planning and wise land use decisions by
            the local governments. The information is also intended to help
            guide the Williamsburg, York County, and James City County
            governments in their own endeavors to actively protect the
            natural diversity of their jurisdictions. The report can also be
            used to increase the awareness by local officials and residents
            of regional biodiversity issues and to assist local conservation
            organizations in their land protection and environmental
            education efforts.

            The conservation planning boundaries and recommendations for
            protection and stewardship furnished in this document should not
            be interpreted as acquisition boundaries, proclamation
            boundaries, or regulatory land-use zones. Instead,the
            conservation planning boundaries-and recommendations should be
            considered as tools to help steer wise land use planning on the






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            complex economic, social, and ecological landscape at all levels
            of government and the private sector.

            The involvement of the Virginia Department of Conservation and
            Recreation in the conservation of these natural areas does not
            end with the submission of this final report. The Department is
            committed to providing assistance and support to local
            governments, developers, consultants, conservation organizations,
            businesses, and private citizens concerned with the preservation
            of biodiversity in the remaining natural areas of the Lower
            Peninsula. The Department of Conservation and Recreation will
            also continue to use the information in this report to guide its
            environmental review activities on the Lower Peninsula.



                                         METHODS



            COLLECTION OF INFORMATION

            Working with the local governments in the project area and the
            Virginia Council on the Environment, staff of the Virginia
            Department of Conservation and Recreation gathered a substantial
            amount of information to aid in the effort of expanding and
            refining the conservation recommendations for the twenty-five
            natural areas of the Lower Peninsula.

            Existing knowledge regarding the natural areas and topics
            pertinent to their conservation were studied. Recent aerial
            photographs, soil surveys, field notes from the inventory
            project, scientific publications, and conservation literature
            were included in this review. Another aerial reconnaissance
            survey was conducted over the project area. Additionally,
            several scientific and conservation experts outside of the
            Division of Natural Heritage were consulted for their specialized
            information or skills relating to conservation of the natural
            areas.


            Property ownership and zoning was established for each natural
            area from county or city records. Basic ownership and zoning
            information is provided in the account for each site presented in
            the results and recommendations section.

            Each natural area was visited at least once during the data
            collection phase of this project. During the visits, efforts
            were made to find the natural heritage resources originally
            documented by the inventory project, locate additional resources
            associated with the sites, assess the condition of the the
            resources, determine threats to the resources, and establish what
            protection and stewardship measures are necessary to insure the
            long-term survival of the resources.






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            CONSERVATION PLANNING PRINCIPLES

            Standard natural heritage conservation planning guidelines were
            used for this project. Basically, conservation planning involves
            the design of ecological boundaries, complete site information
            (e.g., natural heritage resources present, threats, ownership,
            zoning, existing protection), a protection strategy, and an
            assessment of stewardship needs. A detailed account of these
            guidelines can be found in the Preserve Selection and Design
            Manual by The Nature Conservancy. Because this publication is
            not readily accessible to the general public, a brief summary of
            conservation planning principles is discussed in the sections
            below.


            ECOLOGICAL BOUNDARIES

            The principle components for the conservation planning of any
            natural area are the conservation planning, or ecological,
            boundaries. Preliminary conservation boundaries, such as those
            established in the Lower Peninsula natural areas inventory, are
            carefully refined into two ecological boundaries: primary and
            secondary. The primary ecological boundary encompasses the
            natural heritage resources of the site and the secondary boundary
            includes all areas intended to mitigate threats to the natural
            heritage resources. The area within the primary boundary is
            normally restricted from disturbance on any kind while some
            environmentally sensitive land uses are usually compatible with
            the area between the primary and secondary boundaries.

            The primary ecological boundary simply includes all known
            occurrences of natural heritage resources at a site. Because
            "natural heritage" resource is defined (in part) as the habitat
            of rare species, the primary ecological boundary encompasses the
            locations where rare species have been documented as well as the
            surrounding habitats in which they are likely to be found. The
            designer should be intimately familiar with the habitat
            requirements of the species in question and the habitats
            available in the natural area. Primary ecological boundaries
            around rare or@exemplary natural communities delineate the extent
            of the communities. This requires the designer to be
            knowledgeable regarding the ecological parameters defining the
            natural community type. The primary ecological boundary does not
            include any "buffer" to separate the natural heritage resources
            from the effects of adjacent land (or water) uses. Primary
            ecological boundaries may also include species movement corridors
            connecting two or more stations of natural heritage resources of
            the same type within a single natural area. Corridors are only
            included in the primary ecological boundary where they are
            determined to be essential habitat for the survival of the
            resources within the natural area.

            The secondary ecological boundary includes all lands and water
            intended to mitigate natural and human threats to the natural
            heritage resources of the site and lands related to special
            management needs. The secondary ecological boundary is often






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            used to indicate-an area within which certain land (or water)
            uses may affect the viability of the natural heritage resources.
            occasionally, secondary ecological boundaries are also used to
            designate areas for some types of ecological management or
            scientific research, such as areas for fire breaks for prescribed
            burning or wildfire control. Secondary ecological boundaries may
            also include species movement corridors. Unlike corridors within
            primary ecological boundaries, corridors designated by secondary
            ecological boundaries normally connect two or more natural areas
            containing similar resources, not similar habitats within a
            single natural area.

            The most common purpose of secondary ecological boundaries is to
            provide a buffer zone to the primary, or core, area. Buffer
            zones are areas of transition between natural heritage resources
            and surrounding land uses designed to protect the resources
            within the primary boundary from damage or degradation. Even the
            strongest and most complete protection of the core area
            containing natural heritage resources would be useless if
            surrounding land uses incompatible with the existence of the
            natural heritage resources were not attenuated. Buffer zones are
            generally the most effective and convenient way to protect
            natural heritage resources from surrounding incompatible land
            uses. The size and composition of a buffer zone varies depending
            upon the biology of the natural heritage resource and the
            disturbances to which it may be subjected. A buffer zone may be
            designed to protect the core area by maintaining surface and
            ground water quality and quantity, preventing alterations of
            ambient light, temperature, humidity, or wind conditions, or
            screening sensitive organisms from human activities and noise.
            Buffer zones can also be designed to minimize soil erosion and to
            prevent the invasion of aggressive or "weedy" species.

            Effective secondary ecological boundaries require that the
            designer be familiar with the biology and threats of the natural
            heritage resource. An understanding of the structure, function,
            and uses of the landscape and movement patterns of species upon
            the landscape is also essential. For these reasons, site visits
             o targeted natural areas are mandatory before accurate
            ecological boundaries can be designed.
            t


            The best and most current information is always used to guide the
            conservation planning decisions. As the knowledge of the
            biological, geological, hydrological, social, and economic
            aspects of the natural area increases or changes, alterations or
            revisions in the ecological boundaries may be necessary to
            reflect the updated information. In some cases, complete
            information is not available. For example, the biology of some
            species is not well-understood due to a lack of scientific
            research or somet'imes abiotic (non-living) environmental factors,
            such as ground water flow patterns or soil composition, have not
            been determined for an area. In these cases, conservation
            planning decisions are based upon the available information on
            and knowledge extrapolated from similar species, natural
            communities, and ecosystems.






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            The determination of compatible activities and uses within the
            primary and secondary ecological boundaries is dependent upon the
            biology of the natural heritage resources of the site and the
            ecology of the natural area. Land use standards are specific to
            each site and may vary even among sites that support similar
            natural heritage resources if other environmental factors are
            different.

            Secondary ecological boundaries are not designed to protect the
            natural heritage resources from large scale environmental
            catastrophes such as global warming or.acidic precipitation.
            Solutions to these broad problems must be addressed in similarly
            broad environmental education, policies, and regulations.

            Primary and secondary ecological boundaries should not be
            interpreted as regulatory zones or acquisition boundaries, but as
            conservation tools to help guide the protection and stewardship
            of natural heritage resources.

            Ecological boundaries for each natural area are presented in the
            site accounts in the results and recommendations section.


            GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SYSTEMS

            A geographic information system is a computer system which
            integrates traditional electronic databases with layered
            digitized graphic information about landscapes. Geographic
            information systems allow the merging, analysis, and manipulation
            of the graphic and text data in concert. Local governments often
            use geographic information systems to relate their mapped
            information, such as property tracts, zoning, and utility and
            road corridors, to the corresponding text data, such as property
            owners, land use, and utility service information. James City
            County and York County have geographic information systems on-
            line and the City of Williamsburg is considering purchasing and
            installing a geographic information system.

            With the assistance of the Environmental  Conditions Mapping,
            Analysis, and Planning System of the Virginia Council on the
            Environment, the Department of Conservation and Recreation has
            provided digitized primary and secondary ecological boundaries
            for each natural area to the local governments. The local
            governments can now incorporate the electronic natural area data
            into their geographic information systems. This will allow
            planning staff to examine the ecological boundaries integrated
            with other mapped information already in their geographic
            information systems.

            PROTECTION OF NATURAL AREAS

            Many protection tools are available t o local governments,
            conservation organizations, and private citizens. Examples
            include acquisition, easements, natural area registry, and
            conservation zoning. Figure 1 depicts a conceptual model of land
            protection tools used by the Department of Conservation and






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            Page 11


            Recreation. The three localities, through cooperation with the
            Department, have all of these protection tools available to them
            plus several protection options unique to local governments. The
            Virginia Council on the Environment has composed a document to
            guide local governments in their efforts to secure protection of
            the natural areas within their jurisdictions. A copy of this
            document appears in Appendix A. Basic protection recommendations
            are given for each natural area in the site accounts found in the
            results and recommendations sections.


            STEWARDSHIP GUIDELINES

            Natural areas stewardship involves the administratio n and
            management of a natural area after it is protected to assure the
            long-term survival of the natural heritage resources it
            supports. Basic stewardship recommendations are given for each
            natural area in the results and recommendations section. The
            higher priority sites (B2-B4) deserve comprehensive stewardship
            plans.

            The most important aspect of stewardship is determining
            compatible and incompatible land (and water) uses within the
            natural area. Which land uses are harmonious with the resources
            will depend upon the type of natural heritage resource, the
            ecosystem, and the type of land use being considered. Allowable
            land uses will therefore vary from site to site. Certain forms
            of some land uses may be incompatible, while more environmentally
            sensitive methods of the same general land use type may be
            compatible. For example, clearcutting of timber within a buffer
            zone delineated by the secondary ecological boundary of a given
            natural area may produce unacceptable effects to the natural
            heritage resources of the site, but selective cutting with strict
            environmental performance standards may be compatible. For some
            natural heritage resources, land uses may be only seasonally
            restricted. For example, timber harvest may not be compatible in
            the vicinity of a bird nesting colony during the nesting season,
            but can be conducted in the vicinity of the colony when nesting
            birds are not present.

            Ecological management is another important component of natural
            areas stewardship. Ecological management includes all activities
            on a natural area specifically intended to benefit, save, or
            maintain natural heritage resources. Examples of ecological
            management include prescribed burning, wildfire suppression,
            removal or planting of vegetation for habitat restoration,
            installation of off-road vehicle barriers, and problem species
            control. Some natural heritage resources require intensive
            active management, while most require no or little active
            management.

            Probably the most common form of ecological management that will
            need to occur on the Lower Peninsula's natural areas is problem
            species control. Problem species are plants or animals which
            directly or indirectly threaten the viability of natural heritage
            resources or have the potential to do so. Most problem species








                 FIGURE I       FLOWCHART OF NATURAL AREA PROTECTION TOOLS









                                                    Natural Heritage Inventory
                                                                 and
                                                 Identification of Natural Areas

                                   Negotiating Options to Present owners of Natural Areas
                                                                  I
                                     Does landowner wish to protect property permanently?


                                YES                                                     NO
                                I
                       Doi-     lowner wish to continue
                          to    own property?


                                YES                        no                      *Nonbi ding Agreement
                                I                                                  (-Natural Area Registry)
                       *Conservation Easement                                      (-Forest Stewardship Program)
                       *Dedication                                                 *Lease
                       *Partial Divided Interest                                   *Management Agreement
                       *Remainder interest                                         *Mutual Agreements
                       *Bequest                                                    *Agricultural &
                                                                                        For estal District
                                Y@s              Does landowner w  Iish compensation?   NO
                                I                                                        I
                       *Bargain Sale                                               *outright Donation
                       *Sale by  installment                                       *Donation by Bequest
                       *Sale at  Fair Market  Value                                *Donation of Reserved Life
                       *Sale with Reserved Life Estate                                   Estate
                       *Option                                                     *Lease Back
                       *Right of First Refusal                                     *Donation of undivided
                       *Limited Development.                                             interest
                       *Land Exchange
                                L

                         Does landowner wish to restrict futur      p uses of land upon transfer of title?



                                YES                                                      N


                       *Prior Granting of Easement                                 *Normal Transfer of Title
                       *Deed Restrictions
                       *Conditional Transfer with
                         reversionary interest
                       4Dedication






            Lower Peninsula Conservation Planning
            Page 13


            are exotics. Exotic species are those whose natural range does
            not include the Lower Peninsula, but which were intentionally or
            unintentionally introduced to the region by humans. often these
            exotic problem species become particularly invasive in disturbed
            areas. Examples of exotic problem species include millet grass,
            Japanese honeysuckle, and the Asiatic clam. Some native species
            can also threaten natural heritage resources, especially in
            urbanizing areas where nature's delicate balance has been
            disrupted. Beaver, white-tailed deer, and common reedgrass
            are examples of native species which can adversely affect natural
            heritage resources.

            Stewardship also includes biological monitoring activities.
            Biological monitoring involves the periodic quantitative study of
            natural heritage resources and their environment. The purpose of
            biological monitoring is to furnish long term scientific data, to
            provide warnings as to any declines or damage to natural heritage
            resources, and to determine possible causes of such events.
            Additionally, biological monitoring may document increases in
            rare species populations and recovery of disturbed ecosystems.
            monitoring visits usually also include some analysis of the
            status of problem species and environmental conditions. Whether
            or not and how often a natural heritage resource is monitored is
            determined by its priority, sensitivity, and threats.

            Another part of stewardship is addressing the need for additional
            biological inventory or scientific research. In many natural
            areas, the true status of the natural heritage resources is
            poorly known and the potential for additional natural heritage
            resources to be found has not been thoroughly examined.
            Additional biological inventory may be recommended for these
            situations. Some species, habitats, and natural communities are
            not well understood due to a lack of scientific research.
            Natural areas provide an excellent setting for field*research
            which may not only increase the general knowledge of the natural
            heritage resources and sensitive ecosystems, but may also provide
            information directly pertinent to the site's conservation.

            RECREATIONAL, SCENIC, AND EDUCATIONAL CONSIDERATIONS

            Natural areas have uses other than the preservation of
            biodiversity. Depending upon the size and situation of the site
            and the sensitivity of the natural heritage resources it
            contains, a natural area may also furnish recreational, visual,
            and educational resources. Local governments can integrate
            natural areas into their comprehensive plans to improve the
            quality of life for residents and attract visitors.

            The natural areas identified in the Lower Peninsula may offer a
            variety of recreational opportunities. Public access to some of
            these areas could encourage the awareness of the natural
            resources and promote their protection. Recreational
             pportunities may include nature observation, boating, canoeing,
            hiking, biking, and horseback riding. The natural areas may also
            coontribute to greenspace either as designated greenways or open






            Lower Peninsula Conservation Planning
            Page 14


            space. Existing recreational facilities could be identified
            along with the natural areas to form an extensive greenways
            system in the Lower Peninsula. The concept of incorporating the
            natural areas into local comprehensive, open space, and parks and
            recreation plans should be encouraged to provide various levels
            of recognition and protection for the valuable natural and
            biological resources.

            Natural areas often contribute to the scenic resources of an
            area. A preliminary visual assessment for each of the natural
            areas of the Lower Peninsula should be conducted for the
            conservation and enhancement of scenic resources. The Lower
            Peninsula's natural areas have a significant visual character
            which is typical of the environment early European settlers
            encountered upon arriving on the continent. The preservation of
            scenic resources is important to capture these historical
            perspectives of the early colonists as well as enhance the
            present perceptions of the environment.

            The educational opportunities which the natural areas could offer
            are numerous. The focus of environmental education on the
            Lower Peninsula's natural areas could include levels ranging
            from public awareness to scientific research. There may be
            additional opportunities to form linkages for educational and
            interpretive facilities which would create an entire system of
            natural area educational opportunities within the Lower
            Peninsula. A coalition of public education representatives as
            well as educators and research scientists from surrounding
            institutions could facilitate such a system of educational
            opportunities in the area.

            Preliminary recommendations regarding the recreationall scenic,
            and educational possibilities of each natural area are included
            in the site accounts. This information was provided by Janit
            Potter of the Department of Conservation and Recreation's
            Division of Planning and Recreation Resources.


                               RESVLTS AND RECOMMENDATIONS


            Information collection and site visits began in March of 1992 and
            were completed in early October of 1992. Ecological boundaries
            and conservation planning recommendations were formulated for
            each of the natural areas in October, November, and December of
            1992.

            A map of the project area which shows the general locations of
            all twenty-five natural areas can be found in Figure 2. Table 2
            summarizes some of the information regarding each site.

            The twenty-five sites presented in this report comprise  the best
            remaining natural areas within York County, James City County,
            and the City of Williamsburg. The Virginia Department of
            Conservation and Recreation strongly urges the local governments






            Lower Peninsula Conservation Planning
            Page 15


            to vigorously utilize all the conservation tools at their
            disposal to secure protection for their natural areas and provide
            for the long-term stewardship of the sites. The Department of
            Conservation and Recreation's commitment to natural areas
            conservation on the-Lower Peninsula does not end with the
            conclusion of this project. Project staff will continue to offer
            support to the local governments, developers, consultants,
            conservation organizations, and private citizens in the forms of
            environmental review, refined conservation planning, and active
            technical'assistance with planning, protection, and stewardship
            of natural areas.


            NATURAL HERITAGE RESOURCES

            Since the publication of the-inventory report, three
            additional occurrences of natural heritage resources have been
            added to the natural areas of the Lower Peninsula: slender marsh
            pink at Grafton Ponds, blueflag at Yarmouth Creek, and bald eagle
            at Powhatan Creek. A substantial amount of additional
            information was collected on known natural heritage resources.
            The information has been used to update the Department of
            Conservation and Recreation's Biological and Conservation
            Datasystem. A summary of natural heritage resources known from
            the Lower Peninsula and their global and state rarity ranks can
            be found in Table 3.


            BIODIVERSITY RANK UPDATES

            The biodiversity significance rank for each site was
            reconsidered in light of any new information discovered during
            this project. The B ranks of three of the twenty-five natural
            areas changed as a result of this reevaluation: Grove Creek
            Natural Area (B4 to B3), Goodwin Islands Natural Area (B4 to B5),
            and Queen Creek Natural Area (B4 to B5). The new ranks for these
            natural areas are presented in the site accounts below.

            CHANGES IN NATURAL AREA SIZES

            Of the seventeen natural areas for which preliminary conservation
            planning boundaries were delineated in the inventory report
            (boundaries were not designated for the eight B5 sites in the
            inventory report), three increased in size, nine decreased in
            size, and five had no significant change in size (significant was
            defined as a change of greater than ten percent of the
            preliminary area). Table 4 compares each natural area's size
            from the inventory report with its size as determined during this
            project. It is important to note that surface area was measured
            by a hand-operated planimeter in both projects and there may be a
            considerable margin for error. The digitized maps in geographic
            information systems should be consulted for precise area
            measurements.

            Primary and secondary ecological boundaries should not be
            interpreted as regulatory zones or acquisition boundaries, but as






            Lower Peninsula Conservation Planning
            Page 16


            conservation tools to help guide the protection and stewardship
            of natural heritage resources.

            SITE ACCOUNTS


            Each natural area has an account below that furnishes information
            on the size, biodiversity rank, location, natural heritage
            resources, and ownership and zoning. Each site account includes
            a map indicating the primary and secondary ecological boundaries
            and text providing justification on each of these boundaries.
            Further, a general description of each natural area, protection
            and stewardship recommendations, recreational, scenic, and
            educational comments can be found in the accounts.

            Primary and secondary ecological boundaries should not be
            interpreted as regulatory zones or acquisition boundaries, but as
            conservation tools to help guide the protection and stewardship
            of natural heritage resources.

            Table 5 shows the format for the site accounts and explains the
            what data is presented in each field of information. Several
            symbols are used on the maps accompanying the site accounts. A
            legend for these symbols is provided in Figure 3. Table 6 is an
            index to the page numbers upon which each site account begins.






            Lower Peninsula Conservation Planning
            Page.17


                 FIGURE 2    LOCATIONS OF LOWER PENINSULA NATURAL AREAS





            Map
            Number                            Natural Area

                                              --------- -----
             1                                Beaverdam  Creek
             2                                Big Marsh Point
             3                                College Woods
             4                                Crab Neck Marshes
             5                                Deer Lake
             6                                Diascund Creek
             7                                Goodwin Islands
             8                                Gordon Creek
             9                                Grafton Ponds
            10                                Graylin Woods
            11                                Grice's Run
            12                                Grove Creek
            13                                Hog Neck Creek
            14                                Kentucky Farms
            15                                Lackey Ponds
            16                                Mount Pleasant Church
            17                                New Bethel Church
            18                                Powhatan Creek
            19                                Queen Creek
            20                                Shield's Point
            21                                Skiffe's Creek
            22                                Taskinas Creek
            23                                Upper Crab Neck
            24                                Ware Creek
            25                                Yarmouth Creek

            ----------------------------------------------------------------



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            Lower Peninsula Conservation Planning
            Page 19


                  TABLE 2 - SUMMARY OF LOWER PENINSULA NATURAL AREAS




            The table on the following three pages contains basic information
            on each of the twenty-five natural areas of the Lower Peninsula.
            The information fields and the symbols used within them are
            explained below. More detailed information can be found in the
            site accounts.



            SITENAME the name of the natural area

            B-RANK the biodiversity significance rank assigned to the
            natural area

            SIZE the total size of the natural area in acres; acreage given
            on this table has been approximated using a hand-operated
            planimeter; geographic information systems should be consulted
            for more accurate area figures

            LOCATION indication of which locality or localities in which the
            natural are occurs; JCC = James City County, YC = York County,
            CoW = City of Williamsburg, NRC = New Kent County, and CoNN
            city of Newport News

            PRIM the area contained within the primary ecological boundary
            in acres

            SECOND the area contained between the primary and secondary
            ecological boundaries in acres

            NATURAL HERITAGE RESOURCES listing of natural heritage resources
            known to occur in the natural area



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                                  TABLE 2 - SUM14ARY OF LOWER PENINSULA NATURAL AREAS



            SITENAME          B-RANK SIZE LOCATION PRIM SECOND   NATURAL HERITAGE RESOURCES


            Powhatan Creek     B2    5510 JCC       2570 2940    small whorled pogonia
                                                                 Virginia least trillium
                                                                 false hop sedge
                                                                 bald eagle
                                                                 heron nesting colony

            College Woods      B3    600 JCC,CoW 480       120   southern mixed hardwood forest
                                                                 small whorled pogonia.
                                                                 hoary skullcap
                                                                 Florida adder's-mouth
                                                                 sweet pine sap

            Diascund Creek     B3    3580 JCC,NKC 540     3040   tidal freshwater marsh
                                                                 Parker's pipewort
                                                                 yellow cowlily
                                                                 glossy crayfish snake

            Gordon Creek       B3    2720 JCC       1760 960     tidal freshwater marsh

            Grafton Ponds      B3    2640 YC,CoNN 2370 270       coastal plain sinkhole pond complex
                                                                 Harper's fimbristylis
                                                                 Cuthbert's turtlehead
                                                                 Mabee's salamander
                                                                 barking treefrog
                                                                 slender marsh pink
                                                                 southern twayblade
                                                                 Collins' sedge
                                                                 star-nosed mole

            Grove Creek        B3    890 JCC        550    340   bald eagle
                                                                 marl ravine forest
                                                                 sweet pine-sap
                                                                 mountain camellia
                                                                 hoary skullcap
                                                                 Shumard's oak



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                           TABLE 2 - SU14MARY OF LOWER PENINSULA NATURAL AREAS (CONTINUED)



             SITENAME         B-RANK SIZE LOCATION PRIM SECOND   NATURAL HERITAGE RESOURCES


             Mount Pleasant    B3    80    JCC       25    55    New Jersey rush
             Ch6rch                                              Virginia least trillium

             Taskinas Creek    B3    400   JCC       100   300   Florida adder's-mouth
                                                                 mountain camellia

             Yarmouth Creek    B3    3800  JCC       2530  1270  tidal freshwater marsh
                                                                 sensitive joint vetch
                                                                 yellow cowlily
                                                                 blueflag
                                                                 bald eagle
                                                                 eastern pondmussel

             Beaverdam Creek B4      600 YC          100   500   Florida adder's-mouth
                                                                 northern spring sideswimmer
                                                                 Spanish moss
                                                                 heron nesting colony

             Big Marsh Point B4      310   JCC       290   20    tidal freshwater marsh
                                                                 yellow cowlily

             Deer Lake         B4    80    JCC       20    60    Florida adder's-mouth

             Shield's Point    B4    320   JCC       130   190   tidal freshwater marsh

             Skiffe's Creek    B4    30    JCC       5     25    Florida adder's-mouth

             Ware Creek        B4    2830  JCC,NKC   650   2180  tidal brackish marsh
                                                                 tidal freshwater marsh
                                                                 sand post oak
                                                                 heron nesting colony

             Crab Neck         B5    650 YC          580   70    tidal saltmarsh
             Marshes



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                        TABLE 2 - SUMMARY OF LOWER PENINSULA NATURAL AREAS (CONTINUED)



           SITENAME       B-RANK SIZE LOCATION PRIM SECOND NATURAL HERITAGE RESOURCES



           Goodwin Islands B5    770  YC       480  290   least bittern
                                                          heron nesting colony

           Graylin Woods   B5    20   JCC      7    13    hoary skullcap

           Grice's Run     B5    160  JCC      60   100   southern mixed hardwood forest

           Hog Neck Creek  B5    630  JCC      310  320   tidal freshwater marsh
                                                          yellow cowlily

           Kentucky Farms  B5    130  YC       30   100   coastal plain sinkhole pond complex

           Lackey Ponds    B5    80   YC       30   50    Mabee's salamander

           New Bethel      B5    230  YC       230  0     Shumard's oak
           Church

           Queen Creek     B5    2360 YC,CoW   1700 660   tidal freshwater marsh
                                                          tidal brackish marsh
                                                          southern mixed hardwood forest

           Upper Crab Neck B5    840 YC        840  0     southern mixed hardwood forest
                                                          Carolina boltonia






             Lower Peninsula Conservation Planning
             Page 23


               TABLE 3 - NATURAL HERITAGE RESOURCES OF THE LOWER PENINSULA'S
                                         NATURAL AREAS

                        (see Table 1 for definitions of rarity ranks)

                                                  GLOBAL          STATE
                                                  RARITY          RARITY
             RESOURCE NAME                        RANK            RANK


                 PLANTS

             blueflag                             G5              S2
             Carolina boltonia                    G2Q             S1
             Collins'  sedge                      G4              S3
             Cuthbert's turtlehead                G3              S2
             false hop sedge                      G3G4Q           Sl
             Florida adder's-mouth                G3G4            S2
             Harper's fimbristylis                G2              S1
             hoary skullcap                       G5              S1
             mountain camellia                    G4              S2
             New Jersey rush                      G2              S2
             Parker's pipewort                    G3              S3
             sand post oak                        G5              S2
             sensitive joint-vetch                G2              S2
             Shumard's oak                        G5              S2
             slender marsh pink                   G5              S2
             small whorled  pogonia               G2              S2
             Spanish moss                         G5              S2
             southern twayblade                   G4              S2S3
             sweet pine sap                       G3              S2S3
             Virginia least trillium              G3T2            S2
             yellow cowlily                       G5T3            S1

                 ANIMALS

             bald eagle                           G3              S2S3
             barking treefrog                     G5              S1
             eastern pondmussel                   G4              S3
             glossy crayfish snake                G5              S1
             great blue heron (nesting colony)    G5              S3
             great egret (nesting colony)         G5              S2
             least bittern                        G5              S2
             Mabee's salamander                   G4              S1
             northern spring sideswimmer          G5              S1
             star-nosed mole                      G5              S3


                 NATURAL COMMUNITIES

             coastal plain sinkhole               N/A             SlS2
                 pond complex
             marl ravine forest                   N/A             SlS2
             southern mixed hardwood forest       N/A             S3
             tidal brackish marsh                 N/A             S5
             tidal freshwater marsh               N/A             S3
             tidal saltmarsh                      N/A             S5






             Lower Peninsula Conservation Planning
             Page 24


                          TABLE 4 - COMPARISON OF NATURAL AREA SIZES

             This table shows the estimated area in acres of each natural area
             as reported in the inventory report (INVEN.) and in the
             conservation planning report (CONS.). The final column indicates
             whether the natural area's size increased (inc.), decreased
             (dec.), or did not change significantly (none) from the inventory
             report to the conservation planning report. Preliminary
             conservation planning boundaries were not delineated for the-B5
             sites in the inventory report, therefore those natural areas have
             no acreage information in the inventory report column (N/A).
             Areas were estimated using a hand-operated planimeter;
             geographic information systems should be consulted for exact
             areas.




                                                    INVEN.   CONS.   SIZE
             SITENAME                               ACRES    ACRES   CHANGE


             Powhatan   Creek                       5380     5510    none
             College Woods                          980      600     dec.
             Diascund Creek                         2330     3580    inc.
             Gordon Creek                           2765     2720    none
             Grafton Ponds                          2480     2640    none
             Grove Creek                            1330     890     dec.
             Mount Pleasant   Church                85       80      none
             Taskinas Creek                         2470     400     dec.
             Yarmouth Creek                         3330     3800    inc.
             Beaverdam Creek                        1050     600     dec.
             Big Marsh Point                        590      310     dec.
             Deer Lake                              70       80      inc.
             Shield's Point                         1420     320     dec.
             Skiffe's Creek                         220      30      dec.
             Ware Creek                             3260     2830    dec.
             Crab Neck Marshes                      N/A      650
             Goodwin Islands                        820      770     none
             Graylin Woods                          N/A      20        -
             Grice's Run                            N/A      160       -
             Hog Neck Creek                         N/A      630       -
             Kentucky Farms                         N/A      130       -
             Lackey Ponds                           N/A      so        -
             New Bethel Church                      N/A      230       -
             Queens's Creek                         2730     2360    dec.
             Upper Crab Neck                        N/A      840






            Lower Peninsula Conservation Planning
            Page 25



                          TABLE 5 - KEY TO SITE ACCOUNT FORMAT


            The site account for each natural area is presented in a standard
            format which is outlined and explained.below.


            SIZE: the total size of the natural area in acres. Acreage
            given in the site accounts has been approximated using a hand-
            operated planimeter; geographic information systems should be
            consulted for more accurate area figures.

            BIODIVERSITY RANK: the overall (global) significance of the
            natural area in terms of the rarity of the natural heritage
            resources and the quality of their occurrences. These ranks are
            explained in detail in the introduction to this report.

            LOCATION: the city or county and USGS 7.51 quadrangle in which
            the natural area occurs.

            GENERAL DESCRIPTION: a brief narrative picture of the natural
            area. This section usually includes information on topography,
            general vegetation, wetlands and watercourses, soils, historic
            and existing land uses within the natural area, and land use
            surrounding the natural area.

            NATURAL HERITAGE RESOURCES: a synopsis of the natural heritage
            resources found in the natural area. Information given usually
            includes common and scientific names, taxanomic affiliation,
            global and state ranks, global and state range, a brief physical
            description, habitat requirements, threats and vulnerabilities,
            and occurrence data. For the protection of the resources,
            precise locations are not provided. Normally, natural
            communities are discussed first, then each species is discussed
            in order of decreasing rarity.

            PRIMARY ECOLOGICAL BOUNDARY: description and justification of
            the primary ecological boundary.

            SECONDARY ECOLOGICAL BOUNDARY: description and justification of
            the secondary ecological boundary.

            OWNERSHIP AND ZONING: general information regarding property
            ownership within the natural area and its current zoning.
            Information provided includes numbers of tracts involved, tract
            size patterns, whether in public and private ownership, and
            portion of tract occupied by natural area in some cases. When
            tracts are in public ownership, the owner is listed, but names of
            private owners are not given for their protection and privacy.

            PRIMARY ACREAGE: area within the primary ecological boundary in
            acres.


            SECONDARY ACREAGE: area between the primary and secondary
            ecological boundaries in acres.






            Lower Peninsula Conservation Planning
            Page 26


                    TABLE 5 (CONTINUED)   KEY TO SITE ACCOUNT FORMAT


            PROTECTION RECOMMENDATIONS: existing and proposed protection of
            the natural area. Information furnished includes existing
            regulations that protect the natural area, existing legal
            protection to the land, and suggestions for protection tools
            appropriate for the natural area. Because of the delicacy of the
            situation, detailed protection strategies with private
            landholders are omitted.

            STEWARDSHIP RECOMMENDATIONS: Recommendations include compatible
            and incompatible land uses, need for further inventory or
            scientific research, ecological management needs, and biological
            monitoring needs.

            RECREATIONAL, SCENIC, AND EDUCATIONAL CONSIDERATIONS: existing
            and potential recreational opportunities; preliminary assessment
            of scenic value; suggestions for appropriate educational
            activities. These comments 'were provided by Janit Potter of the
            Department of Conservation and Recreation's Division of Planning
            and Recreation Resources.

            MAP: A map of each natural area showing the primary and
            secondary ecological boundaries can be found at the back of each
            site account. U.S. Geologic Survey 7.5 minute topographic maps
            are used as base maps with the ecological boundaries superimposed
            upon them. The scale is 1:24,000 (1 inch = 2000 feet). A legend
            for the ecological boundary symbols used on the maps is presented
            in found in Figure 3. Although the most current revisions
            available are used for base maps, many of the most recent
            developments are not depicted upon them. Because of the missing
            information on many of the base maps and their relatively large
            scale, a small margin for error may exist with many of the
            ecological boundaries. Fine tuning of the boundaries can be
            accomplished through field survey as necessary.

            Primary and secondary ecological boundaries should not be
            interpreted as regulatory zones or acquisition boundaries, but as
            conservation tools to help guide the protection and stewardship
            of natural heritage resources.





            Lower Peninsula Conservation Planning
            Page 27


                                 FIGURE 3   MAP SYMBOLS




            The following symbols are used on the maps accompanying the site
            accounts:






            PRIMARY ECOLOGICAL BOUNDARY:








            SECONDARY ECOLOGICAL BOUNDARY:








            PRIMARY AND SECONDARY BOUNDARY MERGED:








            RARE PLANT HABITAT OCCURRING WITHIN A DIFFERENT PRIMARY BOUNDARY:








            HABITAT CORRIDOR CONNECTING TWO NATURAL AREAS:







            NOTE: Primary and secondary ecological boundaries should not be
            interpreted as regulatory zones or acquisition boundaries, but as
            conservation tools to help guide the protection and stewardship
            of natural heritage resources.






             Lower Peninsula Conservation Planning
             Page 28


                             TABLE 6 - INDEX TCISITE ACCOUNTS



             SITENAME                                    PAGE NUMBER


             Powhatan Creek .................................. 29
             College Woods .................................. 40
             Diascund Creek ................................. 48
             Gordon Creek  ................................... 55
             Grafton Ponds .................................. 60
             Grove Creek .................................... 70
             Mount Pleasant Church  .......................... 77
             Taskinas Creek ................................. 82
             Yarmouth Creek ................................. 87
             Beaverdam Creek ................................ 96
             Big Marsh Point ............................... 103
             Deer Lake  ..................................... 108
             Shield's Point ................................ 112
             Skiffe's Creek ................................ 117
             Ware Creek  .................................... 121
             Crab Neck Marshes  ............................. 127
             Goodwin Islands ............................... 130
             Graylin Woods ................................. 134
             Grice's Run ................................... 138
             Hog Neck Creek ................................ 142
             Kentucky Farms ................................ 147
             Lackey Ponds  .................................. 150
             New Bethel Church  ............................. 153
             Queen's Creek ................................. 156
             Upper Crab Neck ............................... 160






            Lower Peninsula Conservation Planning
            Page 29



                                     POWHATAN CREEK


            SIZE: 5510 acres


            BIODIVERSITY RANK: B2

            LOCATION: James City County
                      Norge, Surry, and Williamsburg quadrangles

            GENERAL DESCRIPTION: Powhatan Creek is the largest and most
            biologically significant natural area of the Lower Peninsula.
            This natural area includes a large part of the watershed of
            Powhatan Creek. Several perennial tributaries, the largest of
            which are Long Hill Swamp and Chisel Run, as well as a multitude
            of groundwater seeps and small intermittent streams, flow into
            Powhatan Creek. Most of the uplands in the natural area have
            been or will soon be subjected to intense residential
            development, major highway construction, and utility line
            construction.

            Swampy bottomlands hug the major streams of the natural area
            which have been dammed by beaver in several places. Uplands in
            the natural area not currently farmed or developed are composed
            of a variety of forest types ranging from planted pine to
            maturing hardwoods. Typical canopy species include bald cypress,
            red maple, green ash, black gum, loblolly pine, tuliptree, and
            white oak. American holly, flowering dogwood, and spicebush are
            well-represented in the understory. Powhatan Creek, Long Hill
            Swamp, and Chisel Run are crossed by major roads in five places
            and by many small utility corridors within the natural area
            boundaries. Major.highway construction is planned that will
            cross Chisel Run at yet another location and directly affect some
            of the natural heritage resources of the site.

            Historically, the natural area was subjected to moderate to heavy
            forestry and agriculture; these practices continue to some degree
            in parts of the watershed. The most intense residential
            development in the Powhatan Creek Natural Area occurs in its
            northern half, but major developments also are planned or under
            construction for parts of the southern half.

            Soils in the natural area are generally of the Peawick Emporia-
            Levy or Emporia-Craven-Uchee associations. Bottomland soils
            consist almost exclusively of Johnston complex, which is a poorly
            drained, frequently flooded, and normally acidic silt loam or
            clay loam. Soils on slopes bordering the creek bottoms belong to
            the Emporia complex, a series of deep, well-drained, highly
            erodible fine sandy loams. Soils of the Emporia complex have
            formed over ancient shell deposits which greatly influence the
            soil chemistry. A variety of soil types occur on the uplands of
            the natural area, most of which are deep, well-drained, fine
            sandy loams or silt loams with moderate to low erodibility.

            This natural area harbors three rare plant species, a rare bird
            species, and a bird nesting colony.






            Lower Peninsula Conservation Planning
            Page 30


            NATURAL HERITAGE RESOURCES: Four stations of the small whorled
            pogonia, a globally rare orchid, are found on the slopes of
            Chisel Run. Small whorled pogonias grow up to ten inches in
            height, have a single whorl of five leaves, and bear one or
            rarely two yellowish-green flowers in the spring. The small
            whorled pogonia is very rare throughout its range, the stronghold
            of which is in New England. The species is known from only six
            jurisdictions in Virginia. This orchid species is listed as
            endangered at the federal and state levels. Small whorled
            pogonia grows in a variety of woodland habitats in Virginia, but
            tends to favor mid-aged woodland habitats on gentle north or
            northeast facing slopes often within small draws. It is quite
            natural for plants of this species to remain dormant in the soil
            for long periods of time, up to four years or possibly longer,
            confounding botanical searches and biological monitoring. Plants
            often do not flower, sending up only vegetative stems in some
            years. Direct destruction as well as habitat loss and
            alteration are principle reasons for the species' decline.

            Although the surrounding habitats in the natural area have been
            thoroughly searched, more subpopulations of the pogonia may be
            found if dormant plants emerge. Conditions of each of the
            subpopulations range from excellent to fair, the two northernmost
            stations.being the most stressed from recent development.
            Numbers of individuals at each station have been fluctuating or
            declining over the past several years. Two of the stations have
            been severely affected by the construction of a subdivision: one
            site is in the "backyard" of a soon to be developed lot and the
            other is in a small ravine in a "greenway" surrounded by
            buildable lots. At least one other subpopulation will be
            directly affected by the construction of a proposed major highway
            (Route 199) through the natural area. Some of the pogonia
            colonies are suffering damage from deer browse.

            A globally rare plant in the lily family, Virginia least
            trillium, occurs at thirteen sites within the Powhatan Creek
            Natural Area along Powhatan Creek, Long Hill Swamp, and Chisel
            Run. The thirteen sites together represent one of the best
            populations of least trillium in the Commonwealth. Most of the
            subpopulations are in good to fair condition. The stations near
            recent development and timber clearcuts are the most stressed.
            The largest colony was reported at 700 flowering plants and
            thousands more of vegetative plants in 1987. These numbers are
            typical for the species.

            The small three-leaved plants bear white to pink flowers (color
            depends on flower's age) in the early spring and are typically
            found in acidic soils. Not all of the habitat suitable for the
            species in the natural area has been exhaustively searched, so
            there is potential for more stations of the species to be found.

            Virginia least trillium (sometimes also called Virginia dwarf
            trillium or least wake-robin) is rare throughout its range and is
            very rare in Virginia, occurring in only eight counties. The
            plant is a candidate for listing under the Federal Endangered






            Lower Peninsula Conservation Planning
            Page 31


            Species Act. Least trillium grows primarily in moist soils,
            although it does not occur in standing water habitats. The
            species is, in fact, very fastidious as to its hydrologic
            requirements.  Any alteration in hydrology of trillium habitat
            that makes the soil either wetter or dryer will result in decline
            or extirpation of the colony. Most of the least trillium in the
            Powhatan Creek Natural Area occurs in one of three situations: on
            the margins of or high spots within the bottomland swamps, in
            groundwater seepage areas along the slopes of the streams, or in
            small feeder ravines that support intermittent streams.

            The third rare plant species found in Powhatan Creek Natural Area
            is the false hop sedge. The species is known from the extreme
            southern edge of the natural area. False hop sedge is a densely
            tufted, perennial sedge, rising in clumps or "tussocks" from a
            short, thick rootstalk. The species is rare to uncommon
            throughout its range which includes most of the eastern United
            States. Seven sites are known for the false hop sedge in
            Virginia, thus it is considered very to extremely rare in the
            state. False hop sedge is a wetland or even aquatic plant, often
            found growing in permanently, semi-permanently, or seasonally
            flooded areas, especially where the canopy is broken or absent.
            since the species is aquatic, it is very sensitive to water
            quality degradation and disturbance of the hydrologic regime.
            The Powhatan Creek population is in fair condition. About 150
            vigorous plants grow at the site, but a residential development
            under construction upslope of the plants may be affecting the
            water quality and hydrology.

            Powhatan Creek Natural Area contains a bald eagle nest site.
            Nesting bald eagles were first discovered at the site in 1992.
            The pair did not successfully produce young that year, however,
            apparently because of disturbance human activity in the vicinity.
            Nesting activity was noted this nesting season (1993), but it is
            too early at the time of this writing to know if they will
            successfully fledge young. An older, abandoned nest was also
            discovered a short distance from the active nest. Although the-
            eagles may utilize some of the wider, more open parts of lower
            Powhatan Creek for foraging, it is likely that the birds forage
            outside the limits of this natural area to at least some degree.

            Although bald eagles normally mate for life and usually nest in
            the same area each year, mated pairs may use two or more
            alternate nest sites in the same area from year to year. Since
            the two nests at Powhatan Creek have not been active during the
            same years, the nests probably represent alternate nest sites for
            a single mated pair. Bald eagles are the largest species of
            raptor (birds-of-prey) found in Virginia and require large areas
            of habitat because of their size. In addition to extensive
            forested areas for nesting and roosting habitat, bald eagles also
            require substantial stretches of wooded shoreline for foraging
            habitat. Although different pairs of eagles show different
            degrees of sensitivity to human activity, all bald eagles are
            vulnerable to human disturbance, especially if normal human
            activity patterns to which eagles have habituated are suddenly






            Lower Peninsula Conservation Planning
            Page 32


            changed or increased. Visual screening from human activity is
            essential to bald eagle reproductive success.

            Bald eagles are rare throughout most of their range, including
            Virginia. The species is listed as endangered by both the
            Federal and Virginia Endangered Species Acts. Although bald
            eagle populations have made a substantial recovery since the ban
            on the use of certain persistent pesticides in the United States,
            the species is now even more threatened by habitat loss and human
            disturbance.

            Knesting colony of great blue herons, the largest wading bird
            found in Virginia, occurs in the northernmost corner of Powhatan
            Creek Natural Area on Long Hill Swamp, The colony first occupied
            this site in 1988 after another, larger colony on Powhatan Creek
            was displaced by development. This heron nesting site has been
            characterized by slow, but consistent, growth since it was
            founded; there were at least 20 active nests in 1991 and at least
            25 active nests in 1992. Most of the nests are built in snags
            (standing dead trees) in a shallow impoundment. The herons
            appear to forage in lakes and ponds in the vicinity of the
            natural area and possibly in the James, York, and Chickahominy
            rivers.

            Like most colonial nesting birds, great blue herons put "all
            their eggs into one basket" by packing large numbers of
            reproductive birds into a few, small areas. This makes entire
            populations vulnerable to a single disturbance. Great blue
            herons are very sensitive to activity around their nesting-sites,
            especially during the courtship and nestbuilding stages.
            Disturbance of the heron colony by such activities as
            construction, off-road vehicles, or even pedestrians can cause
            nesting failure and desertion of the colony. Although, great
            blue herons are not particularly rare, the colonial breeding
            behavior of the species and the decline of the wetland habitats
            used for nesting make the species biologically significant and
            sensitive.

            In addition to the trees currently used for nests, great blue
            heron colonies require additional habitat around the nest sites
            for resting perches and colony expansion. The area in which the
            heron colony resides is subject to agricultural and forestry
            activities which do not seem to be completely incompatible with
            the nesting herons. The tract containing the heron colony is
            scheduled for future residential development. Most of the snags
            supporting nests will fall within the next fifteen years. When
            the snags fall, the herons may move to other trees in the
            vicinity or they may abandon the colony.

            PRIMARY ECOLOGICAL BOUNDARY: The small whorled pogonia's primary
            boundaries encompass all known populations plus adjacent suitable
            habitat consisting of north or northeast facing slopes from the
            height-of-land (drainage divide) to the bottom of the slope. A
            small part of a subdivision was included in the primary boundary
            because two stations of the small whorled pogonia occur on or






            Lower Peninsula Conservation Planning
            Page 33


            near some of the lots in the southeastern edge of the
            subdivision. Some of these lots already have houses built upon
            them or are currently being built upon.

            Because the known colonies of least trillium are scattered about
            the natural area, the least trillium primary boundary is
            extensive. The boundary encompasses all trillium habitat in the
            watershed, occupied or unoccupied. Most of the known trillium
            stations occur below the fifty foot contour, therefore the fifty
            foot contour line is generally used as a guide for the primary
            boundary. The primary boundary runs below the fifty foot contour
            when existing development would make it impossible for least
            trillium to persist there and may exceed the fifty foot contour
            to encompass existing trillium colonies or high potential habitat
            that lay above that elevation. It is essential that small feeder
            ravines, groundwater seeps, and intermittent streams in addition
            to the bottomland swamps are included in the primary boundary for
            trillium.

            The primary boundary around the least trillium habitat also
            provides a continuous corridor of habitat among the existing
            subpopulations. Such corridors facilitate seed dispersal.
            Unlike some plant species whose seeds are dispersed by wind or
            vertebrates, trillium seeds are carried by ants and the species
            is dispersed slowly in short steps. Trillium seeds are normally
            moved only through suitable habitats and are not transported
            across barriers as-wind, mammal, or bird carried seeds may be.
            Maintenance of habitat corridors for seed dispersal is essential
            to the genetic health of the trillium subpopulations in
            situations such as Powhatan Creek where development has
            fragmented the landscape.

            The primary boundary around the false hop sedge includes the rare
            plants themselves and all the contiguous wetland habitat suitable
            for supporting the species.

            The primary boundary designed around the Virginia Least trillium
            habitat also furnishes nesting and roosting habitat for the bald
            eagles.

            The primary boundary around the great blue heron nesting colony
            encompasses all of the known nest trees as well as additional
            habitat for resting perches or expansion of the colony. The
            colony's primary boundary is connected to the nearest rare plant
            primary boundary to provide a continuous corridor of natural area
            habitat and a limited amount of foraging habitat for the herons.

            SECONDARY ECOLOGICAL BOUNDARIES: The small whorled pogonia is
            vulnerable to contamination of surface water runoff.
            Accordingly, the secondary boundary for this species is set at
            the height-of-land, except where existing development makes this
            unrealistic.

            The least trillium often occurs in ground water seepage areas
            making the plant dependant upon groundwater quality and quantity.






            Lower Peninsula Conservation Planning
            Page 34


            The secondary boundary around the trillium's primary boundary is
            designed to encompass probable groundwater recharge areas where
            possible, as well as enough land to assure that ditching, road
            construction, or well-digging does not alter the hydrology of the
            trillium habitat. Where existing development makes encompassing
            all probable groundwater recharge areas unrealistic, the
            secondary boundary is set up to the edge of development. A
            groundwater regime study to determine actual recharge and
            discharge areas is needed to more accurately determine the extent
            of land that should fall within the secondary boundary.

            The secondary boundary around the false hop sedge is designed to
            protect the water quality and hydrologic regime of the rare plant
            habitat and also to help buffer the wetland community in which
            the plant is found from other effects of surrounding development
            such as invasive problem species. The secondary boundary is set
            nearly at the height-of-land except where existing development
            makes that guideline unrealistic.

            Substantial research has been conducted regarding the appropriate
            width of buffer zones intended to shelter eagles from human
            activity. Various research projects have indicated from 330 feet
            up to 1/4 mile is necessary to adequately screen eagles from
            disturbance. The width of the buffer depends on the sensitivity
            of the eagle to human activity, the type of the activity, and
            whether the buffer zone is open or has dense, screening
            vegetation. Because vicinity around the bald eagle primary
            boundary is currently forested, a 330 foot wide buffer may be
            adequate to shield the birds from human activity. Given the
            planned clearing and development in the southern part of the
            natural area, however, a larger buffer zone may be required.
            Endangered species regulatory authorities (the Virginia
            Department of Game and Inland Fisheries and the United States
            Fish and Wildlife Service) should be consulted regarding a
            final determination on this issue. The secondary boundary around
            the least trillium habitat provides for the 330 foot minimum
            buffer zone around the bald eagle habitat as well.

            The secondary boundary around the great blue heron colony follows
            the primary boundary 1000 feet distant. The principle purpose of
            the secondary boundary is to shelter the heron colony from visual
            and noise disturbance.

            It is important to note that a large patch of residential
            development within the natural area has been excluded from the
            secondary boundary resulting in a "hole" in the ecological
            boundaries. Although the development in the "hole" will
            undoubtedly affect the water-quality, hydrology, and habitat
            continuity of the natural area, the exclusion was necessary to
            maintain realistic protection and management goals.

            OWNERSHIP AND ZONING:'Powhatan Creek Natural Area is
            predominantly in multiple private ownership. The natural area
            includes parts of 103 different property tracts. The site also
            includes part of or is adjacent to 9 existing residential






            Lower Peninsula Conservation Planning
            Page 35


            subdivisions. Large parts of the natural area are owned by
            several development companies. A small percentage of the site is
            in public ownership by the Eastern State Hospital, the National
            Park Service, and the James City County-Williamsburg school
            system.

            Most of Powhatan Creek Natural Area is zoned for general
            agricultural use or for general, planned community, and multi
            family residential development.- A small portion of the natural
            area is zoned for limited industry.

            PRIMARY ACREAGE: 2570 acres


            SECONDARY ACREAGE: 2940 acres

            PROTECTION RECOMMENDATIONS: Much of the land in the primary
            boundary is designated as Resource Protection Area by the
            James City County Chesapeake Bay Preservation ordinance. The Bay
            ordinance establishes a 100 foot minimum buffer zone around all
            wetlands*and watercourses of the Bay; most forms of physical
            development are restricted from the buffer zone. The wetland
            habitats occupied by some of the least trillium subpopulations
            fall under the jurisdiction of the Federal Clean Water Act which
            regulates the alteration of wetlands. If least trillium becomes
            a federally listed species, the wetland habitats in which these
            plants live will receive additional consideration on projects
            which require Clean Water Act authorization. Because the small
            whorled pogonias occur on private land, their endangered species
            designation offers them little protection. The proposed highway
            construction through small whorled pogonia habitat will utilize
            federal funds, but negotiation regarding avoidance, minimization,
            and mitigation of environmental impact has been completed and the
            alignment selection finalized. The great blue heron nest trees,
            as well as the birds themselves, are protected by the Federal
            Migratory Bird Treaty Act making it illegal to harm the herons
            directly or to cut down nest trees at any time of year.

            Private and public owners alike should be approached regarding
            assignment of'some permanent protection, probably conservation
            easements, to the primary protection areas. For lands between
            the secondary and primary boundaries, less binding protection,
            such as a management agreement, would be more appropriate. In
            this way, owners will still have full use of their land, but
            would be encouraged to use best management practices for
            minimization of non-point source pollution and to maintain
            forested buffer strips along the primary boundaries.

            Although there are too many lots in the surrounding subdivisions
            too make contacting each owner individually a realistic goal, a
            serious effort at public education and awareness should be made
            for those hundreds of property owners regarding the effects that
            construction and lawn management on their lots will have on the
            natural heritage resources neighboring them. Educational
            programs regarding rare species conservation, invasive spe   'cies
            control, and non-point source pollution should encourage






            Lower Peninsula Conservation Planning
            Page 36


            environmentally sensitive development and lawn management on the
            subdivision lots.   It may be wise to approach owners of
            particularly sensitive lots', such as those containing small
            whorled pogonia plants, to arrange for natural area registry of
            their property. A local conservation group would be an ideal
            organization to conduct this landowner education and contact
            work.

            STEWARDSHIP RECOMMENDATIONS: Areas within the primary boundary
            should be restricted from land disturbing activities of any kind.
            Certain types of land use are compatible with the natural
            heritage resources of the site between the primary and secondary
            boundaries. Most of the secondary boundary is designed to
            protect the water quality and hydrologic regime of the rare plant
            sites. Agriculture.and forestry are compatible uses in this
            boundary, but land managers should be encouraged to meet best
            management practices for minimization of non-point source
            pollution. Additionally, ditching, road construction, well-
            drilling, wastewater-discharge, or other projects which may
            affect the hydrologic regime or water quality of the rare plant
            sites should be be carefully considered before their
            implementation to insure the rare plant habitat is not affected.
            A 100 foot wide forested strip should be left between these
            compatible land uses in the secondary boundary and the edge of
            the primary boundary. The purpose of the 100 foot forested strip
            is to protect the core area from alterations in microclimate and
            reduce the likelihood of invasion by problem species. Ideally,
            dense housing, commercial, and road development should be
            restricted from within the secondary boundary. A research
            project investigating the groundwater flow patterns in and around
            the natural should be conducted. The secondary boundaries may be
            altered or refined based on the results of the study.
            The rare plant occurrences require little a'ctive management, but
            the plant subpopulations should be monitored. To accurately
            determine reproductive status and population size of the rare
            plants, the stations should be visited at least twice during the
            growing season; the first visit documents all flowering plants,
            while the second documents all fruiting plants and late-emerging
            vegetative plants. Normally, known plant locations are marked
            with plastic stakes set a certain distance and direction from
            each plant. In large colonies where marking each plant is not
            practical, flagging is used to mark the extent of the colony for
            future reference. In such situations, detailed monitoring of a
            subset of each large rare plant colony can be used to assess the
            general status of the subpopulation. Staff of the William and
            Mary Biology Department have been monitoring the rare plants over
            the past several years and would probably be willing to continue
            their monitoring efforts.

            Nesting activity and reproductive success of the bald eagle nest
            should be monitored annually. The Nongame and Endangered Species
            Program of the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries
            conducts aerial surveys of bald eagle nest sites in Virginia and
            normally include the Powhatan Creek nest in their surveys.






            Lower Peninsula Conservation Planning
            Page 37


            False hop sedge prefers open or semi-open canopy conditions. The
            openness of the false-hop sedge habitat at Powhatan Creek appears
            to be maintained by the hydrology of the site. Should the canopy
            cover over the habitat of this rare plant increase, active
            management in the form of manual clearing of vegetation may be
            required to maintain the viability of the population.

            Problem species issues in the natural area should be addressed.
            Invasive plant species such as Japanese honeysuckle or millet
            grass may threaten the rare plant populations. Searches for
            invasive weeds around the rare plant stations should be conducted
            during the rare plant monitoring visits. If potentially invasive
            plants are discovered, they should be monitored for
            aggressiveness and threat to the rare plants. Invasive plants
            determined to be threatening the viability of the rare plant
            populations should be controlled using environmentally sensitive
            techniques. White-tailed deer browsed some of the small whorled
            pogonia colonies. Given the dense development surrounding parts
            of the natural area, controlling deer populations through hunting
            may not be safe or effective. Trapping and relocation of deer is
            generally not fiscally practical. Excluding deer from the
            pogonia colonies by fencing or caging the plants may provide a
            possible solution, but the implications of fencing should be-
            carefully considered before implementation. Beaver may also
            become a problem species in the natural area if their engineering
            activities flood or alter least trillium habitat.

            Motorized vehicles should be restricted from within at-least 100
            feet outside the primary boundary (except for on existing roads)
            of the rare plants'to prevent damage to the rare plant habitats
            from soil erosion and sedimentation. Because collection can be a
            major threat to rare plants, their precise locations should be
            kept confidential.

            Ideally, the area within the secondary boundary around the heron
            colony should be restricted from all human activities during the
            entire nesting season, February through August, every year the
            colony is active and for five years after it becomes inactive (to
            allow for the opportunity of re-establishment). Part of an
            active agricultural field is within the secondary boundary,
            however, and it is probably not necessary or realistic to
            discontinue its use. The vegetation and topography of the site
            screens the herons from the agricultural field. Additionally,
            herons may habituate to regular, non-threatening, low-level
            activities such as farming. If all farming activities are kept
             o the existing fields and access roads, there should be little
            conflict between the farming and the herons. The area has
            thistorically been subject to intensive forestry activities.
            Timbering of the land could be continued between the primary and
            secondary boundaries as long as all forestry activity is
            restricted during February through August. At sites where
            clearcutting is to occur, a minimum 100 foot buffer strip of
            forest should be left between the clearcut and the primary
            boundary. A residential development is planned for this tract.
            Careful community planning should be undertaken to minimize






            Lower Peninsula Conservation Planning
            'Page 38


            destruction or disturbance of the heron colony during and after
            development of the tract.

            The nesting colony should be monitored at least annually for
            numbers of individuals, numbers of active nests, and numbers of
            eggs and young. It is best to check the colony two or more times
            during the reproductive season to get the most accurate
            assessment of the colony's status and reproductive success.
            Because of limiting resources, however, more than one visit is
            not always possible. Great care should be taken to minimize
            disturbance to the nesting herons while conducting monitoring
            activities. The best monitoring technique for collecting the
            most accurate data while causing the least disturbance is through
            aerial survey. Researchers from the College of William and Mary
            and the Virginia Nongame and Endangered Species Program routinely
            monitor heron nesting colonies in Virginia. This colony has been
            and probably will be included in their aerial surveys, although
            lack of financial resources are ever a threat to the statewide
            monitoring program.

            RECREATIONAL, SCENIC, AND EDUCATIONAL CONSIDERATIONS: Powhatan
            Creek is not a canoeable waterway; however, the portions of the
            creeks between Route 5 and Long Hill Road (Route 612) could
            provide a linear greenspace. Designation of this greenway would
            promote biodiversity and improve the gene pools for species
            within the natural area. Route 5 is a state Scenic Byway which
            may offer opportunities to develop interpretive displays which
            could become a part of an overall marketing plan for the byway.
            The National Park Service, the locality, and the state may want
            to work together to explore the option for use of the
            Greensprings Plantation Site (part of the Colonial National
            Historical Park) as a destination point and possible interpretive
            center for the Powhatan Creek natural area.

            Route 5 is also a designated bike route. Plans to include a bike
            trail on News Road (Route 615) and on Long Hill Road (Route 612)
            could enhance the use of the area by bicyclists.

            The Layfayette High School is within the Powhatan Creek natural
            area. Interpretive trails may be planned from this location to
            provide teaching laboratories.

            Since the Powhatan Creek natural area is subject to intense
            developmnet pressures, a public education program for existing
            and potential residents would aid in the retention of
            biodiversity within the area. The education efforts may focus on
            backyard conservation, awareness, and appreciation for the
            existing natural resources. The locality could require
            developers to participate in the designation of greenways and
            open space, development of interpretive facilities in areas
            appropriate for public access, and establishment of programs to
            encourage environmentally sensitive planning and construction
            practices.




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            Lower Peninsula Conservation Planning
            Page 40


                                       COLLEGE WOODS


            SIZE: 600 acres

            BIODIVERSITY RANK: B3

            LOCATION: City of Williamsburg and James City County
                      Williamsburg Quadrangle

            GENERAL DESCRIPTION: This natural area has great regional
            significance because it is a relatively large tract of unbroken,
            natural vegetation situated in a rapidly urbanizing area. The
            forest is composed of stands of pine, mixed pines and hardwoods,
            and mixed hardwoods. Dominating the forest canopy are white oak,
            tulip-tree, loblolly pine, and American beech. Flowering dogwood
            is the major understory species.

            The land is a dissected plain; a number of ravines drain into an
            adjacent lake. Soils on the ravine slopes belong to the Emporia
            complex, a series of deep, well-drained, highly erodible sandy
            loams. Soil types on the plain are fine sandy loams such as
            Emporia and Kempsville-Emporia. The underlying Yorktown
            formation derived from ancient shell deposits strongly influences
            the Emporia complex soil types found in the ravines. The varied
            landscape and environmental conditions of this natural area
            provide a diversity of microhabitats which support four rare
            plant species and harbors an unusually rich forest community.

            Although much of the site was farmed or logged at one time, the
            College Woods has been allowed to remain in a relatively
            undisturbed state for many decades. The natural area is bordered
            by a university campus and residential development to the east
            and moderate to intense residential development to the north,
            Vest, and south. A large public school is on the western border
            of the natural area. The site is currently used for recreation,
            education, and ROTC training.

            NATURAL HERITAGE RESOURCES: This natural area contains an
            exemplary occurrence of a southern mixed hardwood forest,
            reported to be one of the best examples of such a natural
            community in all of Virginia. Although the southern mixed
            hardwood forest is a common natural community type in Virginia,
            few examples approach the size, age, and quality of the College
            Woods. Old-growth qualities such as many large maturing trees,
            complex stratification, diverse species composition, and
            considerable downed wood and standing dead trees make this one of
            the most outstanding occurrences of this natural community type
            in the region, if not the entire state. The most significant
            features'of the community are the diverse maturing hardwood
            composition dominated by a number of oak species growing.over
            healthy and complex understory, shrub, and herbaceous layers.
            American'beech is gradually entering the lower canopy. Steep-
            sided ravines and a number of seeps, streamheads, and ravine-
            bottom wetlands further contribute to the biological significance
            of the si,'te. The richness, age, and size of the forest also






            Lower.Peninsula Conservation Planning
            Page 41


            contribute to its importance as breeding habitat for neotropical
            migratory passerines (songbirds); such habitat is a commodity in
            increasingly low supply on the Lower Peninsula.

            Two stations of a globally rare plant, the small whorled pogonia,
            occur in the College Woods Natural Area. This orchid species is
            listed as endangered at the federal and state levels. Small
            whorled pogonia is very rare throughout its range; it is found
            sporadically in sixteen states and provinces in eastern North
            America and known from only six jurisdictions in Virginia. The
            populations of small whorled pogonia on this natural area are in
            fair to poor condition. one station produced 2 stems in 1989, 3
            stems in 1990, and none in 1992; the other site produced one stem
            in 1989, one in 1990, none in 1991, and one in 1992. In all
            cases, relatively few or no individuals flowered and produced
            seed. Although the populations may not appear to be of viable
            size or condition, small numbers of plants in a population is to
            be expected and often is typical for this species. In fact, it
            is natural for rootstock of this species to remain dormant in the
            soil for long periods of time, up to four years or more, causing
            results of short-term monitoring programs to be deceiving.
            Additionally, a substantial seedbank (viable dormant seeds in the
            soil) may exist. The College Woods stations represent important
            subpopulations of the Lower Peninsula population of the small
            whorled pogonia, especially considering the large amount and high
            quality of habitat suitable for the species at the College Woods.
            Because of these factors plus the legal status of the species,
            the plants warrant serious protection.

            A small population of sweet pine sap, a herbaceous perennial of
            the indian-pipe family, was discovered in College Woods Natural
            Area in early 1989. Sweet pine sap derives its nutrients from
            other plants; it is not photosynthetic. The plants are small (no
            taller than four inches) and pale (due to the lack of
            chlorophyl). The reddish-purple flowers bloom in the early
            spring or in the autumn (but not both). The species is rare
            throughout its range which includes most of the southeastern
            states. Known from only fifteen Virginia counties, the plant is
            very rare in the state. Sweet pine sap is a very fragile plant;
            trampling, damage to the host plant, erosion, and sedimentation
            can quickly extirpate a population.

            A small population (two individuals) of the Florida adder's-mouth
            was located in the southern part of the College Woods Natural
            Area in 1989. There are also historical records for the species
            at another location within the natural area. Florida adder's-
            mouth, an inconspicuous herbaceous plant in the orchid family, is
            very rare in Virginia occurring in only 6 counties on the coastal
            plain of the state. The species is rare to uncommon throughout
            its range: Virginia south to Florida.

            The fragile Florida adder's-mouth grows two to eight inches tall
            and sprouts one or two oval leaves from a bulbous base. This
            perennial species bears a few to many small flowers with orange
            "lips" on a central stalk in'middle to late summer. Florida






            Lower Peninsula Conservation Planning
            Page 42


            adder's-mouth is a plant of moist soils and is usually found
            along streambanks, swamp margins, or wet mossy areas in Virginia.
            The adder's-mouth is a shade species. In addition to direct
            habitat loss from conversion of land to other uses, clearing,
            erosion, sedimentation, and hydrologic disturbance may
            significantly degrade Florida adder's-mouth habitat.

            A population of the hoary skullcap is found in the College Woods
            Natural Area. This plant in the mint family is extremely rare in
            Virginia. The hoary skullcap occurs only in a few sites on the
            piedmont and coastal plain in Virginia, but is much more common
            in other parts of its range: the northern Appalachians and
            adjacent regions. The hoary skullcap is, in fact, a mountain
            species which sometimes occurs in rigorous terrain outside of
            mountainous regions. The known population in the College Woods
            is small with only five stems documented in 1989, but all the
            stems were flowering or fruiting and a further search of adjacent
            suitable habitat may locate additional individuals.

            PRIMARY ECOLOGICAL BOUNDARIES: The primary boundaries around the
            known rare plants, all of which occur on the slopes or edges of
            ravines or within or on the edges of swampy bottomlands,
            encompass occupied and contiguous unoccupied habitat for the
            species. The primary boundary around the natural community
            delineates the extent of the exemplary southern mixed hardwood
            forest. Because three of the rare plant occurrences' primary
            boundaries fall entirely within the the community's primary
            boundaries, these rare plant primary boundaries are presented
            with a different symbol as indicated on the map legend.

            SECONDARY ECOLOGICAL BOUNDARY: The secondary boundary around the
            southern mixed hardwood community generally follows the primary
            boundary at a distance of 100 feet on level land. Maintaining a
            100 foot woodland buffer around the exemplary southern mixed
            hardwood forest will help insure the continued integrity of this
            natural community. Among the benefits provided by the buffer to
            the exemplary natural community are the following: (1) preventing
            increased light beyond the edges of the forest, (2) reducing the
            likelihood for invasion of aggressive "weedy" species into the
            forest, (3) protecting soils within the forest from erosion, and
            (4) decreasing the possibility of wind-throw of trees within the
            forest. Maintaining a 100 foot woodland buffer may also help
            reduce the number of brown-headed cowbirds in the exemplary
            southern mixed hardwood forest. Brown-headed cowbirds are brood
            parasites on neotropical migratory passerines: the cowbirds do
            not build their own nests, but lay their eggs in the nests of
            other species who unknowingly raise the young cowbirds at the
            expense of their own young. Cowbirds will occupy many habitats,
            but they prefer edge habitat (areas where open and forested lands
            meet). Minimizing edge habitat and buffering the forest interior
            from edge effects may help reduce losses of neotropical migratory
            passerines to cowbird parasitism.

            When slopes of more than 5% or 10% are involved, the 100 foot
            buffer becomes insufficient due not only to the severe






            Lower Peninsula Conservation Planning
            Page 43


            erodability hazard of the Emporia complex soils, but also to
            different light exposure angles. In cases where the community's
            primary boundary falls on slopes of 10% or greater, the secondary
            boundary is extended to 100 feet past the top of the slope. This
            extra woodland buffer is especially critical on slopes with a
            south or west aspect, due to higher exposure to the sun.

            The secondary boundary is also designed to follow as smooth and
            straight a path as possible to further minimize perimeter size
            and thus minimize the amount of edge. One area of abandoned
            field behind the Berkley School was included in the secondary
            boundary even though it is not currently forested. The field
            does not appear to be used for school facilities and a portion of
            it should be allowed to return to a forested state to buffer the
            core forest community.

            The secondary boundary around the rare plant occurrences
            represents a woodland buffer to the rare plant habitat. The
            secondary boundaries for the plants occurrences are not shown on
            the map because they all occur within the natural community
            boundary, but the plants' secondary boundaries are discussed in
            the text for ecological protection and management purposes.

            Secondary boundaries are drawn at the drainage divides or
            "height-of-land" upsl'ope of the rare plant occurrences. The
            Emporia complex soils found in the rare plant habitats are highly
            erodible. It is essential to keep nutrient loadings, chemical
            contaminants, and sediment out of the runoff to which these
            plants are subjected and prevent undue erosion of the soils
            within which they grow. Maintaining a healthy woodland buffer up
            to the height-of-land will help accomplish these water quality
            and erosion control goals.

            Where rare plants occur on ravine slopes, the secondary boundary
            was designed to encompass land 100 feet past the top of the
            ravine on the opposite side of the plant occurrences. The ravine
            bottoms and ravine sides have different habitat characteristics
            than the level lands around them: the ravines are generally more
            shaded, more humid, have a steeper slope resulting in stronger
            runoff, and have a different soil type than the surrounding land.
            Maintaining a healthy woodland 100 feet past the top of,the
            ravine edge opposite the plant occurrences will help maintain the
            microclimate in which the rare plants are found. Rare habitats
            occurring in or at the edge of bottomland swamps have a secondary
            boundary designed at the height-of-land on both sides where
            possible.

            It was necessary, although not ideal, to exclude existing roads,
            lawns, and buildings from the secondary boundaries around the
            exemplary forest and rare plant habitats to facilitate realistic
           -protection and management efforts.

            OWNERSHIP AND ZONING: The majority of the College Woods Natural
            Area is owned by the College of William and Mary, a state-
            supported university, and a private foundation. The remainder of






            Lower Peninsula Conservation Planning
            Page 44


            the natural area is owned by the James City County-Williamsburg
            school system (part of one tract) and private individuals (parts
            of ten tracts). All of the land inside the primary boundaries is
            owned by the College.

            The City of Williamsburg government does not regulate the land
            use on the College of William and Mary tract because it is state-
            owned property. The remaining tracts are zoned mostly for
            business, while some tracts are zoned for planned community
            developments.
            PRIMARY ACREAGE: 480'acres

            SECONDARY ACREAGE: 120 acres
            PROTECTION RECOMMENDATIONS: Because small whorled p*ogonia is a
            federally and state listed species and because the rare plants
            occur on state property at the College Woods Natural Area, the
            Federal Endangered Species Act and the Virginia Endangered Plant
            and Insect Act provide a certain degree of regulatory protection
            for the species. Niether the other rare plants nor the southern
            mixed hardwood forest, however, enjoy any legal protection.

            The College of William and Mary should be approached regarding
            permanent legal protection of the natural area. Given the
            relatively high significance of the site and the facts that the
            natural area is mostly in'state ownership and is already managed
            for its natural resources to some degree, natural area dedication
            and inclusion of the tract into the Virginia Natural Area
            Preserves System is recommended. A precedent for dedication of
            state university properties has already been set by Old Dominion
            University which is currently pursuing natural area dedication of
            their Blackwater Ecological Preserve. The local school system
            and private landowners should be contacted to arrange voluntary
            or permanent protection of the appropriate part of their land
            through conservation easements, natural area registry, or
            management agreements.

            STEWARDSHIP RECOMMENDATIONS: A great part of the significance of
            the College Woods Natural Area lies in the large size and
            continuous nature of the forest. Physical development,
            conversion of forested acres to other vegetation types, or
            construction of roads or utility rights-of-way within the natural
            area will cause the loss of forest habitat, increased forest
            fragmentation, and increased edge effect. Such land-disturbing
            activities should be restricted from within the natural area
            boundaries.

            Although extensive survey for rare plant species has been
            conducted in the College Woods Natural Area, only a limited
            amount of inventory for rare animal species has taken place.
            Additional inventory for rare animals is recommended. Department
            of Conservation and Recreation staff scientists are available to
            conduct or coordinate such inventory efforts.






            Lower Peninsula Conservation Planning
            Page 45


            The natural heritage resources found in the College Woods require
            little ecological management, but should be monitored for status
            and condition. To accurately determine reproductive status and
            population size of the rare plants, the populations should be
            visited at least twice during the growing season; the first visit
            documents all flowering plants, while the second documents all
            fruiting plants and late-emerging vegetative plants. Normally,
            known plant locations are marked with plastic stakes set a
            certain distance and direction from each plant. Staff of the
            William and Mary Biology Department have been monitoring the rare
            plants over the past several years and would probably be willing
            to continue their monitoring indefinitely. Because collection
            can be a major threat to rare plants, the precise locations of
            the hoary skullcap and small whorled pogonia should be kept
            confidential.

            The southern mixed hardwood forest should also be monitored.
            Several permanent sampling plots should be established in random
            locations in the forest. In each sampling plot, species
            composition and relative abundances should be measured for each
            forest stratum (canopy, understory, shrub layer, herbaceous
            layer). Additionally, soil composition factors and the age,
            size, and health of selected trees should also be recorded.
            Measurements should be taken at least once every five years late
            in the growing season at approximately the same date each year
            the community is monitored. Such a forest monitoring program
            will not only provide insight as to the development and function
            of an exemplary maturing forest, but also sound early warnings to
            adverse changes in the forest structure from such threats as
            invasive species. Department of Conservation and Recreation
            staff scientists can assist with the implementation of such a
            forest monitoring program.

            The establishment of Breeding Bird Census plots in the exemplary
            forest of the College Woods Natural Area is recommended.
            Monitoring of breeding bird use in the natural area over time
            will give indications as to the effects of changes in land use
            and natural community structure on use of the site by songbirds.
            The Williamsburg Bird Club may be interested in taking
            responsibility for this project.

            Additionally the recreational, educational, and training
            activities that occur in the College Woods should be monitored to
            assure that natural heritage resources are not affected. It may
            be advisable to restrict large scale human activities from the
            immediate vicinity of the rare plants, as the plants are highly
            susceptible to trampling. Many of the trails in the natural area
            are built on slopes and are eroding severely. It is recommended
            that erosion control devices, such as broad-based dips, be
            installed on these sloped trails. Motorized vehicles should be
            restricted from the College Woods to prevent destruction and
            disturbance of wildlife and minimize soil erosion in this
            sensitive area.






            Lower Peninsula Conservation Planning
            Page 46


            Invasive plant species such as japanese honeysuckle could
            threaten the rare plant populations in the College Woods. Any
            aggressive weeds posing a threat to the rare plants would be
            identified during the annual monitoring activities. If invasive
            plant species are determined to be a threat to the rare plants,
            appropriate actions should be taken to control the weeds.

            There is one invasive exotic species that may seriously threaten
            the composition, quality, and integrity of the College Woods
            @atural Area in the near future: the gypsy moth. The gypsy moth
            is an exotic species accidentally released in New England before
            the turn of the century. A destructive wave of the species has
            been moving south ever since. A large infestation of gypsy moths
            can defoliate a forest repeatedly causing significant tree
            mortality, changes in forest light and moisture regimes, and
            changes in forest composition and structure. Gypsy moth
            caterpillars will consume the leaves of many species of trees,
            but are especially fond of oaks. As the College Woods Natural
            Area is dominated by a number of maturing oak species, an
            uncontrolled gypsy moth invasion could so drastically alter the
            College Woods as to detract significantly from its value as a
            natural heritage resource.

            Given the serious consequences to the resource, the College Woods
            should be monitored for the presence of gypsy moths. At the
            first sign of invasion, immediate action should be taken to
            control or suppress gypsy moths. These actions may include
            trapping and destruction of adult moths, removal and destruction
            of egg masses, interference with moth breeding behavior (through
            the use of artificial moth pheromones), or integrated pest
            management. Conservation-oriented student groups from the
            College of William and Mary may be a good source of volunteers
            for the more labor-intensive preventative measures.

            RECREATIONAL, SCENIC, AND EDUCATIONAL CONSIDERATIONS: The
            College Woods Natural Area is already used for recreational and
            academic purposes by the College of William and Mary. Additional
            signage within the mixed hardwood forest trails could increase
            use of the area as an outdoor classroom. A trail management plan
            should be a priority. Such a plan may recommend the evaluation
            of existing trail alignments as well as incorporate techniques to
            prevent erosion and sedimentation.

            once the lake becomes approved for primary contact, it should be
            reopened for canoeing and non-motorized boating. The areas once
            used for canoe access could be reactivated and the lake could
            resume its function as an outdoor classroom.




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            Lower Peninsula Conservation Planning
            Page 48


                                     DIASCUND CREEK


            SIZE: 3580 acres


            BIODIVERSITY RANK: B3

            LOCATION: James City and New Kent Counties
                       Walkers and Toano quadrangles

            GENERAL DESCRIPTION: Diascund Creek Natural Area straddles the
            border between New Kent and James City County just north of the
            Chickahominy River. Diascund Creek itself, which forms the
            border, is a medium-sized, freshwater, tidal creek that flows
            through swamps and marshes. Mill Creek, a smaller tributary,
            joins Diascund Creek near its mouth. The natural area supports a
            rare natural community, populations of two rare plant species,
            and a rare animal species.

            The upper reaches of both streams are lined by swamps dominated
            by large bald-cypress with swamp tupelo, black gum, red maple,
            and green ash in the understory. The marshes along the lower
            reaches of the two creeks are dominated by wild rice over a dense
            layer of pickerelweed and arrow arum. Associated with the mar  'sh
            are a large number of additional species such as cardinal flower,
            beggar's-ticks, and spatterdock. The forests in the upland
            portion of the site are composed of mixed pines and hardwoods.
            Loblolly pine dominates the drier ridges, with hardwoods
            dominating the slopes and bottomlands. Some of the uplands in
            and near the natural area have been logged recently.

            Soils in the marshes consist of the poorly drained, regularly
            flooded Levy silty clay. Swamp soils are Johnston complex, a
            series of poorly drained silt loams. The soils of the slopes
            surrounding the creeks, marshes, and swamps include Emporia
            complex and Craven-Uchee complex, both a series of well-drained,
            highly erodible fine sandy loams. The uplands of the natural
            area include a number of silt loams and sandy loams such as
            Peawick silt loam, Bojac sandy loam, and Newflat silt loam.

            Historic land use in the natural area has been agriculture and
            timber management along with hunting and fishing. In years past
            only a few rural residences occupied the natural area. Today,
            fishing, along with recreational boating, have become the major
            uses of the creeks. Hunting still occurs to some degree, but
            residential development has limited that pursuit over much of the
            natural area. The site has been heavily developed in recent
            years. Moderately dense residential communities have sprouted
            around the middle and lower sections of Diascund Creek. Many
            shoreline bulkheads and private piers are associated with the
            residential development. The scattered farmhouses have been
            augmented by strip residential development along the major roads
            in the natural area. one major road, a large powerline corridor,
            and a multi-track railroad pass through the natural area. major
            roads also fringe the edges of the site. Current land use
            surrounding the natural area resembles that within its






            Lower Peninsula Conservation Planning
            Page 49


            boundaries. A large public water supply reservoir occurs one-
            half mile north of the natural area.

           ,NATURAL HERITAGE RESOURCES: Diascund Creek Natural Area contains
            a good example of a tidal freshwater marsh, a rare natural
            community type. Freshwater tidal marshes occur in the narrow
            range where estuarine salinities are very low but the rivers and
            creeks are still tidal. Although characterized by low salinity
            levels, salt concentrations in freshwater tidal areas may vary
            daily due to changing wind, temperature, and precipitation
            conditions. Because of the fluctuating salinity levels,
            freshwater marshes are usually identified by their plant
            composition. Cattails, wild rice, rice cutgrass, arrow arum,
            pickerelweed, and broad-leaved arrow-head distinguish freshwater
            marshes in Virginia from more saline marshes. The streams and
            channels that meander through the marsh are also an essential
            part of the natural community. The creeks are ecologically
            linked to the marshes by a common medium, water, and may support
            important areas of submerged aquatic vegetation.

            Healthy freshwater marshes and creeks furnish many ecological
            benefits. Marshes enhance water quality, help contain flood and
            storm waters, buffer against shoreline erosion, produce large
            amounts of nutrients and energy, and provide habitats for a vast
            array of vertebrates and invertebrates. Freshwater tidal creeks
            rich in submerged aquatic vegetation provide spawning and nursery
            areas for fish and other aquatic animals.

            The marshes of Diascund Creek and Mill Creek are medium-sized and
            support a moderate amount of natural diversity, but the marshes
            may be threatened by surrounding land use.

            Diascund Creek harbors a healthy population of Parker's pipewort.
            Parker's pipewort is a plant of the pipewort family which ranges
            from southern Quebec and Maine south to Virginia. The species is
            rare throughout its range and within Virginia. The plant is
            known from twenty-five sites in twelve Virginia Coastal Plain
            counties.

            Parker's pipewort is an diminutive, inconspicuous, perennial herb
            with grass-like leaves. Its small, nearly spherical flowering
            heads are born singly on the ends of long stems. The species is
            most often found in shallow water, tidal flats, and muddy shores
            such as found at the edges of the marshes and swamps at Diascund
            Creek Natural Area. Because the species is semi-aquatic, it is
            very sensitive to water quality degradation and alteration of the
            hydrologic regime. considering its small size and precarious
            habitat, Parker's pipewort is also extremely vulnerable to damage
            to its habitat from erosion, bulkheading, or trampling.

            Another rare aquatic plant known from Diascund Creek Natural Area
            is the yellow cowlily. Yellow cowlilys are rooted in creek and
            river bottoms and their elongated leaves float at the water's
            surface.- The showy yellowish to green flowers bloom through the






            Lower Peninsula Conservation Planning
            Page 50


            spring and summer. Yellow cowlily often grows in deep, mid-
            channel waters. In addition to being sensitive to degradation of
            water quality and disturbance of the hydrologic regime, the
            plant's habit of growing in open water makes it very vulnerable
            to direct damage from boat traffic.

            Yellow cowlily is rare throughout its range, the coastal regions
            of Virginia, North Carolina, and South Carolina, and extremely
            rare in Virginia. The plant occurs at only seven sites in in the
            Commonwealth, all of which are in three counties along the tidal
            portion of the Chickahominy River and its tidal tributaries. The
            population at this natural area is spread throughout Diascund
            Creek and Mill Creek and is one of the largest populations in
            Virginia.

            The glossy crayfish snake has been documented from Diascund Creek
            Natural Area through the capture of a single individual in 1991.
            That was the first time the species has been found in the
            Commonwealth since the 19401s, when it was captured in the same
            vicinity as the 1991 find. Because there is only one known
            population of the snake in Virginia, the species is considered
            extremely rare in the Commonwealth. Virginia is the northern
            edge of the species' range which includes the Atlantic Coastal
            Plain from Virginia south to Florida and west to Texas. The
            glossy crayfish snake is more common in the main part of its
            range.

            Glossy crayfish snakes grow up to thirty inches long, are brown
            or greenish-brown, and sometimes have two thin stripes running
            their length. The species is not venomous. Glossy crayfish
            snakes are one of the most secretive snakes in Virginia. The
            species is most often found in swamps, marshes, or ponds,
            especially at the muddy interface of land and water. The
            principle prey includes crayfish, salamanders, frogs, and small
            fish. The main threat to this species is the destruction of its
            habitat.

            PRIMARY ECOLOGICAL BOUNDARY: In addition to including the
            significant freshwater tidal marsh, the primary boundary also
            includes open water habitat which supports yellow cowlily and
            shoreline habitat which supports Parker's pipewort and the glossy
            crayfish snake.

            SECONDARY ECOLOGICAL BOUNDARY: Ideally in this situation, the
            secondary boundary would form a buffer zone around the primary
            boundary and all tributaries leading into the core area. The
            purpose of the buffer zone would be to protect the shoreline from
            erosion and protect the natural area's water quality and
            quantity.

            Unfortunately, existing residential development, roads, and
            utility corridors combined with the large size of the watershed,
            the great number of minor tributaries, and the meandering oxbows
            of Diascund Creek make the establishment of a distinct buffer
            zone difficult. Instead, the secondary boundary encompasses a






            Lower Peninsula Conservation Planning
            Page 51


            portion of the Diascund Creek watershed within which land uses
            will have the greatest effects on the ecological integrity of the
            core area. major roads are generally used to define the
            secondary boundary because they readily delineate geographic
            units and often follow the height-of-land (drainage divides).

            OWNERSHIP AND ZONING: Diascund Creek Natural Area is entirely
            within private ownership. on the James City County side alone,
            the natural area includes all or part of eighty-eight tracts and
            two subdivisions.   Many of the tracts apparently are owned by
            members of about three or four families. Diascund Creek, Mill
            Creek, and the other "navigable waters" in the natural area are
            designated "waters of the state" and may thus be considered as
            publicly owned.

            The entire natural area on the James City County side is zoned
            for general agriculture.

            Ownership and zoning research was not conducted for the New Kent
            County side of the natural area for this project.

            PRIMARY ACREAGE: 540 acres


            SECONDARY ACREAGE: 3040 acres

            PROTECTION RECOMMENDATIONS: Diascund Creek, its swamps,
            tidal freshwater marshes, some of its tributaries, and 100 feet
            of upland around these wetland features have been designated as a
            Resource Protection Area by the James City County Chesapeake Bay
            Preservation Ordinance. The Bay Ordinance restricts most types
            of physical development from within Resource Protection Areas.
            The wetlands of the natural area also receive protection from the
            Federal Clean Water Act and similar state and local tidal wetland
            laws which regulate the alteration of wetlands. The watercourses
            themselves may also benefit from some protection under the Clean
            Water Act and from regulatory actions of the State Water Control
            Board which determine allowable discharges into waters of the
            state.

            It appears that a portion of the Diascund Creek marsh may be
            under a conservation or scenic easement, but research has not yet
            been able to determine the extent or status of the easement.

            Protection of the Diascund Creek Natural Area presents a
            particular challenge due to its natural situation, diverse
            multiple ownership, and existing developments. Efforts should
            probably begin with a public awareness and education program for
            property owners within the natural area. Although many of the
            property owners may be appreciative of the natural beauty of the
            site, few probably understand its biological significance and
            function. Once an understan -ding and appreciation of the
            ecological value of the natural area by the property owners is
            established, many may be interested in having their property or
            the appropriate part of it placed on the Virginia Registry of
            Natural Areas. If the relationship with the landholders is






            Lower Peninsula Conservation Planning
            Page 52


            accommodating, negotiation of conservation tools, such as
            management agreements or conservation easements, which will
            protect the natural area from further incompatible land uses may
            be possible. James City County should also consider rezoning the
            lands within the natural area to a more conservation-oriented
            status.

            similar protection efforts should be instituted simultaneously on
            the New Kent County portion of the natural area.

            STEWARDSHIP RECOMMENDATIONS: Except where existing development
            prevents it, a forested buffer zone 330 feet in width should be
            established around the primary boundary and around all
            tributaries and wetlands which feed into the primary area. The
            buffer zone should remain undisturbed. Best management practices
            for the minimization of non-point source pollution should be
            encouraged throughout the natural area. Additional physical
            development, including the construction of houses, bulkheads,
            piers, and roads, along the shores and wetland margins of the
            natural area should be discouraged. Hunting, fishing, canoeing,
            hiking, and nature observation are all activities compatible with
            the natural heritage resources of the site. New or increased
            wastewater discharge into Diascund Creek or its tributaries
            should not be permitted.

            Additional inventory should be conducted for the glossy crayfish
            snake. Information as to the size and condition of the
            population of this elusive species at Diascund Creek is needed to
            guide well-informed conservation measures.

            Diascund Creek and to a lesser extent Mill Creek are subject to a
            large amount of motorboat traffic. Studies in the Chesapeake Bay
            area of Maryland have indicated that operation of motorboats in
            tidal creeks can have adverse effects on marshes, shores, creek
            bottoms, and water quality. The disturbance and resuspension of
            bottom sediments through the turbulence produced by boat
            propellers, damage to marshes, shorelines, and submerged aquatic
            vegetation, and the release of sewage and toxic compounds are
            problems associated with motorboat traffic in these sensitive
            areas. Similar studies have not been conducted in the Lower
            Peninsula project area. Because of the large number of variables
            involved, such as amount and speed of boat traffic, hull sizes
            and shapes, creek widths and depths, and amount of natural (wind-
            generated) wave action, results documented from one specific site
            cannot be inferred to be the situation at another site. For this
            reason, the establishment of a research program to determine the
            effects, if any, of motorboat traffic in this and the other
            Chickahominy River natural areas is recommended. The Shoreline
            Erosion Advisory Service of the Virginia Department of
            Conservation and Recreation or the Virginia Institute of Marine
            Science may be willing to lead the research effort. Funding for
            such a study may be available from the Coastal Zone Management
            Program. Appropriate actions for the preservation of the tidal
            marsh and creek ecosystems should be instituted based on the
            results of the study.






            Lower Peninsula Conservation Planning
            Page 53


            Yellow cowlily colonies in Diascund Creek and Mill Creek often
            show signs of damage from motorboats passing through them. Steps
            to help abate motorboat-caused damage to the yellow cowlily
            populations would greatly enhance their long-term viability.
            Preventative measures could include-posting of educational signs
            at area marinas and possibly in or near yellow cowlily colonies
            themselves. The signs could provide a description of the plant,
            explain its sensitivity and significance, and request boaters to
            voluntarily avoid navigating through cowlily colonies.

            The yellow cowlily and Parker's pipewort populations should be
            monitored annually for their size and condition. At least one
            visit to the site each year during the growing season should be
            conducted to record numbers and locations of plants as well as
            evidence of reproduction, disease, or damage.. The marsh should
            be monitored as well. Several permanent sampling plots should be
            established at random locations within the marsh. In each
            sampling plot, plant species composition and relative abundances
            along with water quality and soil composition factors should be
            measured once every five years at approximately the same of year.
            Monitoring will facilitate early detection of threats such as
            sea-level rise, aggressive species invasion (especially common
            reedgrass), and erosion. Department of Conservation and
            Recreation staff are available to provide guidance with the
            design and implementation of the biological monitoring program.

            Because collection can be a major threat to rare plants, the
            precise location of the Parker's pipewort should be kept
            confidential.

            RECREATIONAL, SCENIC, AND EDUCATIONAL CONSIDERATIONS: Diascund
            Creek receives a considerable amount of recreational
            motorboating. The Virginia Department of Transportation records
            show an informal boat landing at Route 601 and Diascund Creek.

            The planned development along this waterway should be encouraged
            to provided community piers and docks. A proliferation of
            private dock and pier facilities should be avoided. Developers
            of subdivisions could proffer community dock facilities and
            interpretive signage as part of an incentive program to improve
            environmental consciousness among residents.






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            Lower Peninsula Conservation Planning
            Page 55


                                      GORDON CREEK


            SIZE: 2720 acres


            BIODIVERSITY RANK: B3

            LOCATION: James City County, Brandon and Norge quadrangles

            GENERAL DESCRIPTION: Gordon Creek Natural Area, located along
            the Chickahominy River in the westernmost part of James City
            County, consists of an extensive pristine freshwater tidal marsh,
            its waterways and channels, and the bordering upland forests.
            The dominant plant species in the marsh include wild rice, duck
            potato, big cordgrass, cattails, and a variety of other
            herbaceous species. Surrounded by the marsh are several islands
            of various sizes. The islands and the uplands bordering the
            marsh are forested with loblolly pine, Virginia pine, southern
            red oak, red maple, sweetgum, and other hardwoods.

            Soils in the marsh are almost entirely Levy silty clay. As one
            would expect for marsh soils, Levy silty clay is deep, nearly
            level, poorly drained, and acidic. The soils of the uplands in
            the natural area are of the Peawick-Emporia-Levy association.
            The steeply sloping bluffs around the marsh consist principally
            of Emporia complex, while the more level uplands in the natural
            area are dominated by Peawick silty loam, Dragston fine sandy
            loam-, and Altavista fine sandy loam. The Emporia complex soils
            found on the bluffs are highly erodible.

            Historically, the uplands of the natural area were logged or
            farmed. These practices continue today to some degree. The
            marsh has traditionally been used for hunting and fishing, which,
            along with recreational boating, are the predominant uses of the
            marsh today. The surrounding land is still quite rural with a
            few agricultural fields, large forested tracts, and scattered
            houses. A large private campground is operated just south of the
            natural area. Construction of a large scale residential
            development has begun south of Gordon Creek and another such
            development has been proposed on land east of the natural area.

            NATURAL HERITAGE RESOURCES: Gordon Creek Natural Area contains
            an outstanding example of a tidal freshwater marsh. This natural
            community type is rare to uncommon and the marsh at Gordon Creek
            may be one of the best remaining examples of this ecosystem in
            North America because of its great size and excellent quality.

            Tidal freshwater marshes occur in the narrow range where
            estuarine salinities are very low but the rivers and creeks are
            still tidal. Although characterized by low salinity levels, salt
            concentrations in freshwater tidal areas may vary over time due
            to changing wind, temperature, and precipitation conditions.
            Because of the fluctuating salinity levels, freshwater marshes
            are usually identified by their plant composition. Cattails,
            sweet flag, wild rice, rice cutgrass, arrow arum, pickerelweed,
            and broad-leaved arrow-head distinguish freshwater marshes in





            Lower Peninsula Conservation Planning
            Page 56


            Virginia from more saline marshes. The streams and channels that
            meander through the marsh are also an essential part of the
            natural community. The creeks are ecologically linked to the
            marshes by a common medium, water, and support important areas of
            submerged aquatic vegetation.

            Healthy freshwater marshes and creeks furnish many ecological
            benefits. Marshes enhance water quality, help contain
            floodwaters, buffer against shoreline erosion, produce large
            amounts of nutrients and energy, and provide habitats for a vast
            array of vertebrates and invertebrates. Tidal freshwater creeks
            rich in submerged aquatic vegetation provide spawning and nursery
            areas for fish and other aquatic animals and food for wintering
            waterfowl.

            PRIMARY ECOLOGICAL BOUNDARY: At Gordon Creek, the primary
            boundary includes the vast tidal freshwater marsh and portions of
            the associated tidal creeks.

            SECONDARY ECOLOGICAL BOUNDARY: The secondary boundary delineates
            a buffer of forested upland around the wetlands and water
            courses. The purpose of the forested buffer is to protect the
            water quality and hydrologic integrity of the wetland resource by
            reducing the sediment load and possibly the nutrients and other
            contaminants in surface water runoff, minimizing impacts from
            groundwater drawdown, preventing shore erosion and the resultant
            sedimentation and turbidity, and attenuating stormwater surges.
            By protecting the water quality and hydrologic regime, the
            structure and function of the marsh and creeks are maintained.

            There has been an enormous amount of research regarding the
            appropriate width of wetland buffering strips. Widths ranging
            from fifty feet to 330 feet have been recommended based on the
            various data. The only point the immense body of literature on
            the subject has emphasized is that there is really no single
            equation for buffer strip width that applies to every situation.
            Given the high erodibility of the soil types, the extreme
            sensitivity and significance of the natural heritage resource,
            and the apparent trend towards intensive residential development
            in the area, 330 feet was chosen as the appropriate width for the
            forested buffer strip for this site. A 330 foot buffer strip was
            also designed around swamps and both perennial and intermittent
            streams which feed into the natural area. Since those
            tributaries communicate directly with the core area, their water
            quality also becomes a concern for protection. Where the height-
            of-land (drainage divide) occurs closer than 330 feet to the edge
            of the wetlands or water course, the secondary boundary runs
            along the drainage divide.

            OWNERSHIP AND ZONING: Gordon Creek Natural Area is entirely
            within private ownership. A few of the tracts are large (800-
            1000 acres), but many are residential lots on one or a few acres.
            A majority of the marsh is owned by a private hunt club. There
            are thirty-five tracts, in whole or in part, in Gordon Creek
            Natural Area.






            Lower Peninsula Conservation Planning
            Page 57


            The entire natural area is currently zoned general agricultural.

            PRIMARY ACREAGE: 1760 acres


            SECONDARY ACREAGE: 960 acres

            PROTECTION RECOMMENDATIONS: All of the area within the primary
            boundary is afforded some regulatory protection by the Federal
            Clean Water Act and similar state and local tidal wetlands laws
            which regulate the alteration of wetlands. The marsh also falls
            under the jurisdiction of the James City County Chesapeake Bay
            Preservation Ordinance which restricts most development from
            within 100 feet of wetlands and watercourses in the Chesapeake
            Bay area of Virginia. It is recommended that some additional
            form of protection such as management agreements or natural area
            registries be added to the area within the primary boundary.

            The 100 foot buffer from the edge of wetlands and watercourses
            provided by the Chesapeake Bay Ordinance generally gives the
            inner third of the secondary boundary some form of protection.
            More permanent protection for the entire 330 foot buffer zone is
            needed. Owners of buffer areas should be approached regarding
            the placement of conservation easements or natural area
            registries on the appropriate portion of their land. Efforts
            should concentrate first on the larger tracts because they
            represent large@ sections of the buffer area.

            STEWARDSHIP RECOMMENDATIONS: Land disturbing activity such as
            development, timber cutting, ditching, well-digging, road and
            utility construction, and the riding or driving of off-road
            vehicles should be restricted from within the natural area.
            Wastewater discharge should not be permitted within the natural
            area. Hunting, fishing, and canoeing are uses generally
            compatible with the viability of the natural heritage resource of
            the natural area.

            Gordon Creek Natural Area is subject to a moderate amount of
            motorized boat traffic. Studies in the Chesapeake Bay area of
           .Maryland have indicated that operation of motorboats in tidal
            creeks can have adverse effects on marshes, shores, creek
            bottoms, and water quality. The disturbance and resuspension of
            bottom sediments through the turbulence produced by boat
            propellers, damage to marshes, shorelines, and submerged aquatic
            vegetation, and the release of sewage and toxic compounds are
            problems associated with motorboat traffic in these sensitive
            areas. Similar studies have not been conducted in the Lower
            Peninsula project area. Because of the large number of variables
            involved, such as amount and speed of boat traffic, hull sizes
            and shapes, creek widths and depths, and amount of natural (wind-
            generated) wave action, results documented from one specific site
            cannot be inferred to be the situation at another site. For this
            reason, the establishment of a research program to determine the
            effects, if any, of motorboat traffic in this and the other
            Chickahominy River natural areas is recommended. The Shoreline
            Erosion Advisory Service of the Virginia Department of






            Lower Peninsula Conservation Planning
            Page 58


            Conservation and Recreation or the Virginia Institute of Marine
            Science may b'e willing to lead the research effort. Funding for
            such a study may be available from the Coastal Zone Management
            Program. Appropriate actions for the preservation of the.tidal
            marsh and creek ecosystems should be instituted based on the
            results of the study.

            The private campground should be encouraged to manage the portion
            of their tract that falls within the secondary boundary in a
            manner consistent with the preservation of the neighboring
            natural heritage resource.

            The tidal freshwater marsh should be monitored on a regular
            basis. Several permanent sampling plots should be established in
            random locations in the marsh (pending permission from the
            landowner). In each sampling plot, species composition and
            relative abundances should be measured at least once per five
            years during the later part of the growing season. Additionally,
            water quality and soil composition factors should also be
            recorded on these visits. Such a biological monitoring program
            will not only provide insight as to the structure and function of
            this exemplary wetland community, but also sound early warnings
            to adverse changes in the ecology of the marsh from such subtle
            threats as problem species, hydrologic disturbance, or water
            pollution. Common reedgrass is the most threatening problem
            species that could invade Gordon Creek Natural Area or any of the
            other Chickahominy River natural areas. Once established, common
            reedgrass can displace native diverse marsh communities with
            single species stands of the weed, ruining the beauty, structure,
            and function of the wetland. Department of Conservation and
            Recreation staff scientists are available to provide guidance
            with the design and implementation of a biological monitoring
            program.

            RECREATIONAL, SCENIC, AND EDUCATIONAL CONSIDERATIONS: The area
            surrounding Gordon Creek is relatively undeveloped. Scenic
            easements could be established with the existing property owners
            to preserve the visual integrity of the area. The freshwater
            marsh could be promoted as an interpretive opportunity. Gordon
            Creek provides good fishing. An informal canoe and cartop boat
            launch could be established within the area to provide additional
            opportunities for access to the water.



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            Lower Peninsula Conservation Planning
            Page 60


                                      GRAFTON PONDS


            SIZE: 2640 acres


            BIODIVERSITY RANK: B3

            LOCATION: York County and City of Newport News
                      Poquoson West and Yorktown quadrangles

            GENERAL DESCRIPTION: The Grafton Ponds Natural Area, the finest
            natural area in York County, consists of a complex of about 70
            coastal plain sinkhole ponds. The ponds are usually ephemeral,
            but during years that are cooler and/or with above average
            precipitation, they are perennial. Normally the ponds begin to
            fill in January or February and dry up between August and
            October. The ponds range in size from about 40 feet in diameter
            to more than 100 feet across and in shape from nearly circular to
            elliptical. Adjacent ponds coalesce into irregular basins with a
            combined drainage area of several acres. The basin floors vary
            from a few feet to more than 15 feet below the elevation of the
            terrace surface upon which they develop. The depth below the
            adjacent land surface is usually three to seven feet. The ponds
            are randomly distributed on the Grafton and adjoining plains, the
            Huntington and Todd flats and the higher Lackey and Grove plains.

            This natural area is gen "erally forested by mixed oak-pine forest,
            second growth hardwood forest, second growth pine forest, and
            planted pine plantations. The site is traversed by a number of
            light, medium, and heavy duty roads and utility corridors. soils
            in the natural area are developed on sediments of the Chuckatuck
            Formation and generally consist of Bethera-Izagora-Slagle
            varieties characterized by poorly to. moderately well-drained
            clays and loams on level to gently sloping terrain. underlying
            the surface soils is the calcareous Yorktown formation which
            contains abundant soluable shell and shell sand.

            The natural area is surrounded by residential, commercial, and
            industrial development to the east and west, but some large
            forested areas still remain immediately to the south and north of
            the natural area boundaries. Most of the natural area is owned
            by the Newport News Waterworks Department which manages the site
            as a public water supply, local park, and timber resource area.

            In addition to the pond complex, the natural area also contains
            three known rare animal species and five rare plant species.

            NATURAL HERITAGE RESOURCES: The pond system of this natural area
            is the best remaining example of a coastal plain sinkhole pond
            complex in Virginia; an exemplary occurrence of a rare natural
            community type. The ponds occupy sinkhole basins. These basins
            form when the limey beds in the underlying Yorktown Formation are
            leached by groundwater and the overlying sediments slowly subside
            6r collapse suddenly into the void created by dissolution. The
            sinkholes form as shallow depressions on the otherwise level
            plain, and increase in depth and'areal extent with time as the






            Lower Peninsula Conservation Planning
            Page' 61


            underlying lime is dissolved. Initially the depressions are too
            shallow and too areally restricted to hold water for an extended
            period of time (Early Phase). As time passes, the depressions
            expand in size, attaining sufficient size to collect water and
            retain water for longer periods of time (Middle Phase). As the
            depressions increase in area, the basins coalesce and compound
            sinkholes form; many of which hold figure-eight ponds. The
            sinkholes eventually fill with sediment and are breached by
            headward eroding streams (Late Phase). Most sinkholes of the
            Grafton area are in the Middle phase of development, whereas
            those elsewhere on the coastal plain are either younger and less
            well developed or are older and less distinct due to filling and
            erosion.

            The ponds range in age from 80,000 to 800,000 years old. The
            pond-bottom sediments of the older ponds contain an extensive
            fossil pollen record. Studies of fossil pollens can reveal
            important clues as to the climate and vegetation of the
            prehistoric past. The older ponds have also accumulated thicker
            layers of bottom sediments within them while the younger ponds
            have less sediments. These sediments retard water loss, so that
            ponds with thicker sediments will hold water longer than ponds of,
            the same size with thinner sediments.

            The ponds' hydrology is influenced by a combination of
            groundwater and surfacewater. Because of the particularly porous
            nature of the geology of the area and the lack of topographic
            relief, a tremendous amount of infiltration and downward
            percolation occurs with little lateral movement of groundwater.
            Water seeping downward is captured in a perched water table, an
            aquifer close to the surface separated from the deeper
            groundwater aquifers by an impermeable layer. During the wetter
            seasons (late winter through early spring) rainfall percolates
            down to the perched aquifer. The filled aquifer then retards
            further downward movement of water. Because the flat topography
            discourages fast runoff and the filled perched water table
            retards quick percolation, rainwater finds its way into the
            sinkhole-caused depressions forming seasonal ponds.

            Most ponds fill in the winter and spring, loose water to
            evaporation and percolation through the late spring and summer,
            and are usually dry again by the late summer or early autumn.
            The decrease of each pond's water level depends on the pond's
            age, size, depth, location, and vegetation. Each pond's
            hydrology is further influenced by the Varying amounts of
            precipitation from one year to the next, ponds will have more
            water for longer periods during wet years than drought years.
            During the relatively cool, wet summer of 1992, for example, many
            ponds which are ordinarily dry by the end of the summer retained
            water well into the fall. Naturally fluctuating water levels
            maintain open or semi-open forest canopies and create zones of
            vegetation types along the pond margins and bottoms. Since fish
            cannot survive in these seasonal ponds, the ponds provide
            predator-free breeding habitat for many amphibian.






             Lower Peninsula Conservation Planning
             Page 62


             Because of the many variables-affecting hydrology, each pond has
             a unique hydrologic regime which may also vary from year to year.
             Additionally, most of the ponds are beneath a closed forest
             canopies, but some ponds that are larger or wetter or both have
             less tree cover resulting in well-developed shrub and herbaceous
             layers. For those reasons, larger and wetter ponds will
             generally be more biologically diverse than smaller ponds. This
             variability among ponds multiplied by the large number of ponds
             results in an extremely diverse complex of isolated freshwater
             depression wetlands. Thus the pond complex supports a similarly
             diverse array of habitats and harbors several rare plant and
             animal species. Because of this diversity, the pond complex as a
             whole is more valuable than the sum of each of the pnnds taken
             individually.

             Harper's fimbristylis is a diminutive plant in the sedge family
             that is very rare throughout its range and extremely rare in
             Virginia. The species occurs in only a handful of sites on the
             Atlantic Coastal Plain from Delaware to Georgia with only one
             known location in Virginia: the Grafton Ponds Natural Area.
             Harper's fimbristylis is a very small annual sedge that appears
             late in the summer in ponds (or sometimes ditches) which have
             been subject to substantial water-level draw-down. The plant
             grows only in full sunlight. Seeds from this plant can remain
             dormant-kn the soil for many years, not germinating until
             suitable environmental conditions occur, creating what is
             referred to as a "seed bank." Harper's fimbristylis was first
             discovered at a single pond in 1986. Plants were sprouting in
            ,several square yards of a dry pond bottom. The species was not
             seen at Grafton Ponds in 1987 and 1988, despite extensive
             searches. In 1991, a botanist-located six plants of the species
             that had emerged in a different pond in the natural area. Only a
            .fraction of the seeds of the seed bank in the pond bottom will
             germinate in a given year and then only if conditions are right.
             If the pond dries out too early or too late one year, no seeds
             will germinate. The specificity of environmental conditions
             required for successful reproduction of this species has made it
             very sensitive to alterations in the hydrology of its habitats.
             Harper's fimbristylis is listed as an endangered species under
             the Virginia Endangered Plant and Insect Act and is a candidate
             for listing under the Federal Endangered Species Act.

             A substantial population of Cuthbert's turtlehead occurs in the
             western part of the natural area. This perennial herbaceous
             plant of the figwort family grows up to three feet tall and bears
             clusters of purple flowers in the late summer. Cuthbert's
             turtlehead is rare throughout its range and very rare in
             Virginia, occurring in nine counties. It is one of the many
             mountain-coastal plain disjunct species found on the Lower
             Peninsula; the species is found in Virginia's mountainous and
             coastal regions, but not on the intervening piedmont. This plant
             normally grows in unshaded seepage wetlands and has been found at
             Grafton Ponds in seepage areas along powerline rights-of-way and
             along the edges of a few ponds which-are influenced by
             groundwater seepage.






            Lower Peninsula Conservation Planning
            Page 63


            A rare amphibian, Mabee's salamander, has been known from the
            Grafton Ponds since 1983. Recent surveys found both adult and
            larval forms of the species and indicated that Grafton Ponds
            contains the largest known population of Mabee's salamander in
            Virginia. Mabee's salamander is at the northern edge of its
            range in southeastern Virginia. The species' range is
            restricted; Mabee's salamanders occur only on the coastal plain
            of South Carolina, North Carolina, and Virginia. The salamander
            is known from six sites in Virginia, only four of which are
            confirmed reproductive populations. Mabee's salamander is listed
            as threatened under the Virginia Endangered Species Act. Adults
            are three to four inches long, dark gray or brown, and have light
            specks along their sides. In the family known as the mole
            salamanders, Mabee's salamanders spend most of their lives
            crawling through leaf litter or burrowing through soft ground in
            search of food (primarily ground-dwelling invertebrates).
            Individuals may range as far as 1000 feet from their breeding
            ponds, but the salamanders must return to the seasonal ponds to
            reproduce.

            Another rare amphibian, the barking treefrog reaches the northern
            limit of its range in southeastern Virginia. This species is
            found chiefly on the coastal plain from Virginia to Florida and
            Louisiana. The barking treefrog is considered extremely rare in
            Virginia due largely to the low number of populations in the
            state, but also to the species restricted range in the
            Commonwealth: barking treefrogs are found only in the
            southeastern part of the state. The species is listed as
            threatened under the Virginia Endangered Species Act. Barking
            treefrogs were first discovered in the Grafton Ponds in 1990.
            Additional survey is necessary to accurately estimate population
            size and status. Barking treefrogs are relatively large for
            treefrogs and most individuals have dark round spots further
            distinguishing them from other species in the treefrog family.
            The species is are adapted to climbing vegetation and do most of
            their courtship calling, a bark-like sound as the name implies,
            from shrubs and low trees. Barking treefrogs will also burrow
            into the ground to escape hot, dry days. The species is
            dependant'upon fish-free seasonal wetlands such as the ponds
            within this natural area for completion of its life-cycle. Eggs
            are laid in the water and larvae are completely aquatic until
            they develop into adult frogs.

            At Grafton Ponds, the slender marsh pink has been found in wet
            areas along utility corridors. The slender marsh pink is a plant
            in the gentian family that is very rare in Virginia but much more
            common in other parts of its range. This species is found on the
            coastal areas of Massachusetts to Louisiana, locally inland to
            Indiana and Kentucky, and in the West Indies. The species is
            known to occur in eleven counties in Virginia. Like Cuthbert's
            turtlehead! the slender marsh pink is also a mountain-coastal
            plain disjunct species. The slender marsh pink is a perennial
            wetland herb that grows 8 to 24 inches tall and is graced with
            pink and yellow flowers in July and August. The species usually
            is found in wetlands and prefers direct sunlight. Slender marsh






            Lower Peninsula Conservation Planning
            Page 64


            pink may also appear in ponds of the natural area when
            substantial water-level draw-down occurs in the larger, open-
            canopy pond basins.

            The southern twayblade of the orchid family was first found in
            the Grafton Ponds in 1990 at the edge of one of the sinkhole
            ponds. Seventeen plants were found again in 1991. The species
            is uncommon over most of its range and is rare in the
            Commonwealth. In Virginia, southern twayblade is known to occur
            in eight counties on the coastal plain. Plants are small and
            inconspicuous with deep green leaves and reddish purple flowers
            which bloom in the early spring. The species is normally
            associated with seasonally flooded to moist, shaded woodland
            habitat, such as that found around some of the smaller ponds in
            the Grafton Pond complex.

            Collins' sedge is known from one site in the natural area, but
            @ontinued searching may locate additional plants. Collin's sedge
            is a medium-sized, shade-tolerant species of sedge found on mossy
            hummocks in some types of forested wetlands. The species occurs
            mostly on the coastal plain from Rhode Island to Georgia and is
            known from ten Virginia counties. Collins' sedge is rare in the
            Commonwealth and.somewhat more common throughout the remainder of
            its range.

            The occurrence of the star-nosed mole in the Grafton Ponds has
            been documented through the discovery of only one individual.
            The species is secretive, spending almost all of its time either
            underground or underwater, and is difficult to trap, two factors
            which make determining its presence and abundance difficult.
            Searches specifically oriented to the star-nosed mole may show a
            substantial population residing in the natural area. The star-
            nosed mole is a small mammal of the insectivore family covered
            with a coarse coat of dark fur. The mole has tiny, nearly
            useless eyes and an unmistakable array of 22 fleshy sensory
            appendages around its nostrils. In addition to burrowing through
            the ground like other moles, star-nosed moles are also strong
            swimmers. The species has a low reproductive rate; the female
            has only one small litter per year, making the populations very
            sensitive to environmental perturbations. Although star-nosed
            moles are fairly common in the stronghold of their range further
            north, the species is near the southern limit of its range in
            Virginia and is considered rare in the state.

            PRIMARY ECOLOGICAL BOUNDARIES: The primary boundary encompasses
            the exemplary sinkhole pond complex and the habitat of all eight
            rare species known to occur in thesnatural area. Although most
            of the natural heritage resource significance of the natural area
            centers on and around the isolated depression wetlands and
            seepage areas, land around all of these wetlands is included in
            the primary boundary for three reasons. First, the pond complex
            as a whole, not each individual pond, holds the greatest
            ecological significance. The flora and fauna of each pond is
            slightly different from the others. It is the large number of
            ponds and the diversity of their structure and function that make






            Lower Peninsula Conservation Planning
            Page 65


            this an exemplary occurrence of a coastal plain sinkhole pond
            complex. Second, avenues of genetic communication among the
            ponds are essential for the long term viability of the rare
            species populations. Dispersal of plants (via seeds) and animals
            to other sites helps prevent "inbreeding" problems associated
            with isolated populations in which organisms loose their ability
            to cope with their environment. Third, Mabee's salamanders spend
            most of their time away from their breeding sites, ranging up to
            1000 feet away from the ponds. The primary boundary is designed
            to encompass at least 1000 feet of natural habitat around all the
            potential breeding ponds for this species except where that is
            not possible due to existing development.

            SECONDARY ECOLOGICAL BOUNDARIES: The purpose of the secondary
            boundary at this site is to protect the water quality and
            hydrologic regime of the ponds. The secondary boundary is
            generally not different from the primary boundary.    The movement
            of the groundwater here is mostly vertical with little lateral
            movement, so there are generally no large areas of groundwater
            recharge beyond the primary boundary that need to be protected.
            In some areas the surface water flow was not sufficiently
            protected by the primary boundary; the secondary boundary is
            extended far enough to assure water quality and quantity in those
            areas. The design of the secondary boundary may change as our
            @nderstanding of the hydrology of the sinkhole pond complex
            increases.

            Extensions of the secondary boundary of the GraftonPonds Natural
            Area have been designed at the northern and southern ends of the
            site. The purpose of these extensions is to provide corridors of
            natural habitat to adjacent sites. Beaverdam Creek Natural Area
            and Lackey Ponds Natural Area lie to the north and Kentucky Farms
            Natural Area lies to the south. These three natural areas harbor
            several of the same natural heritage resources as the Grafton
            Ponds such as sinkhole ponds and Mabee's salamanders. Corridors
            of continuous habitat among these sites are essential to the
            long-term viability of the natural heritage resources at the
            smaller, peripheral natural areas.

            OWNERSHIP AND ZONING: Nearly all of the Grafton Ponds Natural
            Area is owned by the City of Newport News which manages the land
            for its natural resource value. Some of the peripheral portions
            of the natural area include parts of private tracts. There are
            also several powerline, railroad, and highway rights-of-way
            traversing the natural area. Parts of six tracts are included in
            the York County portion of the natural area.

            About three-fourths of the Grafton Ponds Natural Area is zoned
            limited industrial. A portion of the natural area is zoned as
            "residential conservation." This land use designation allows for
            forestry, agriculture, and limited residential development.
            Remaining properties along the major road which traverses the
            southern portion of the natural area (Denbigh Boulevard) are
            zoned for commercial uses and residential development.






            Lower Peninsula Conservation Planning
            Page 66


            Property ownership and zoning research was not conducted for the
            portion of the natural area which lies within the city limits of
            Newport News.

            PRIMARY ACREAGE: 2370 acres


            SECONDARY ACREAGE: 270 acres

            PROTECTION RECOMMENDATIONS: The isolated depression wetlands of
            the Grafton sinkhole pond complex may receive some protection
            from alteration through the Federal Clean Water Act. Wetlands
            regulations and interpretations of those regulations change often
            and should not be depended upon to protect the sinkhole ponds.
            Additionally, the Clean Water Act has exemptions for forestry
            activities and provides no protection of the upland habitats
            surrounding the ponds. Mabee's salamanders and barking treefrogs
            receive limited protection from the Virginia Endangered Species
            Act, but their habitats are not adequately protected at Grafton
            Ponds by that legislation. Similarly, Harper's fimbristylis
            receives a small degree of protection from the Virginia
            Endangered Plant and Insect Act.' If Harper's fimbristylis is
            federally listed (it is currently a candidate for federal
            listing), the species would receive protection at Grafton Ponds
            only from projects that are conducted, funded, or regulated by
            federal government agencies.

            City ownership of the Grafton Ponds Natural Area is critical to
            the long-term protection of this sinkhole pond complex. A
            variety of protection tools ranging from voluntary placement of
            the property on the Virginia Registry of Natural Areas to natural
            area dedication could be considered. The key to the protection
            of the natural heritage resources, however, is the careful
            preparation of a management plan and commitment from the City of
            Newport News to implement protective management. on the site.

            A management agreement in the guise of a formal Memorandum of
           -Understanding among the City of Newport News, York County, the
            Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries, and the
            Department of Conservation and Recreation is recommended.
            similar agreements could be pursued with the managers of the
            utility corridors. The few private property owners need to be
            approached regarding protection of the appropriate portions of
            their tracts. Protection arrangements may range from management
            agreements for implementation of Best Management Practices and
            nutrient management programs on agricultural land between the
            primary and secondary boundary or the placement of conservation
            easements on land occurring within the primary boundary.

            STEWARDSHIP RECOMMENDATIONS: Development of land should be
            restricted from within the secondary boundary. Similarly,
            ditching or drilling of wells should not occur within the
            secondary boundary of the natural area as these actions may alter
            the hydrology of the pond complex.






            Lower Peninsula Conservation Planning
            Page 67


            The current timber management techniques practiced in the natural
            area should be reviewed as to the compatibility with the long-
            term survival of the natural heritage resources known from the
            site. Department of Conservation and Recreation, Department of
            Game and Inland Fisheries, and York County staff should meet on
            site with Newport News watershed managers to learn in detail how
            the land is currently being used and what the proposed future
            uses are. One or more such meetings will educate each group as
            to the other's activities and concerns and open a dialog among
            the localities and the state. The logical next step will be to
            begin negotiation of a management agreement.

            Whatever management practices are agreed upon should also
            consider the habitat corridors connecting Grafton Ponds to
            Beaverdam Creek, Lackey Ponds, and Kentucky Farms.

            Additional, rare species inventory is needed in this natural
            area. Inventory efforts should focus on finding any additional
            sites for the rare plant species known to occur in the natural
            area, defining the population size and status of the known rare
            animal species, and searching for additional rare vertebrate and
            invertebrate species.

            A long-term monitoring program focusing on hydrologic and plant
            community dynamics should be establishedfor the pond complex.
            Such monitoring will facilitate early diagnosis of any affects to
            the hydrologic regime of the ponds and plant community structure
            from changes in surrounding land use.

            Population dynamics of each rare species should also be
            monitored. Because of the large size of the natural area, the
            number of the rare species, and the secretive or elusive nature
            of some of the rare species, a comprehensive monitoring program
            will have to involve experts of several biological disciplines.
            Ideally each pond should be checked at the proper time of year
            for each rare species for which it contains appropriate habitat.
            Such an effort is too labor intensive even for a team of experts.
            If representative ponds of several general types are chosen for
            intensive monitoring, the scope of the monitoring project may be
            more realistic. Other ponds could be checked as time and
            conditions allow.

            Department of Conservation and Recreation staff are available to
            conduct rare species inventory and to help implement and
            coordinate hydrologic, plant community, and rare species
            monitoring efforts.

            Problem species may become a threat to this natural area,
            especially invasive plant species Japanese honeysuckle or common
            reedgrass that may displace the more sensitive rare plant
            species. Monitoring for invasive species should occur during the
            rare species monitoring visits. Any aggressive species
            determined to be a threat to the viability of the natural
            heritage resources of the site should be controlled or suppressed
            with environmentally sensitive techniques.






            Lower Peninsula Conservation Planning
            Page 68


            Because collection can be a threat to rare plant populations, the
            precise locations of the rare plants should be kept confidential.

            RECREATIONAL, SCENIC, AND EDUCATIONAL CONSIDERATIONS: Natural
            areas nearby with similar characteristics could be linked
            with Grafton Ponds by a designated greenway or series of
            connected open spaces. Some walking trails could be developed
            within the greenway to provide connections for pedestrians.
            There may be an opportunity to designate some trails for
            bicyclists. If bicyclists are allowed to use the trails, an
            effort to educate users to the importance of remaining on the
            trails will be required.

            The unique character of the Grafton Ponds Natural Area makes it
            suitable as a research area and as a specialized outdoor
            classroom.



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             Lower Peninsula Conservation Planning
             Page 70


                                       GROVE CREEK


             SIZE: 890 acres


             BIODIVERSITY RANK: B3

             LOCATION: James City County
                       Hog Island quadrangle

             GENERAL DESCRIPTION: Grove Creek Natural Area supports a rare
             natural community, four rare plant species, and one rare animal
             species. The natural area includes a system of steep-walled
             ravines leading into bottomland swamps and the forests
             surrounding the ravines. The site is adjacent to two small
             lakes, the Rhine River and Warehams Pond, to the north and west
             and adjacent to the James River to the south. Grove Creek flows
             south through the natural area to the James River. The natural
             area is forested with stands of young pine, mixed pines and
             hardwoods, and maturing mixed hardwoods.

             Soils in the swampy ravine bottoms consist of Bohicket muck.
             Where the ravine bottoms broaden into a tidal marsh, Bohicket
             muck is replaced by a series of soils known as the Johnston
             complex. Soils on the steep ravine sides consist of Emporia
             complex, a series of deep, well-drained, highly erodible fine
             sandy loams. Emporia complex soils are formed over marl
             (calcium-rich ancient shell) deposits which were exposed  when
             streams cut the ravines into the underlying Yorktown Formation.
             The marl component of the Emporia complex significantly affects
             the chemistry of the soils, producing calcium-rich, alkaline
             substrates on the ravine slopes. The Craven-Uchee complex, a set
             of highly erodible loamy fine sands, is found around the crests
             of the ravines. The more level lands surrounding the ravines are
             characterized by several fine sandy loams, such as Slagle fine
             sandy loam, Kempsville-Emporia fine sandy loam, and Uchee loamy
             fine sand.

             Because of the steepness of the slopes, the ravines have been
             subject to little land use in the past. The surrounding level
             lands have been used for forestry and agriculture and a large
             part of the natural area includes a former military base (Camp
             Wallace). A planned community development, a large amusement
             park, and a brewery now occupy the lands west of the site. Three
             major highways run along the north and east of the natural area.
             A strip of residences along one of these highways lines the
             eastern border of the natural area and a sewage treatment plant
             is found to the south. Construction has begun on a golf course
             east of the natural area. Part of this golf course will intrude
             into the eastern part of the natural area.

             NATURAL HERITAGE RESOURCES: A nesting pair of bald eagles
             have been active on Grove Creek Natural Area since at least 1987.
             Bald eagles are the largest species of raptor (birds-df-prey)
             found in Virginia and, because of their size and mobility,
             require large areas of habitat. Although bald eagles normally






            Lower Peninsula Conservation Planning
            Page 71


            mate for life and usually nest in the same area each year, mated
            pairs may use two or more alternate nest sites in the same area
            from year to year. Any conservation plans for a nesting area
            must therefore consider habitat for alternate nest sites. In
            addition to extensive forested areas for nesting, bald eagles
            also require large open trees for roosting and substantial
            stretches of wooded shoreline for foraging habitat. Different
            pairs of eagles show different levels of sensitivity to human
            activity, but all bald eagles are vulnerable to human
            disturbance, especially if normal human activity patterns to
            which eagles have habituated are suddenly changed or increased.
            Visual screening from human activities is critical for bald eagle
            reproductive success.

            Bald eagles are rare throughout most of their range, including
            Virginia. The species is listed as endangered by both the
            Federal and Virginia Endangered Species Acts. Although bald
            eagle populations have made a substantial recovery since the ban
            on the use of certain persistent pesticides in the United States,
            the species is now threatened by habitat loss and human
            disturbance.

            Grove Creek Natural Area contains the best example of a marl
            ravine forest in the Commonwealth. Marl ravine forests are-a
            rare natural community type which occur on the coastal plain
            where streams have eroded away surface layers exposing the
            calcium-rich Yorktown Formation.    The calcareous soils of the
            ravine walls tend to be more alkaline than soils of the swampy
            ravine bottoms or the soils of the plains above the ravines. The
            steep mountain-like topography formed by the ravines produces a
            cooler, more humid microclimate.

            The flora of marl ravine forests is most notable for is mountain-
            coastal plain disjuncts,.such as chestnut oak, pagoda dogwood,
            and spikenard.    These disjuncts include species whose principle
            range is in the mountainous regions in the western part of the
            state, but also occur in areas of severe topography on the
            coastal plain while being absent from the intervening piedmont
            region. The coastal plain populations of mountain species are
            relicts of a cooler climate and have persisted in the ravines
            because of the generally lower temperatures, higher humidities,
            and more alkaline soils. The Grove Creek marl ravine forest also
            harbors many plant species at or near their northern range limit,
            such as southern sugar maple, southern black-haw, and shadow
            witch orchid.    Adding to the significance of the marl ravine
            forest is the fact that all the rare plants known from Grove
            Creek Natural Area occur on or at the base of the ravine slopes.

            A small population of sweet pine-sap, a herbaceous perennial of
            the indian-pipe family, was discovered in Grove Creek Natural
            Area in the autumn of 1991. Sweet pine-sap derives its nutrients
            from other plants; it is not photosynthetic. The plants are
            small (no taller than four inches) and pale (due to the lack of
            chlorophyl). The reddish-purple flowers bloom in either the
            spring or autumn (but not both). The species is rare throughout






            Lower Peninsula Conservation Planning
            Page 72


            its range which includes most of the southeastern states. Known
            from only fifteen Virginia counties, the plant is very rare in
            the state. Sweet pine-sap is a very fragile plant; trampling,
            damage to the host plant, erosion, and sedimentation can quickly
            extirpate a population.

            Mountain camellia is a mountain-coastal plain disjunct which
            occurs in the Grove Creek Natural Area. Mountain camellia has
            become uncommon throughout its range, the southeastern U.S., and
            is considered very rare in Virginia because it is known to occur
            in only five counties. A shrub of the tea family, mountain
            camellias have simple, oval leaves and bear white flowers in mid-
            summer. A small population of the species consisting of three
            stations has been known from Grove Creek Natural Area since 1983.
            Several of the shrubs bore fruit in 1992. Mountain camellia
            tends to grow on wooded bluffs and slopes with alkaline soils.
            Threats to populations include direct habitat destruction from
            clearing or erosion and also alteration of the species'
            microclimate through clearing of adjacent lands.

            The hoary skullcap is a plant in the mint family that is
            extremely rare in Virginia. The species is known to occur at
            only four sites in the Commonwealth, although it is much more
            common in other parts'of its range, primarily the mid-Atlantic
            and midwestern states. About ten plants of this species grow on
            a ravine slope near the amusement park. Hoary skullcaps are
            herbaceous plants that grow up to three feet tall usually and
            bear blue flowers in the summer. In addition to threats to its
            habitat, hoary skullcap must also contend with damage from
            trampling, deer browsing, and collecting.

            Though it is fairly common in some parts of its range which
            covers most of the southeastern and southcentral states,
            shumard's oak is considered rare in Virginia. This tree is
            known from less than ten sites and is limited to a distribution
            of four counties in the Commonwealth. Shumard's oak closely
            resembles  scarlet oak in appearance and the acorns are sometimes
            needed to  discern the species from each other. The species
            occurs at  Grove Creek as handful of trees scattered along some of
            the lower  ravine slopes in the northern part of the natural area.
            Shumard's  oak prefers moist habitats such as those provided by
            the Grove  Creek ravines.

            PRIMARY ECOLOGICAL BOUNDARY: For the bald eagle habitat, the
            primary boundary includes a large forested area around the
            existing nest tree to provide alternate nesting sites, roosting
            areas, and shoreline foraging perches. For the exemplary natural
            community and rare plant populations, the primary boundary
            includes the slopes of the significant ravines which harbor the
            rare natural community and the rare plants. The ravine bottoms
            are also included within the primary boundary to avoid
            fragmentation of the ravine slope habitats and furnish a
            dispersal corridor among the ravine slopes. Ravine bottoms which
            have already been impounded, however, were excluded from within
            the boundary.






            Lower Peninsula Conservation Planning
            Page 73


            SECONDARY ECOLOGICAL BOUNDARY: The secondary boundary around the
            bald eagle habitatis intended to provide a wooded buffer zone
            that will screen the bald eagles from human activities outside
            the natural area. Substantial research has been conducted
            regarding the appropriate width of buffer zones intended to
            shelter eagles from human activity. Various research projects
            have indicated from 330 feet up to 1/4 mile is necessary to
            adequately screen eagles from disturbance. The buffer width
            needed depends on the sensitivity of the particular eagles being
            considered, the type of the activity, and whether the buffer zone
            is open or has dense, screening vegetation. The minimal 330 foot
            buffer width is designed around the eagle habitat at Grove Creek;
            most of the eagle buffer is already provided, however, by the
            primary boundaries around the adjacent rare plant habitats. The
            330 foot buffer is extended into the James River along the
            shoreline of the eagle habitat. This open water buffer is to
            protect foraging eagles from disturbances by boating activities
            close to the shore. Further study or a change in land and water
            use patterns may indicate a need for wider buffers.

            The secondary boundary around the exemplary natural community
            and rare plant habitats provides a forested buffer with a minimum
            width of 100 feet except where existing development makes a full
            100 foot forested buffer impossible. The purpose of the forested
            buffer zone is to protect the ravine habitats from erosion,
            sedimentation, aggressive species invasion, and alteration of the
            microclimate in the ravines.

            OWNERSHIP AND ZONING: Grove Creek Natural Area includes parts of
            seven tracts and part of one subdivision. A substantial portion
            of the site is owned by a large corporate landholder. A large
            private foundation is also a major land-holder in the natural
            area; the foundation owns a wide corridor of land running through
            the middle of natural area.

            Grove Creek Natural Area is currently zoned for general and
            planned community residential development and for limited
            industry.

            PRIMARY ACREAGE: 550 acres


            SECONDARY ACREAGE: 340 acres

            PROTECTION RECOMMENDATIONS: Bald eagles receive some regulatory
            protection from the Federal Endangered Species Act and the
            Virginia Endangered Species Act. The legislation does not
            provide complete protection of bald eagle habitats, however.
            Parts of some marl ravines are designated as Resource Protection
            Areas under the James City County Chesapeake Bay Preservation
            Ordinance. The Bay Ordinance restricts most types of physical
            development from within the Resource Protection Areas. The wide
            corridor of property owned by the private foundation has a scenic
            easement placed upon it which may provide some protection to part
            of the natural area. Some of the natural area may be protected






            Lower Peninsula Conservation Planning
            Page 74


            by the Federal Clean Water Act and similar state and local tidal
            wetland laws which regulate the alteration of wetlands.

            Because of the high significance of the site, the lack of any
            strong existing protection, the simple ownership portfolio, and
            the threats from development, conservation easements are the
            recommended protection tool for Grove Creek Natural Area. The
            corporate property owner should be made aware of the highly
            significant biological resources on their property and approached
            regarding the placement of the natural area under a conservation
            easement. Failing easements, placement of Grove Creek on the
            Virginia Registry of Natural Areas should be pursued.

            Appropriate protection alternatives should also be pursued with
            the other owners of the natural area.

            STEWARDSHIP RECOMMENDATIONS: The corporate landholder is already
            working with the Virginia Department of Game and Inland
            Fisheries, Virginia's regulatory and management agency for state
            endangered animals, regarding the management of bald eagle
            habitat on their property. A formal management agreement should
            be negotiated between the Department of Game and Inland Fisheries
            and the corporate landholder to insure the long-term viability of
            nesting bald eagles at Grove Creek Natural Area. Generally, the
            eagle habitat should be left undisturbed, although some land uses
            are compatible with eagle management if appropriately executed.
            Ideally, the area of the secondary boundary that extends into the
            James River should be restricted from boating activity to
            minimize disturbance to foraging eagles.

            Land-disturbing activities, such as physical development, road
            construction, and timber harvest, should be restricted from
            within the natural area around the exemplary natural community
            and rare plant habitats. Clearing of the ravine slopes or
            forested bottoms or impoundment of any of the streams should not
            be allowed. It is critical that the buffer zone between the
            primary and secondary boundaries also remain forested to protect
            the-ravine from erosion, sedimentation, nutrient pollution, and
            alteration of microclimate.

            Scientific research has been conducted in the ravine system of
            Grove Creek for many years. This research should be allowed to
            continue, as it may provide valuable insight as to the curious
            biology of marl ravine forests and mountain-coastal plain
            disjuncts. The rare plant populations should be monitored
            annually to provide an early warning of any drastic population
            declines. Monitoring could probably be performed during the
            visits to the sites by the scientific researchers.

            Several problem species threaten Grove Creek Natural Area.
            Pernicious weeds such as common reedgrass, millet grass, and
            Japanese honeysuckle, are already present in the natural area and
            may invade rare plant habitats. White-tailed deer browsing has
            recently damaged some of the rare plants of Grove Creek. The
            threats of problem species in the natural area should be






            Lower Peninsula Conservation Planning
            Page 75


            monitored during the rare plant monitoring visits. Any pr6blem
            species determined to be threatening the viability of the rare
            plant populations should be controlled or suppressed using
            environmentally sensitive techniques.

            Because collection can be a threat to rare plant populations, the
            precise locations of the rare plants should be kept confidential.

            RECREATIONAL, SCENIC, AND EDUCATIONAL CONSIDERATIONS: The
            corporate landowner should be encouraged to incorporate
            information about this natural area into an interpretive or
            educational aspect of the recreational program they are
            providing. The use of development proffers to provide protection
            for various habitat and the inclusion of interpretive education
            in community site designs may also be appropriate.



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            Lower Peninsula Conservation Planning
            Page 77


                                  MOUNT PLEASANT CHURCH

            SIZE: 80 ACRES

            BIODIVERSITY RANK: B3

            LOCATION: James City County
                      Norge and Williamsburg Quadrangles

            GENERAL DESCRIPTION: This natural area encompasses the
            headwaters of Mill Creek which was impounded in colonial times by
            Indigo Dam (the dam has long since been breached). The site
            contains populations of two globally rare plant species. A
            portion of the site was logged in 1979 and a thicket of young
            vegetation now dominates the timbered areas. Soils in the
            natural area are of the Slagle-Emporia-Uchee associations which
            are characterized by gently sloping to very steep, deep, well-
            drained loams. The natural area is surrounded by residential
            development on the east, south, and west sides. A major road
            borders the natural area to the north; a small industrial park
            and an active agricultural field lay north of the road. A small
            church and cemetery occupies the northwest portion of the natural
            area..

            NATURAL HERITAGE RESOURCES: New Jersey rush, one of the rare
            plants known from Mt. Pleasant Church Natural Area, was first
            discovered at this site in 1921 by a botany professor of the
            College of William and Mary. The species was rediscovered at the
            site in 1980, again by a William and Mary botany professor. The
            site had been clearcut in 1979 and the New Jersey rush was
            flourishing in the direct sun. The combination of continual
            groundwater seepage and high light levels are very important to
            the survival of the species in this natural area. Approximately
            300 tussocks of the rush in three or four stations were counted
            in 1981. As young trees and shrubs have grown on the clearcut
            area over the past decade, the New Jersey rush population has
            declined. Only fourteen tussocks of the species were found in
            1989 and only about ten were found in 1992. The rush is
            apparently being shaded out by the competing vegetation.

            New Jersey rush is very rare throughout its range and is a
            candidate for listing under the Federal Endangered Species Act.
            The species is known only from about ten counties in Virginia,
            Maryland, and New Jersey. Four of those counties are in
            Virginia. Habitat at many of the New Jersey rush sites-in these
            ten counties has been severely degraded by wetlands alteration in
            the past decade. New Jersey rush is a very distinctive species
            in a large plant family (the rush family). The species is easily
            distinguished from other rush species by its gray-green (rather
            than bright green) foliage and by having six (rather than three)
            flower stamens. This rush is an inhabitant of wet, acidic soils
            and has a very narrow window of hydrological conditions under
            which it will grow. In addition to the species' hydrological
            sensitivity, New Jersey rush prefers direct sun exposure allowing-
            it to be outcompeted easily by woody or weedy vegetation.






             Lower Peninsula Conservation Planning
             Page 78


             A globally rare plant in the lily family, the Virginia least
             trillium, occurs within the Mount Pleasant Church Natural Area.
             Virginia least trillium (also called Virginia dwarf trillium or
             Virginia least wake-robin) is very rare throughout its range
             (Virginia to South Carolina) and occurs in only eight counties in
             the Commonwealth. The plant is a candidate for listing under the
             Federal Endangered Species Act. Least trillium is a small
             perennial herbaceous plant. Adult plants normally grow three
             narrow leaves, while seedlings usually have only one. A single
             white to pink flower (color depends on flower age) adorns a small
             percentage of the plants in each population in the early spring;
             the majority of the plants do not flower each year, but may
             spread vegetatively. Least trillium occurs primarily in moist
             soils, but it does not occur in standing water habitats. The
             species is, in fact, very fastidious as to its hydrologic
             requirements. Any alteration in the hydrology of trillium'
             habitat that makes the soil wetter or dryer will result in
             decline or extirpation of the colony.

             Two discrete populations of least trillium are contained within
             the natural area. one population lies near Route 615 in the
             northern section of the site, the other near the remnants,of the
             old Indigo Dam in the southern part of the natural area. The
             northern colony had a handful of flowering adult plants, hundreds
             of vegetative adults, and a thousand or more seedlings during the
             1990 season. The southern population was smaller than the
             northern colony in 1990 with about fifty plants total.

             PRIMARY ECOLOGICAL BOUNDARIES: The primary boundary encompasses
             the-occupied and contiguous unoccupied habitat of Virginia least
             trillium and New Jersey rush. Generally, this includes all the
             bottomland wetlands and the surrounding slopes where groundwater
             seeps create appropriate soil conditions for these plant species.

             SECONDARY ECOLOGICAL BOUNDARIES: The principle purpose of the
             secondary boundary is to protect the water quality of the rare
             plant habitats. Ideally the secondary boundary would run along
             the height-of-land (drainage divide) around the primary boundary.
             This would protect all of the surface water and much of the
             groundwater that influences the habitats within the primary
             boundary. The primary boundary is completely surrounded by    roads
             and development, therefore the secondary boundary is designed to
             exclude those features to facilitate realistic protection and
             stewardship objectives. The one exception to this rule is that
             the church and cemetery are included in the secondary boundary.
             The close proximity of the church and cemetery grounds to the
             rare plant populations makes it essential to include those areas
             within the secondary boundary. Certain grounds maintenance
             activities, such as over-fertilization of lawns or spraying of
             certain herbicides, could significantly influence the viability
             of the rare plant populations downslope from the church property.
             Other objectives of the secondary boundary are to provide a
             woodland buffer to the cor e habitats of the natural area and to
             help shelter the natural heritage resources from problem species
             encroaching from the adjacent developments and roadways.






            Lower Peninsula Conservation Planning
            Page 79


            OWNERSHIP AND ZONING: Mount Pleasant Church  Natural Area is a
            relatively small site in diverse ownership.  ownership in the
            natural area includes the Virginia Department of Transportation
            right-of-way for the Route 199 extension, subdivision
            "greenspace," parts of subdivision lots, two currently forested
            tracts owned by a development company, and several private
            holdings fronting Route 615 and extending back into the natural
            area. The natural are includes part or all of nineteen tracts
            plus parts of two subdivisions and one apartment complex.

            Most of the natural area is zoned for residential development.
            The remainder is zoned general business.

            PRIMARY ACREAGE: 25 acres


            SECONDARY ACREAGE: 55 acres

            PROTECTION RECOMMENDATIONS: Because the rare plant populations
            do not occur on federal land and because they are not yet listed
            as endangered or threatened, they receive little protection from
            the Federal Endangered Species Act. None of the natural area is
            designated as Resource Protection Area and so does not benefit
            from protection under the James City County Chesapeake Bay
            Preservation Ordinance. Parts of the natural area-may enjoy
            limited protection from the Federal Clean Water Act depending
            upon which wetlands delineation methodologies are used. The
            .Clean Water Act regulates the alteration of wetlands.

            The ownership pattern and impending land uses of this natural
            area will make its protection difficult. The alignment of the
            planned Route 199 extension runs through the southern and western
            parts of the natural area; the road corridor has already been
            approved by all pertinent regulatory agencies and its
            construction will begin within four years. The highway
            construction may directly destroy some of the Virginia least
            trillium plants and will also have indirect effects, such as
            habitat fragmentation, increased runoff, and non-point source
            pollution, on the rare plant habitats. A stormwater management
            basin has been proposed in the natural area and additional
            residential development in the area seems likely. In fact, due
            to the impending highway construction, proposed stormwater pond,
            and probable residential development, the long-term viability of
            this natural area is very questionable.

            Nevertheless, efforts should be made to approach the owners of
            the larger tracts regarding protection of the sensitive parts of
            their land. Which protection tools are used will probably be
            determined on a case-by-case basis depending upon the attitude
            and land management goals of the owner. A public education
            program regarding the natural area should be instituted for the
            owners of the many subdivision lots that reach into the site. It
            may be possible to convince many of the residents to practice
            environmentally sensitive lawn management techniques to help
            preserve the neighboring natural heritage resources.






             Lower Peninsula Conservation Planning
             Page 80


             STEWARDSHIP RECOMMENDATIONS: Ideally, land disturbing activities
             such as development, timber cutting, ditching, road and utility
             construction, and the operation of off-road vehicles should be
             restricted from with the primary boundary. Most of these
             activities should also be discouraged within the secondary
             boundary, although some environmentally sensitive forestry
             practices may be compatible with preservation of the natural
             heritage resources. The administration of the church and
             cemetery should be approached to encourage environmentally
             sensitive management techniques on their grounds.

             Each rare plant population in the natural area should be
             monitored for population size and status on an annual basis. The
             rare plant sites should be visited at least once per year to
             collect information on the population size, evidence of
             reproduction, and vigor of the plants for each rare plant
             station.   The rare plant habitats should also be searched for
             evidence of problem species during these visits. Any plants or
             animals that aggressively threaten the viability of the rare
             plant populations should be controlled using environmentally
             sensitive techniques. Botanical staff of the College of William
             and Mary may be willing to carry out these annual monitoring
             activities.

             ?ther than monitoring and protection from problem species and
             inappropriate land use, least trillium requires little active
             management. The New Jersey rush population, however, is being
             shaded out by competing vegetation. Normally, the reintroduction
             of a natural disturbance (such as fire) to keep the rush habitat
             in an earlier successional state is recommended for such
             circumstances. Because of the proximity of the natural area to
             residential development and major roads, controlled burning in
             the site may be contraindicated. Instead, vegetation may have to
             be cleared manually on an annual basis to insure the long-term
             viability of the New Jersey rush at this site.

             Since collection can be a threat to rare plant species, the
             precise location of the rare plant occurrences should be kept
             confidential.

             RECREATIONAL, SCENIC, AND EDUCATIONAL CONSIDERATIONS:
             Recreational access to this property should not be encouraged due
             to the size of the property and the presence of very sensitive
             globally rare wetland species.



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            Lower Peninsula Conservation Planning
            Page 82


                                     TASKINAS CREEK


            SIZE: 400 acres


            BIODIVERSITY RANK: B3

            LOCATION: James City County
                      Gressit quadrangle

            GENERAL DESCRIPTION: This na tural area near the York River
            harbors two rare plant species. The majority of the site is in
            hardwood forests. Dominant species of the canopy include
            chestnut oak, white oak, red oak, and tuliptree. The understory
            is generally open, but with scattered patches of dense mountain
            laurel and American holly. The topography of the natural area is
            gently to steeply sloping into several ravines and one tidal
            tributary to the York River, Taskinas Creek.

            Soils in most of the natural area are of the Emporia complex.
            Emporia complex consists of deep, moderately to steeply sloped,
            well-drained sandy loams formed over ancient shell deposits
            (marl). The steep slopes and calcareous chemistry of Emporia
            complex soils greatly influence the vegetation growing in them.
            Erosion hazard is very high with this soil type.

            Historic land uses in the natural area were predominantly
            agriculture (crops and pasture) and-silvaculture. Most of the
            natural area is now within York River State Park. Current land
            uses include hiking, horseback riding, bicycle riding, and
            hunting. The natural area is surrounded by a rural landscape
            that is being quickly converted into residential developments.

            NATURAL HERITAGE RESOURCES: Taskinas Creek Natural Area contains
            two populations of the Florida adder's-mouth. Florida adder's-
            mouth, an inconspicuous herbaceous plant in the orchid family, is
            very rare in Virginia occurring in only 6 counties on the coastal
            plain of the state. The species is rare to uncommon throughout
            its range: Virginia south to Florida.

            The fragile Florida adder's-mouth grows two to eight inches tall
            and sprouts one or two oval leaves from a bulbous base. This
            perennial species bears a few to many small flowers with orange
            "lips" on a central stalk in middle to late summer. Florida
            adder's-mouth is a plant of moist soils and is usually found
            along streambanks, swamp margins, or wet mossy areas in Virginia.
            The adder's-mouth is a shade species. In addition to direct
            habitat loss from conversion of land to other uses, clearing,
            erosion, sedimentation, and hydrologic disturbance may
            significantly degrade Florida adder's-mouth habitat.

            Florida adder's-mouth was first discovered at Taskinas Creek
            Natural Area in 1990 and also was documented there in 1991 and
            1992. one population of the adder's-mouth grows at the northwest
            end of the natural area and is in good to excellent condition.
            During a 1996 survey, 236 plants were found along the streambank






            Lower Peninsula Conservation Planning
            Page 83


            and floodplain at this site. Most of the watershed in which this
            population is found is still forested. The other population of
            the rare orchid, in the southeast part of the natural area, is in
            fair condition. This population is smaller (42 plants were
            counted in 1990) and close to the parking lot and visitor center
            of the state park. A heavily used trail crosses the ravine in
            which the plants occur only a short distance upslope from the
            plant stations. The trail has lead to erosion and sedimentation
            of the rare plant habitat below it. Additionally, because of
            this site's proximity to open areas, Japanese honeysuckle
            has found its way into the rare plant habitat. Japanese
            honeysuckle is an invasive species that could destroy the rare
            plant population.

            A population of the mountain camellia occurs in the central
            section of the natural area. The population is in good to
            excellent condition; twenty-two plants were counted over a large
            area in 1990 and the species was found again at the site in 1991
            and 1992.

            Mountain camellia is a deciduous shrub in the tea family. White
            flowers bloom among its oval leaves in early to middle summer;
            its fruits are woody, nut-like capsules. Mountain camellia is
            somewhat uncommon throughout its range which is from Virginia
            south to Georgia and west to Alabama, Tennessee, and Kentucky.
            The species is very rare in Virginia, occurring in five counties.
            As the name implies, mountain camellia usually is found in
            mountainous regions, but also is found on the coastal plain where
            steep slopes and marl-influenced soils mimic mountain conditions.
            This phenomenon found in many of the rare plants of the Lower
            Peninsula is called a mountain-coastal plain disjunction. On the
            Lower Peninsula, the mountain camellia occurs on dry marl-
            influenced slopes with a westerly to southerly aspect. Normally,
            these slopes overlook rivers, marshes, or lakes. The specie's is
            sensitive to alterations of its habitat through development,
            logging, or similar activities. The soil types in which mountain
            camellia are found on the Lower Peninsula are highly susceptible
            to erosion. Loss of individuals from direct damage or
            disturbance can also threaten a population.

            PRIMARY ECOLOGICAL BOUNDARY: In the case of the Florida adder's-
            mouth, the primary boundary is designed to include the
            streambanks, floodplains, and swamp margins in the vicinity of
            the known plant stations. The primary boundary around the
            mountain camellia population includes the slopes upon which the
            rare plants grow and all south and west facing marl-influenced
            slopes adjacent to the known camellia sites.

            SECONDARY ECOLOGICAL BOUNDARY: The secondary boundaries at this
            natural area are generally designed along the height-of-land
            (drainage divide) around the primary boundaries. This boundary
            protects the quality of the surface water influencing the rare
            plants, prevents erosion and sedimentation of the rare species
            habitats, and buffers the area within the primary boundary from
            habitat alterations that may impact the rare plant populations.






            Lower Peninsula Conservation Planning
            Page.84


            The secondary boundary is also extended to include the marshes of
            Taskinas Creek. This prevents impoundment, ditching, or filling
            of the marsh which would possibly affect the rare plant habitats..

            OWNERSHIP AND ZONING: Most of the natural area is owned and
            managed by the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation
            as York River State Park. The northwestern portion of the
            natural area is in private ownership. Most of this section is
            owned by a large development company. Part of one residential
            tract also falls within the secondary boundary there.

            All of the land within the natural area is mapped as a general
            agricultural zone. The James City County government technically
            has no authority, however, to regulate land use on the state-
            owned portion of the natural area.

            PRIMARY ACREAGE: 100 acres


            SECONDARY ACREAGE: 300 acres

            PROTECTION RECOMMENDATIONS: The wetlands in the natural area,
            which include some of the Florida adder's-mouth habitat, receive
            some regulatory protection under the Federal Clean Water Act and
            similar state and local tidal wetland laws which regulates the
            alteration of wetlands. The fact that most of.the natural area
            is ina state park will help protect the natural heritage
            resources from development pressures. Taskinas Creek has also
            been designated as a National Estuarine Research Reserve. This
            designation recognizes the environmental significance and
            sensitivity of the wetland and encourages its preservation and
            use for education and research.

            The portion of the natural area occurring on York River State
            Park is already fairly well protected through ownership of a
            natural resource management agency. Designation of Taskinas
            Creek as a National Estuarine Research Reserve provides
            additional indirect protection to a portion of the natural area.
            Some form of permanent protection which specifically recognizes
            the natural heritage resources'of the site is desirable. Natural
            area dedication of the state-owned portions of the site may be
            one possible option. The owners of the private lands in the
            northwestern edge of the natural area should also be approached
            regarding protection of the appropriate parts of their tracts.

            STEWARDSHIP RECOMMENDATIONS: Land disturbing activities such as
            physical development, timber cutting, ditching, and road and
            utility construction should be restricted from within the natural
            area. Activities such as hunting, hiking, and nature observation
            are generally compatible uses within the natural area. The
            Florida adder's-mouth is sensitive to trampling, however, and
            pedestrian and other traffic through the habitats of this species
            should be discouraged. Since collection can be athreat to rare
            plant species, the precise location of the rare plants should be
            kept confidential. Bicycle and horseback riding can be allowed
            within the natural area as long as the activities are restricted






            Lower Peninsula Conservation Planning
            Page 85


            to well constructed trails that minimize erosion and do not
            adversely affect the rare plant habitats.

            It is recommended that the trail upslope of the smaller Florida
            adder's-mouth population be moved. The existing trail is causing
            erosion and sedimentation problems in the rare plant habitat and
            provides unwanted pedestrian access to this sensitive area. If
            the trail can be rerouted at least one hundred feet upslope of
            the existing alignment and is constructed in such a manner as to
            minimize erosion, it will have little impact on the rare plant
            population. The old trail bed should be planted with species
            native to the area. The parking area for horse trailers is just
            upsl6pe (to the south) of the smaller Florida adder's-mouth
            population. The addition of a vegetated buffer strip past the
            top of the slope is desirable.

            The rare plant sites should be monitored annually for population
            size and status. One visit per year during the fruiting period
            for each species should collect information of population size
            and vigor, evidence of reproduction, and threats. The rare plant
            habitats should also be searched for potentially invasive species
            during these visits. Any plants or animals that aggressively
            threaten the viability of the rare plant populations should be
            controlled using environmentally sensitive techniques. Japanese
            honeysuckle may be threatening the smaller Florida adder's-mouth
            population and should be monitored closely there. Staff of the
            York River State Park should conduct these monitoring activities
            under the guidance of Department of Conservation and Recreation
            stewardship staff.

            RECREATIONAL, SCENIC, AND EDUCATIONAL CONSIDERATIONS:
            Recreational recommendations will be made for this site in
            conjunction with the York River State Park Management plan.
            Visual assessments from the park may also be incorporated into
            the State Park management recommendations.










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            Lower Peninsula Conservation Planning
            Page 87



                                      YARMOUTH CREEK


            SIZE: 3790 acres


            BIODIVERSITY RANK: B3

            LOCATION: James City County
                      Norge quadrangle

            GENERAL DESCRIPTION: Yarmouth Creek Natural Area features a
            large tidal freshwater marsh on the Chickahominy River. Three
            large islands are included in the marsh. The marsh and its
            associated woodlands harbor two rare animal species and three
            rare plant species. The marsh is dominated by wild rice,
            pickerelweed, and a variety of other herbaceous species. The
            islands and surrounding low uplands are forested with mixed pines
            and hardwoods. Loblolly pine, Virginia pine, white oak, water
            oak, red maple, and sweetgum dominant the forest canopy. The
            natural area also includes parts of a forested ravine system
            dominated by dry-site hardwoods such as southern red oak.

            Soils in the marsh consist of Levy silty clay, a deep, nearly
            level, very poorly drained, strongly acidic, regularly inundated
            soil type. Soils on the islands and surrounding low uplands
            include several types of alluvial sandy loams such as Seabrook
            loamy fine sand, Nimmo, fine sandy loam, and Bojac sandy loam.
            The ravine slopes contain the Emporia complex. Emporia complex
            is a group of intermixed, well-drained, highly erodible soil
            types found on steep ravine slopes over underlying deposits of
            ancient shells.

            Almost all of Yarmouth Creek Natural Area is covered with either
            marsh or woodland vegetation. Silviculture is the principle use
            of the forested parts of the natural area and there are
            indications that forest management was a predominant land use
            within the natural area in the past. Although little active
            agriculture takes place within the natural area today, remnants
            of cropfields indicate farming took place on portions of the
            natural area historically. The lands and waters within the
            natural area have been used extensively for fishing and hunting
            which continue to be major activities in the natural area along
            with recreational boating. The landscape immediately surrounding
            the natural area is mostly forested with some agriculture and
            rural residences. Major residential developments have recently
            been constructed east of the site and development pressures in
            the county are increasing.

            NATURAL HERITAGE RESOURCES: Yarmouth Creek Natural Area contains
            a highly significant tidal freshwater marsh, a rare natural
            community. The extensive size and near pristine condition of
            this marsh makes it an outstanding example of this natural
            community type.

            Tidal freshwater marshes occur in the narrow range where
            estuarine salinities are very low but the rivers and creeks are'






             Lower Peninsula Conservation Planning
             Page 88


             still tidal. Although characterized by low salinity levels, salt
             concentrations in freshwater tidal areas may vary over time due
             to changing wind, temperature, and precipitation conditions.
             Because of the fluctuating salinity levels, freshwater marshes
             are usually identified by their plant composition. Cattails,
             sweet flag, wild rice, rice cutgrass, arrow arum, pickerelweed,
             and broad-leaved arrow-head distinguish freshwater marshes in
             Virginia from more saline marshes. The streams and channels that
             meander through the marsh are also an essential part of the
             natural community. The creeks are ecologically linked to the
             marshes by a common medium, water, and support important areas of
             submerged aquatic vegetation.

             Healthy freshwater marshes and creeks furnish many ecological
             benefits. Marshes enhance water quality, help contain
             floodwaterst buffer against shoreline erosion, produce large
             amounts of nutrients and energy, and provide habitats for a vast
             array of vertebrates and invertebrates. Tidal freshwater creeks
             rich in submerged aquatic vegetation provide spawning and nursery
             areas for fish and other aquatic animals and food for wintering
             waterfowl.

             A very rare plant species, the sensitive joint-vetch, was first
             documented in marshes of Yarmouth Creek in 1984. This specie    s of
             the legume family is considered very rare throughout its range
             which historically included the Atlantic Coastal Plain of
             Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, and North
             Carolina. Sensitive joint-vetch no longer occurs in Pennsylvania
             or Delaware. Virginia is a stronghold for the species: it occurs
             at 30 sites in 9 counties in the Commonwealth. Sensitive joint-
             vetch is listed as a threatened species under the Federal
             Endangered Species Act and has been proposed for listing under
             the Virginia Endangered Plant and Insect Act.

             sensitive joint-vetch is an annual, herbaceous plant that can
             grow up to six feet tall. The plants have compound leaves and
             small yellow flowers bloom from lateral branches. Sensitive
             joint-vetch occurs almost exclusively in tidal freshwater
             marshes. Populations are sensitive to degradation of water
             quality and to alterations in the hydrologic regime. Large
             fluctuations in population size from year to year are common.
             The population of joint-vetch at Yarmouth Creek Natural Area is
             in good to fair condition; the known population is relatively
             small at present, but unoccupied habitat is extensive.

             Yellow cowlily is an of aquatic plant in the water-lily family.
             Yellow cowlilys are rooted in creek and river bottoms and their
             elongated leaves float at the water's surface. The showy
             yellowish to green flowers bloom through the spring and summer.
             Yellow cowlily often grows in deep, mid-channel waters. In
             addition to being sensitive to degradation of water quality and
             disturbance of the hydrologic regime, the plant's habit of
             growing in open water makes it very vulnerable to direct damage
             from boat traffic.






            Lower Peninsula Conservation Planning
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            Yellow cowlily is rare throughout its range, the coastal regions
            of Virginia, North Carolina, and South Carolina, and extremely
            rare in Virginia. The subspecies occurs at only seven sites in
            in the Commonwealth, all of which are in three counties along the
            tidal portion of the Chickahominy River. The population at
            Yarmouth Creek Natural Area is small and occurs in Shipyard
            Creek, a tidal tributary to-the Chickahominy River.

            A small population of blueflag grows along the marsh edge of one
            of the islands in the natural area. Blueflag is very rare in
            Virginia; the species is found at only eleven sites in eight
            counties of the Commonwealth. This member of the iris family is
            at the southern edge of its range in Virginia and is much more
            common in other parts of its range further north.

            Blueflag ranges from 8 inches to almost three feet in height.
            The plants have long narrow leaves and bear purple or blue
            flowers in the spring. Blueflag normally occupies wetland
            habitats such as marshes and swamps and is therefore vulnerable
            to degradation of water quality and to disturbance of the
            hydrologic regime. Although the population at Yarmouth Creek is
            small, it is in good condition.

            At least three bald eagle nest sites have been documented from
            the Yarmouth Creek Natural Area within the last decade. Although
            bald eagles normally mate for life and usually nest in the same
            area each year, mated pairs may use two or more alternate nest
            sites in the same area from year to year. Since no two of the
            nest sites at Yarmouth Creek have been active during the same
            year at Yarmouth Creek, the three nests probably represent
            alternate nest sites for a single mated pair. Bald eagles are
            the largest species of raptor (birds-of-prey) found in Virginia
            and require large areas of habitat because of their size. In
            addition to extensive forested areas for nesting and roosting
            habitat, bald eagles also require substantial stretches of wooded
            shoreline for foraging habitat. Although different pairs of
            eagles show different levels of sensitivity to human activity,
            all bald eagles are vulnerable to human disturbance, especially
            if normal human activity patterns to which eagles have habituated
            are suddenly changed or increased. Visual screening from human
            activity is critical to bald eagle reproductive success.

            Bald eagles are rare throughout most of their range, including
            Virginia. The species is listed as endangered by both the
            Federal and Virginia Endangered Species Acts. Although bald
            eagle populations have made a substantial recovery since the ban
            on the use of certain persistent pesticides in the United States,
            the species is now even more threatened by habitat loss and human
            disturbance.

            The eastern pondmussel has been found from the reaches of
            Yarmouth Creek just downstream of Cranstons Pond. The eastern
            pondmussel is a member of a freshwater mussel family (Unionidae)
            that is one of the most imperiled animal groups on Earth.
            Although this species is not critically imperilled at this time,






            Lower Peninsula Conservation Planning
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            eastern pondmussels are rare in Virginia and are becoming more
            uncommon in other parts of their range. Freshwater mussels live
            in the bottoms of rivers and streams and filter food from the
            water.' Accordingly, freshwater mussels are extremely sensitive
            to water quality degradation. Impoundment of moving water
            habitats and competition with exotic species (particularly the
            zebra mussel and the Asiatic clam) further threaten the future of
            this family.

            Eastern pondmussels have been documented at Yarmouth Creek
            through the discovery of a single individual. Although the
            habitat appears degraded, it is recoverable, and additional
            searches of Yarmouth Creek and its tributaries may reveal more
            eastern pondmussels in the natural area.

            PRIMARY ECOLOGICAL BOUNDARY: Because all of the rare plant
            species are associated with the marsh or the creeks, the primary
            boundary designed around the exemplary.marsh community also
            encompasses the rare plant occurrences. The primary boundary is
            also designed to include forested habitat around each of the
            three bald eagle nest sites as well a some forested shoreline to
            serve as foraging habitat. The primary boundary extends up
            Yarmouth Creek far enough to include all contiguous streambottom
            habitat for the eastern pondmussel.

            SECONDARY ECOLOGICAL BOUNDARY: The secondary boundary provides a
            forested buffer to the freshwater marsh and its rare plant
            species, the rare mussel habitat, and to the bald eagle habitat.
            In many sections of the natural area, these two buffers overlap
            and the single buffer zone serves both purposes.

            The primary purpose of the buffer around the marsh is to protect
            the water quality and hydrologic regime of the marsh and its
            creeks. There has been an enormous amount of research regarding
            the appropriate width of wetland buffering strips. Widths
            ranging from 50 feet to 330 feet have been recommended based on
            -the various data. The only point the immense body of literature
            on the subject has emphasized is that there is really no single
            equation for buffer strip width that applies to every situation.
            Given the high erodibility of the soil types surrounding the
            wetlands and the extreme sensitivity and significance of the
            natural heritage resources, 330 feet was chosen as the
            appropriate width for the forested buffer strip for the wetlands
            of this natural area. A 330 feet buffer strip was also designed
            around swamps and both perennial and intermittent streams which
            feed into the marsh. Since those tributaries communicate
            directly with the core area, their water quality is also a
            concern for protection. Where the height-of-land (drainage
            divide) occurs closer than 330 feet to the edge of the wetlands
            or water course, the secondary boundary runs along the drainage
            divide. The secondary boundary was also extended 330 feet into
            the Chickahominy River where the river is adjacent to the marsh
            for stewardship reasons.






            Lower Peninsula Conservation Planning
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            The 330 foot wide buffer zones indicated by the secondary
            boundary also protect the water quality and quantity of the rare
            mussel habitat.

            Like wetland buffers, substantial research has been conducted
            regarding the appropriate width of buffer zones intended to
            shelter eagles from human activity. Various research projects
            have indicated from 330 feet up to 1/4 mile is necessary to
            adequately screen eagles from disturbance. The width of the
            buffer depends on the sensitivity of the eagle to human activity,
            the type of the activity, and whether the buffer zone is open or
            has dense, screening vegetation. Because current activities in
            the natural area appear to be generally compatible with nesting
            bald eagles and the shorelines are forested, a 330 foot wide
            buffer is designed around eagle habitat in the natural area.
            Further study or a change in land and water use patterns may
            indicate a need for wider buffers.

            A very small portion of Yarmouth Creek Natural Area's secondary
            boundary overlaps with Shield's Point Natural.Areals secondary
            boundary.

            OWNERSHIP AND ZONING: Yarmouth Creek.Natural Area is entirely
            within private ownership. The natural area includes parts or all
            of 35 tracts. Five of those tracts are more than 500 acres in
            size; the largest is 1320 acres. Most of the large tracts are.
            controlled by hunt clubs or a timber company. The tidal creeks
            associated with the marsh are classified as "waters of the state"
            and may therefore be considered in public ownership.

            Almost all of the natural area is zoned general agricultural.
            The remainder is zoned for residential development.

            PROTECTION RECOMMENDATIONS: The freshwater marsh and its creeks
            and channels are are afforded some protection by the Federal
            Clean Water Act and similar state and local tidal wetland laws
            and the James City County Chesapeake Bay Preservation ordinance.
            The Clean Water Act regulates alteration of wetlands and the
            Chesapeake Bay Ordinance provides a 100 foot buffer around the
            edge of wetlands and watercourses of the Bay; most types of
            development are restricted from within the 100 foot buffer zone.
            Although sensitive joint-vetch is a federally threatened species,
            the Endangered Species Act provides the Yarmouth Creek population
            with little protection from direct harm because it is a plant
            growing on private land (animals receive stronger protection).
            The Act does provide some indirect protection to the plants
            through funds that may be available for research or acquisition
            of habitat and the presence of a federally listed wetland species
            would have some bearing on any permit applications for alteration
            of the Yarmouth Creek marsh. The bald eagle is also listed at
            the federal level and by the state government. Unlike the
            situation for plants, listed animals are provided certain
            protection from direct harm under the Federal Endangered Species
            Acts even on private property. Bald eagles also enjoy the same
            potential for indirect benefits from the Act.






            Lower Peninsula Conservation-Planning
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            Because laws and their interpretation can change, additional
            protection for the area within the primary boundary is
            recommended.   Most of the primary boundary is controlled by hunt
            clubs or a timber company who already manage the site to some
            extent for its natural resource value. Natural area registry
            along with formal management agreements with those organizations
            would facilitate continued use of the tracts for hunting,
            fishing, and forestry while assuring the long-term preservation
            of the natural heritage resources. Although the Department of
            Conservation and Recreation will be pleased to work out the
            details of the management agreements regarding the tidal
            freshwater marsh and the rare plant species, the Virginia
            Department of Game and Inland Fisheries, Virginia's primary
            regulatory and management authority over endangered animal
            species, should be involved in the formulation of management
            agreements pertaining to the bald eagles.

            Lands within the secondary boundaries receive some protection
            from the Chesapeake Bay Act as described above, but more complete
            protection is desirable. Management agreements would be the
            easiest protection tool to implement on the buffer zones,
            although perpetual conservation easements would be more permanent
            and binding.

            PRIMARY ACREAGE: 2530 acres


            SECONDARY ACREAGE: 1270 acres

            STEWARDSHIP RECOMMENDATIONS: Most of the stewardship necessary
            for the long-term viability of the natural area would be set
            forth in the management agreements among the Department of
            Conservation and Recreation, the Department of Game and Inland
            Fisheries, and the landowners, but some general guidelines can be
            stated here. The construction of new physical developments such
            as residential housing and boat piers should be restricted from
            within the natural area boundaries. Activities that would
            degrade the water quality or alter the hydrologic regime of the
            marsh such as land-clearing, wastewater discharge, ditching,
            filling, impounding, and withdrawal of large amounts of surface
            or groundwater should be prohibited from within the natural area.
            Hunting, fishing, canoeing, and certain forest management
            practices are generally compatible with the natural heritage
            resources of Yarmouth Creek, but these activities should be
            conducted with a high degree of environmental sensitivity.
            Details as to the places, times, and methods appropriate for
            those activities, especially timber harvest, should be addressed
            in the management agreements. The use of off-road vehicles
            within the natural area should be discouraged, except as provided
            for in the management agreements.

            Yarmouth Creek Natural Area is subject to a moderate amount of
            motorized boat traffic. Studies in the Chesapeake Bay area of
            Maryland have indicated that operation-of motorboats in tidal
            creeks can have adverse effects on marshes, shores, creek
            bottoms, and water quality. The disturbance and resuspension of






            Lower Peninsula Conservation Planning
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            bottom sediments through the turbulence produced by boat
            propellers, damage to marshes, shorelines, and submerged aquatic
            vegetation, and the release of sewage and toxic compounds are
            problems associated with motorboat traffic in these sensitive
            areas. Similar studies have not been conducted in the Lower
            Peninsula project area. Because of the large number of variables
            involved, such as amount and speed of boat traffic, hull sizes
            and shapes, creek widths and depths, and amount of natural (wind-
            generated) wave action, results documented from one specific site
            cannot be inferred to be the situation at another site. For this
            reason, the establishment of a research program to determine the
            effects, if any, of motorboat traffic in this and the other
            Chickahominy River natural areas is recommended. The Shoreline
            Erosion Advisory Service of the Virginia Department of
            Conservation and Recreation or the Virginia Institute of Marine
            Science may be willing to lead the research effort. Funding for
            such a study may be available from the Coastal Zone Management
            program. Appropriate actions for the preservation of the tidal
            marsh and creek ecosystems should be instituted based on the
            results of the study.

            Further inventory for the eastern pondmussel is necessary to
            determine the status and conservation needs of that species at
            Yarmouth Creek Natural Area. Department of  iConservation and
            Recreation scientists are qualified to conduct such work.

            The yellow cowlily colony in the natural area may be damaged by
            motorboats passing through it. Steps to help abate motorboat
            damage to the yellow cowlily populations would greatly enhance
            their long-term viability. Preventative measures could include
            posting of educational signs at area marinas and boat ramps or
            possibly in or near yellow cowlily colonies themselves. The
            signs could provide a description of the plant, explain its
            sensitivity and significance, and request boaters to voluntarily
            navigate around, rather than through, cowlily colonies.

            All of the natural heritage resources should be monitored. The
            tidal freshwater marsh should be monitored regularly. Several
            permanent sampling plots should be established in random
            locations in the marsh. In each sampling plot, species
            composition and relative abundances should be measured at least.
            once every five years during the late growing season. Water
            quality and soil composition factors should also be recorded on
            these visits. Such a biological monitoring program will not only
            provide insight as to the structure and function of this
            exemplary wetland community, but also sound early warnings to
            @dverse changes in the ecology of the marsh from such threats as
            invasive species (especially common reedgrass), hydrologic
            disturbance, or water pollution. The rare plant populations
            @hould also be monitored; normally at least one visit each year
            is required to monitor plant populations status. The population
            size and vigor, evidence of reproduction, and condition of and
            threats to the rare plants' habitat should be documented during
            each visit. Searches for invasive species should also be
            conducted during the rare plant monitoring visits. Department of





            Lower Peninsula Conservation Planning
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            Conservation and Recreation staff scientists are available to
            assist with the design and implementation of the natural
            community and rare plant monitoring programs.

            Monitoring of bald eagle nest sites and productivity through
            aerial survey is carried out on a statewide basis by the Nongame
            and Endangered Species Program of the Virginia Department of Gate
            and Inland Fisheries. Information from the eagle survey can be
            used to help evaluate and modify the stewardship measures set
            forth in the management agreements.

            Because collection can be a threat to rare plant populations, the
            precise locations of the rare plant occurrences should be kept
            confidential.

            RECREATIONAL, SCENIC, AND EDUCATIONAL CONSIDERATIONS: This
            natural area is near Shipyard Landing. Since canoeing is
            possible from the reservoir to Shipyard Landing, an interpretive
            trail could be established. This trail would provide educational
            information on the freshwater marsh.

            Yarmouth Creek offers a pristine visual environment. This
            waterway could be designated a local scenic water resource.
























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            Lower Peninsula Conservation Planning
            Page 96'


                                      BEAVERDAM CREEK


            SIZE: 600 acres


            BIODIVERSITY RANK: B4

            LOCATION: York County
                       Yorktown quadrangle

            GENERAL DESCRIPTION: Beaverdam Creek Natural Area includes a
            group-of springs, a tributary stream to Beaverdam Creek formed by
            the springs, and a portion of Beaverdam Creek just north of the
            Lee Hall Reservoir. The natural area supports two rare plant
            species, a bird nesting colony, and a rare crustacean.

            The entire natural area, save areas of open water, is forested.
            Forest stands at the site include open swamps in the lower
            portion of the creek, bottomland hardwoods in the upper part of
            the creek, and pine or mixed pine and hardwood stands of varying
            ages on the surrounding uplands. Historic land uses include
            mostly agriculture and forestry. Several battles of the
            Revolutionary and Civil Wars were fought in the vicinity and
            tactical earthworks can still be discerned in some parts of the
            natural area. Part of the natural area is currently managed as a
            historical park, the remainder as a local recreational park and
            timber resource area. Much of the lands within the natural area
            are disturbed by intensive forestry, beaver activity,, and exotic
            plant species. The surrounding areas are mostly forested with
            some residential and commercial development to the east and
            south.

            In the lower swamp near the reservoir, soils consist of Levy
            silty clay. The remaining swamp and bottomlands consist of a
            series of nearly level, poorly drained silt loams known as the
            Johston complex. Soils sloping from the upland plain to the
            bottomland include Emporia complex and Craven-Uchee complex, a
            set of highly erodible fine sandy loams. The level upland areas
            mostly consist of Slagle fine sandy loam with a minor component
            of Peawick silt loam and Bethra silt loam.

            NATURAL HERITAGE RESOURCES: Florida adder's-mouth has been
            documented from Beaverdam Creek Natural Area-through the
            discovery of a single individual in 1990. Counts of emergent
            plants can underestimate populations of Florida adder's-mouth
            because the individuals of this species may remain dormant in the
            soil as bulbs for extended periods of time. Additional survey
            may locate more plants in the future, but no plants were found in
            a 1992 survey of the site.

            Florida adder's-mouth, an inconspicuous herbaceous plant in the
            orchid family, is very rare in Virginia, occurring at only nine
            sites on six coastal plain counties of the state. The species is
            rare to uncommon throughout its range: Virginia south to Florida.






             Lower Peninsula Conservation Planning
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             The Florida adder's-mouth grows two to six-inches tall and
             sprouts one or two oval leaves from a bulbous base. This
             perennial species bears a few to many small white flowers with
             orange "lips" on a central stalk in middle to late summer.
             Florida adder's-mouth is a plant of moist, shaded soils and is
             usually found along streambanks, swamp margins, or wet mossy
             areas.  In addition to direct habitat loss from conversion of
             land to other uses, threats to the species include clearing,
             erosion, sedimentation, trampling, and hydrologic disturbance.

             A large and healthy population of   the northern spring
             sideswimmer, a small freshwater crustacean, inhabits headwater
             springs of Beaverdam Creek. Northern spring sideswimmers are
             very common throughout the principle portion of their range which
             includes the Great Lake and east-central states and provinces,
             but the population at this natural area is the only known site
             for the species in Virginia. Another population is known to
             occur at one site in Maryland, but the next closest site for the
             northern spring sideswimmer is in central New York. The
             population at Beaverdam Creek was first "discovered" in 1990
             during the York County Natural Areas Inventory, but subsequent
             consultation with the zoological specimens of the Smithsonian
             Natural History Museum indicated that the species had been
             collected from this site historically. The severely disjunct
             nature of the Beaverdam. Creek occurrence makes the natural area's
             population highly biologically significant and possibly
             genetically distinct from populations in the main part of the
             species' range.

             Sideswimmers resemble small shrimp in appearance and usually feed
             on detritus (dead animal and plant matter). Northern spring
             sideswimmers typically inhabit springs, seeps, and small, cool
             streams. Because the species is aquatic and a detritus feeder,
             it is very sensitive to water quality and its presence is
             considered an indicator of unpolluted water. Sideswimmers are
             also vulnerable to alterations in the hydrologic regime and
             alterations of the surrounding habitat. For example, clearing of
             land around the springs would result in warmer water
             temperatures, less detritus upon which to feed, and increased
             sedimentation and nutrients in the spring.

             Spanish moss is a common plant in southeastern North America and
             into Central and South America. A small population of Spanish
             moss has been documented in the natural area. The species is at
             the northern edge of its range in southeastern Virginia.
             Historic references indicate the species' range may have formerly
             extended north into Maryland. Spanish moss is known from only
             nine sites in four southeastern Virginia counties. The species
             is considered very rare in the Commonwealth not only because of
             the few number of locations for it, but also due to its very
             limited distribution in the state.

             Spanish moss is a pale stringy plant of the pineapple family
             which grows in clumps on the branches and leaves of trees in wet
             areas. In addition to the destruction of host trees, Spanish





            Lower Peninsula Conservation Planning
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            moss is also threatened by alteration of its habitat and
            collecting.

            One of the largest heron nesting colonies in Virginia occurs at
            Beaverdam Creek Natural Area. The colony supports up to 500
            nests each year of great blue herons and great egrets, the two
            largest waterbirds found in the Commonwealth. Colonial nesting
            birds "put all their eggs into one basket" by packing large
            numbers of reproductive birds into a few, small areas. This
            makes entire populations vulnerable to a single disturbance.
            Herons are very sensitive to activity around their nesting sites,
            especially during the courtship and nestbuilding stages.
            Disturbance of the heron colony by such activities as
            construction, off-road vehicles, or even pedestrians can cause
            nesting failure and desertion of the colony. The colonial
            breeding behavior of the species and the decline of the wetland
            habitats used for nesting make both species biologically
            significant and sensitive.

            In addition to the trees currently used for nests, heron colonies
            require additional habitat around the nest sites for resting
            perches and colony expansion. Adult birds also require large
            areas of wetland habitat for foraging.

            PRIMARY ECOLOGICAL BOUNDARY: The primary boundary around the
            Florida adder's-mouth includes the location of the known plant
            plus a small amount of contiguous suitable habitat that may
            support the species. The springs which support the northern
            spring sideswimmer are encompassed by that species' primary
            boundary. In addition to including the nesting colony itself,
            the primary boundary for the herons is also designed to include a
            small amount of additional habitat around the colony for resting
            perches and colony expansion and a substantial wetland area for
            foraging. The spanish moss habitat is included within the heron
            foraging habitat.
            SECONDARY ECOLOGICAL BOUNDARY: The secondary boundary around the
            Florida adder's-mouth is designed to buffer the water quality and
            quantity of the species' habitat. Areas of probable groundwater
            recharge are included in the buffer zone as well as sufficient
            forested strips along the rare plant habitat to protect the
            surface water from sedimentation and nutrient loading. Because
            it is a groundwater dependant species, the secondary boundary
            around the northern spring sideswimmer also surrounds the
            probable groundwater recharge zones for the springs. As our
            understanding of the groundwater system of this area increases,
            the secondary ecological boundary may need to be altered
            appropriately. The sideswimmer's secondary boundary also
            includes a forested buffer zone around the immediate vicinity of
            the springs to protect the sideswimmer population from habitat
            alteration.

            The secondary boundary around the heron nesting colony generally
            follows the primary boundary at a distance of 1000 feet. The
            purpose of the 1000 foot zone is to buffer the heron colony from





            Lower Peninsula Conservation Planning
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            visual and noise disturbances. A narrower forested buffer zone,
            100 feet wide, surrounds the heron foraging habitat.    In
            addition to partially screening the foraging herons from human'
            activities, the 100 foot wide buffer zone will also help to
            protect the water quality of the wetland habitat upon which the
            herons depend.   A similar small buffer zone is necessary around
            the Spanish moss's primary boundary to protect it from habitat
            alteration caused by conversion of surrounding lands to other
            uses. The secondary boundary around the heron foraging
            habitat delineates the buffer zone for the Spanish moss as well.

            OWNERSHIP AND ZONING: Beaverdam Creek Natural Area is entirely
            in.public ownership. -Parts of two tracts are included in the
            natural area; one tract is owned by the City of Newport News
            Waterworks Department, the other by the National Park.Service.

            The city owned property is zoned "residential conservation" which
            allows agriculture, forestry, and a limited amount of residential
            development. The city property is currently managed for
            recreation, timber, and public water supply. The York County
            government does not have authority to control land use on the
            federally owned property.

            PRIMARY ACREAGE: 100 acres


            SECONDARY ACREAGE: 500 acres


            PROTECTION RECOMMENDATIONS: Beaverdam Creek Natural Area is
            already fairly well protected through its ownership by two public
            agencies which manage the property to some degree for its natural
            resources. The great blue herons, great egrets, and their nest
            trees are protected from direct destruction or disturbance by the
            Migratory Bird Treaty Act. The wetland habitats within the
            natural area also receive so-me protection from the Federal Clean
            Water Act which regulates the alteration of wetlands.

            A management agreement among the County of York, the City.of
            Newport News, the National Park Service, the Virginia Department
            of Game and Inland Fisheries (because of the heron colony), and
            the Department of Conservation and Recreation should be
            negotiated. In the guise of a formal Memorandum of
            Understanding, the management agreement should outline land use
            practices and ecological management and monitoring in the natural
            area for the long-term viability of its natural heritage
            resources.


            STEWARDSHIP RECOMMENDATIONS: Details as to the land uses which
            are and are not compatible within the natural area should be
            established in the management agreement. Generally, lands within
            the primary boundaries should be left undisturbed and access
            discouraged (except on the existing nature trail of the local
            park which crosses through the heron foraging habitat). Lands
            between the secondary and primary boundary can continue to be
            used for certain types of of environmentally sensitive forest
            management, recreational, and educational activities, but






            Lower Peninsula Conservation Planning
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            seasonal restrictions may apply to the buffer zone around the
            heron colony. Wastewater discharge should not be permitted
            within the natural area. Septic systems should not be allowed
            until hydrological research indicates they will not contaminate
            the site's groundwater.

            Additional inventory should be conducted over the next several
            years for Florida adder's-mouth and Spanish moss in order to
            determine the true status of these rare species in the natural
            area. Research on the groundwater flow patterns in the area
            would allow more precise refinement of the secondary boundaries
            for the sideswimmer and adder's-mouth. Studies to determine the
            actual foraging areas of the herons are needed to insure that the
            current heron primary boundary includes sufficient foraging
            habitat for the colony. Genetic research should be conducted on
            the Beaverdam Creek population of northern spring sideswimmers to
            determine its genetic distinctiveness or similarity to other
            populations of the species.

            The nesting colony should be monitored at least annually for
            numbers of individuals, numbers of active nests, and numbers  of
            eggs and young. It is best to check the colony two or more times
            during the reproductive season to get the most accurate
            assessment of the colony's status and reproductive success.
            Because of limiting resources, however, more than one visit  is
            not always possible. Great care should be taken to minimize
            disturbance to the nesting herons while conducting monitoring
            activities. The best monitoring technique for collecting the
            most accurate data while causing the least disturbance is through
            aerial survey. Researchers from the College of William and Mary
            and the Virginia Nongame and Endangered Species Program routinely
            monitor heron nesting colonies in Virginia. This colony has been
            and probably will be included in their aerial surveys, although
            lack of financial resources are ever a threat to the statewide
            monitoring program.

            The population of northern spring sideswimmers should also be
            .monitored. Department of Conservation and Recreation scientists
            are available to conduct or coordinate this monitoring effort.

            Several problem species may threaten the natural area. Millet
            grass, an exotic wetland plant ubiquitous at the site, has
            already invaded some parts of the natural area to the degree of
            displacing all other native herbaceous plant species. White-
            tailed deer are abundant.and, if the species becomes over
            populated, may damage rare plant populations either directly by
            browsing the plants or indirectly by browsing the forest to a
            degree that habitats are altered. Evidence of beaver is
            widespread along Beaverdam Creek. Through their impressive
            engineering activities, beaver could damage rare plant
            populations by flooding habitat or by altering habitat from tree-
            felling. These and other problem species should be carefully
            monitored at the natural area. If any problem species are
            determined to be threatening the viability of the natural
            heritage resources of the site, the problem species should be






            Lower Peninsula Conservation Planning
            Page 101


            suppressed or controlled using environmentally sensitive
            techniques.

            Because collection can be a threat to rare plant populations, the
            precise locations of the rare plant occurrences should be kept
            confidential.

            RECREATIONAL, SCENIC, AND EDUCATIONAL CONSIDERATIONS: The
            Beaverdam Creek site encompasses portions of the Colonial
            National Historical Park and Newport News Park. Existing
            boardwalks and trails could be enhanced through the installation
            of interpretive exhibits about the site's natural heritage
            resources. Additional interpretive trails could also be
            considered. Consideration for making a greenway connection to
            the Grafton Ponds site for pedestrians and bicyclists would
            enhance the recreational potential of the area.






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            Lower Peninsula Conservation Planning
            Page 103


                                     BIG MARSH POINT


            SIZE: 310 acres


            BI ODIVERSITY RANK: B4

            LOCATION: James City County
                       Brandon quadrangle

            GENERAL DESCRIPTION: Big marsh Point is a large rectangular
            marsh island in the Chickahominy River; a smaller marsh
            contiguous with the rivershore is adjacent. This natural area
            harbors an rare natural community type and a population of a rare
            plant species.

            The wetlands are covered with typical tidal freshwater marsh
            plants and scattered bald cypress trees. Soils in the marsh   are
            Levy silty clay, a deep, level, poorly-drained, regularly
            flooded, acidic substrate.

            Because of its inaccessibility and regular flooding, Big Marsh
            Point has been used for little other than hunting and-fishing in
            past years. Hunting and fishing, along with recreational
            boating, continue to be the major activities in and around the
            site. Much of the surrounding lands are intensively developed
            with residences, marinas, piers, and bulkheads. The remaining
            lands are forested and timber management is the principle land
            use.

            NATURAL HERITAGE RESOURCES: Big Marsh Point Natural Area
            includes a good example of a rare wetland community: a tidal
            freshwater marsh. Tidal freshwater marshes occur in the narrow
            range where estuarine salinities are very low but the rivers and
            creeks are still tidal. Although characterized by low salinity
            levels, salt concentrations in tidal freshwater areas may vary
            daily due to changing wind, temperature, and precipitation
            conditions. Because of the fluctuating salinity levels,
            freshwater marshes are usually identified by their plant
            composition. Cattails, wild rice, rice cutgrass, arrow arum,
            pickerelweed, and broad-leaved arrow-head distinguish freshwater
            marshes in Virginia from more saline marshes. The streams and
            channels that meander through the marsh are also an essential
            part of the natural community. The creeks are ecologically
            linked to the marshes by a common medium, water, and often
            support important areas of submerged aquatic vegetation.

            Healthy freshwater marshes and creeks furnish many ecological
            benefits. Marshes enhance water quality, help contain
            floodwaters, buffer against shoreline erosion, produce large
            amounts of nutrients and energy, and provide habitats for a vast
            array of vertebrates and invertebrates. Tidal freshwater creeks
            rich in submerged aquatic vegetation provide spawning and nursery
            areas for fish and other aquatic animals and provide food for
            wintering waterfowl.






            Lower Peninsula Conservation Planning
            Page 104


            Yellow cowlily is rare throughout its range, the coastal regions
            of Virginia, North Carolina, and South Carolina, and extremely
            rare in Virginia. The plant occurs at only seven sites in in the
            Commonwealth, all of which are in three counties along the tidal
            portion of the Chickahominy River. The population at Big Marsh
            Point is medium-sized and in good condition, but damage to some
            clumps of the species from motorboats is evident.

            Yellow cowlily is an aquatic plant in the water-lily family.
            Yellow cowli'lys are rooted in creek and river bottoms and their
            elongated leaves float at the water's surface. The showy
            yellowish to green flowers bloom through the spring and summer.
            Yellow cowlily often grows in deep, mid-channel waters. In
            addition to being sensitive to degradation of water quality and
            disturbance of the hydrologic regime, the plant's habit of
            growing in open water makes it very vulnerable to direct damage
            from boat traffic.

            PRIMARY ECOLOGICAL BOUNDARY: The primary boundary at Big Marsh
            Point Natural Area includes the tidal freshwater marsh, its
            associated creeks, channels, and mudflats and the open water
            habitat where ye llow cowlily has been documented.

            SECONDARY ECOLOGICAL BOUNDARY: The secondary boundary is
            coincident with the primary boundary over most of its distance.
            Where the marsh is contiguous with upland, however, the secondary
            boundary is extended to the edge of existing development to
            provide a hydrologic buffer to the marsh. The purpose of the
            buffer zone is to protect the water quality and quantity flowing
            from the upland into the marsh.

            OWNERSHIP AND ZONING: Big Marsh Point Natural Area is entirely
            within private ownership. The site includes part or all of three
            tracts and parts of a few lots in an adjacent subdivision. The
            large marsh island which represents the majority of the land
            acreage of the natural area is under single ownership. As
            "waters of the state," the open water habitats included in the
            natural area boundary are publicly owned.

            Big Marsh Point Natural Area is zoned for agriculture, except for
            the northern edge of the site which is zoned for residences.

            PRIMARY ACREAGE: 290 acres


            SECONDARY ACREAGE: 20 acres


            PROTECTION RECOMMENDATION: Most of the natural area (all of the
            site's wetlands) has been designated as Resource Protection Area
            under the James City County Chesapeake Bay Preservation
            Ordinance. The Bay Ordinance prohibits most types of physical
            development within the Resource Protection Areas. All of the
            marsh and the open water fall under the jurisdiction of the
            Federal Clean Water Act and similar state and local tidal wetland
            laws which regulate the draining, dredging, and filling of
            wetlands. Discharges and water withdrawal within the






             Lower Peninsula Conservation Planning
             Page 105


             Chickahominy River are also regulated by the State Water Control
             Board and the Virginia Department of Health.

             Existing legislation will probably protect the natural area from
             serious degradation. The site could be placed on the Virginia
             Registry of Natural Areas, however, and the adjacent subdivision
             lot owners could be approached regarding a management agreement
             designed to protect the water quality and quantity entering the
             natural area from uplands. -

             STEWARDSHIP RECOMMENDATIONS: Land-disturbing activities such as
             ditching, filling, and land-clearing should be restricted from
             within the natural area. Hunting, fishing, canoeing, and nature
             observation are uses compatible with the natural heritage
             resources of the site. Wastewater discharge should not be
             permitted within the natural area.

             The Chickahominy River in the vicinity of Big Marsh Point is
             subject to heavy motorboat traffic from fishing boats, ski boats,
             pleasure boats, and personal watercraft. Studies in the
             Chesapeake Bay area of Maryland have indicated that operation of
             motorboats in tidal creeks can have adverse effects on marshes,
             shores, creek bottoms, and water quality. The disturbance and
             resuspension of bottom sediments through the turbulence produced
             by boat propellers, damage to marshes, shorelines, and submerged
             aquatic vegetation, and the release of sewage and toxic compounds
             are problems associated with motorboat traffic in these sensitive
             areas. Similar studies have not been conducted in the Lower
             Peninsula project area. Because of the large number of variables
             involved, such as amount and speed of boat traffic, hull sizes
             and shapes, creek widths and depths, and amount of natural (wind-
             generated) wave action, results documented from one specific site
             cannot be inferred to be the situation at another site. For this
             reason, the establishment of a research program to determine the
             effects, if any, of motorboat traffic in this and the other
             Chickahominy River natural areas is recommended. The Shoreline
             Erosion Advisory Service of the Virginia Department of
             Conservation and Recreation or the Virginia Institute of Marine
             Science may be willing to lead the research effort. Funding for
             such a study may be available from the Coastal Zone Management
             program. Appropriate actions for the preservation of the tidal
             marsh and creek ecosystems should be instituted based on the
             results of the study.

             Yellow cowlily colonies in Big marsh Point Natural Area often
             show signs of damage from motorboats passing through them. Steps
             to help abate motorboat damage to the yellow cowlily populations
             would greatly enhance their long-term viability. Preventative
             measures could include posting of educational signs at area
             marinas and boat ramps and possibly in or near yellow cowlily
             colonies themselves. The signs could provide a description of
             the plant, explain its sensitivity and significance, and request
             boaters to voluntarily navigate around, rather than through, the
             colonies.






            Lower Peninsula Conservation Planning
            Page 106


            The yellow cowlily population should be monitored annually for
            its size and condition. 'At least one visit to the site each year
            during the growing season should be conducted to record numbers
            and locations of plants as well as evidence of reproduction,
            disease, or damage. The marsh should be monitored as well.
            Several permanent sampling plots should be established at random
            locations within the marsh. In each sampling plot, plant species
            composition and relative abundances along with water quality and
            soil composition factors should be measured once every five years
            at approximately the same time each year. Such monitoring will
            facilitate early detection of such threats as sea-level rise,
            aggressive species invasion (especially by common reedgrass), and
            erosion. Department of Conservation and Recreation staff are
            available to assist with the design and implementation of the
            biological monitoring program.

            RECREATIONAL, SCENIC, AND EDUCATIONAL CONSIDERATIONS: The Big
            Marsh Point island is just south of the Chickahominy Haven.
            Marina, therefore, the area directly adjacent to the island
            receives heavy boat traffic.

            Information pertaining to Big Marsh Point could be placed at the
            marina to educate the public.   Also, an educational seminar
            series for local residents would increase their awareness of the
            resources located in this area.

            The shorebank which is located north of Route 627 along the
            Chickahominy River should be visually protected. This shoreline
            provides an important scenic component of the river.






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            Lower Peninsula Conservation Planning
            Page 108


                                        DEER LAKE


            SIZE: 80 acres


            BIODIVERSITY RANK: B4

            LOCATION: James City County
                      Norge quadrangle

            GENERAL DESCRIPTION: Deer Lake Natural Area is centered upon a
            moist ravine which supports a small population of a globally rare.
            plant species. The natural area is covered by a middle-aged
            forest. The canopy layer is dominated by American beech, black
            walnut, and white oak. American holly, spicebush, and common paw
            paw predominate in the understory and shrub layer. Herbs such as
            shadow witch orchid are found on the ground.

            soils in the ravine consist of a series of highly erodible sandy
            loams, the Emporia complex. Emporia complex soils are formed
            over marl (ancient shell) deposits, making their chemistry
            decidedly calcareous. Soils on the surrounding, more level lands
            within the natural area consist of several types of fine sandy
            loams such as the Craven-Uchee complex. Erosion hazard is also
            severe for these soil types.

            Evidence suggests that lands in and around the natural area have
            been managed for their timber resources in the past. Current
            uses of the site include forest management and activities of a
            summer camp.

            NATURAL HERITAGE RESOURCES: Deer Lake Natural Area contains a
            population of the Florida adder's-mouth. Florida adder's-mouth,
            an inconspicuous herbaceous plant in the orchid family, is very
            rare in Virginia, occurring at only nine sites on six coastal
            plain counties of the state. The species is rare to uncommon
            throughout its range: Virginia south to Florida.

            The Florida adder's-mouth grows two to six inches tall and
            sprouts one or two oval leaves from a bulbous base. This
            perennial species bears a few to many small flowers with orange
            "lips" on a central stalk in middle to late summer. Florida
            adder's-mouth is a plant of moist, shaded soils and is usually
            found along streambanks, swamp margins, or wet mossy areas. In
            addition to direct habitat loss from conversion of land to other
            uses, threats to the species include clearing, erosion,
            sedimentation, trampling, and hydrologic disturbance.

            A population of eight individuals was discovered in a seepage
            area in the ravine in 1990. A 1992 visit to the site discovered
            that a large branch of a nearby white oak tree had been blown
            down and landed precisely upon the known rare plant population.
            Only one plant had emerged in that area in 1992, but another
            individual-was found a few yards from the original c 'olony.'
            Erosion and sedimentation from a poorly constructed road'and
            utility corridor and recent clearcuts upslo'pe of the rare plant






            Lower Peninsula Conservation Planning
            Page 109


            sites may be affecting the rare plant habitat. Additionally-,
            there is evidence that the rare plant habitat is occasionally
            trampled by campers.

            Although the future of Florida adder's-mouth at Deer Lake Natural
            Area is uncertain, there is reason to be hopeful. Individuals of
            the species often undergo extended dormant periods, so the actual
            population size may be larger than initially estimated. Also,
            there is plenty of suitable habitat available and, if the natural
            area is properly managed, this rare treasure may persist.

            PRIMARY ECOLOGICAL BOUNDARY: The primary boundary encompasses
            the rare plant habitat of the natural area. This includes the
            streambanks and floodplains in the ravine bottom, wet areas
            around feeder springs, moist mossy seepage areas on the ravine
            slopes, and corridors of natural habitat connecting these areas.
            The extent of the calcareous Emporia complex soils were used as
            the principle guide in designing the primary boundary.

            SECONDARY ECOLOGICAL BOUNDARY: The primary purpose of the
            secondary boundary is to provide a hydrologic buffer to the rare
            plant habitat. Because Florida adder's-mouth is influenced by
            surfacewater and groundwater, the design of the hydrologic buffer
            must include considerations for soil erosion, sedimentation and.
            nutrient loading of surface runoff, contamination of groundwater,
            and disturbance of the surfacewater and groundwater regimes. To
            accommodate all of these factors, the secondary boundary is
            designed at the height-of-land (drainage divide) around the rare
            plant habitat.

            The secondary boundary also provides a forested buffer to the
            rare plant habitat from surrounding land uses. Such a forested
            buffer helps maintain the microclimatic conditions in the ravine
            and inhibits the spread of some invasive species from adjacent
            lands.

            OWNERSHIP AND ZONING: Deer Lake Natural Area is owned entirely
            by a private non-profit corporation which operates the tract as a
            summer camp. The natural area occupies roughly one-tenth of the
            total tract.

            The site is currently zoned agricultural.

            PRIMARY ACREAGE: 20 acres


            SECONDARY ACREAGE: 60 acres


            PROTECTION RECOMMENDATIONS: Neither Florida adder's-mouth nor
            its habitat are currently protected at Deer Lake by any existing
            legislation. The camp owners should be approached regarding the
            placement of Deer Lake on Virginia's Registry of Natural Areas.
            Details regarding compatible land uses within the primary and
            secondary boundaries should be discussed with the camp owners and
            managers.






            Lower Peninsula Conservation Planning
            Page 110


            STEWARDSHIP RECOMMENDATIONS: Any land-disturbing activities such
            as timber harvest, road construction, and physical development
            should be restricted from within the primary boundary, although
            lands between the secondary and primary boundaries are suitable
            for environmentally compatible management. Possible consequences
            of activities that may alter the hydrology of the natural area,
            such as ditching or groundwater withdrawal, should be carefully
            considered before implementation.

            Additional searches should be conducted for Florida adder's-mouth
            at the site. Known stations of the species should be monitored
            annually. Due to the relatively small size of the natural area,
            both the inventory and monitoring tasks could be accomplished -
            during a single visit each year while the plants are in fruit.
            Department of Conservation and Recreation scientists are
            available to design or coordinate the inventory and monitoring
            efforts.

            Searches for invasive species, such as Japanese honeysuckle,
            should also be conducted during the annual site visits. If
            invasive species are determined to be threatening the viability
            of the rare plant population, the problem plants or animals
            should be controlled or suppressed using environmentally
            sensitive techniques.

            Because collection can be a threat to rare plant populations, the
            precise locations of the rare plant occurrences should be kept
            confidential.

            RECREATIONAL, SCENIC, AND EDUCATIONAL CONSIDERATIONS: No
            recreational or visually related comments due to the small size
            of this site.



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            Lower Peninsula Conservation Planning
            Page 112


                                     SHIELD'S POINT


            SIZE: 320 acres


            BIODIVERSITY RANK: B4

            LOCATION: James City County
                      Norge quadrangle

            GENERAL DESCRIPTION: This natural area features a significant
            tidal freshwater marsh on'the Chickahominy River in western James
            City County. The marsh is characterized by big cordgrass,
            cattails, marsh hibiscus, and arrow arum. Bald cypress and pines
            line the shore and the upland forests surrounding the marsh are
            dominated by loblolly pine, red maple, and sweetgum.

            Soils in the marsh consist of Levy silty clay, a deep, level,
            regularly inundated soil typical of the freshwater marshes of the
            Chickahominy River. The low swampy woodlands associated with the
            marsh contain soils that.are nearly level, very poorly drained,
            frequently inundated silt loams and clay loams of the Johnston
            complex. Soils of the slopes surrounding the lowlands consist of
            Emporia complex,-a series of well-drained, highly erodible sandy
            loams formed over ancient shell shell deposits. Soils of the
            level upland in the natural area are predominantly deep,
            moderately well drained silty or sandy loams. More than half of
            the natural area is wetland.

            Some of the woodlands surrounding the marsh of the site show
            signs of past timber harvest, but the predominant historic and
            current land use in the vicinity is farming. Recreational
            boating, fishing, and hunting also occur in or near the natural
            area. At the present, most of the surrounding landscape is
            forested, some is agricultural, and a small portion is
            residential.

            NATURAL HERITAGE RESOURCES: Shield's Point Natural Area contains
            an outstanding example of a tidal freshwater marsh, an uncommon
            to rare natural community. The condition of the marsh is near
            pristine and, although it does not have the large size of the
            marshes at Gordon Creek and Yarmouth Creek, the marsh does have a
            high level of species diversity.

            In the narrow range where estuarine salinities are very low, but
            the rivers and creeks are still tidal, tidal freshwater marshes
            may occur. Although characterized by low salinity levels, salt
            concentrations in freshwater tidal areas may vary due to changing
            wind, temperature, and precipitation conditions. Because of the
            fluctuating salinity levels, freshwater marshes are usually
            identified by their plant composition. Cattails, sweet flag,
            wild rice, rice-cutgrass, arrow arum, pickerelweed, and broad-
            leaved arrowhead distinguish freshwater marshes in Virginia from
            their more saline counterparts. The streams and channels that
            meander through the marsh area are also an essential part of the
            natural community. The creeks are ecologically linked to the






            Lower Peninsula Conservation Planning
            Page 113


            marshes by a common medium, water. The watercourses support
            important areas of submerged aquatic vegetation.

            Healthy freshwater marshes and creeks furnish many ecological
            benefits. Marshes enhance water quality, help contain
            floodwaters, buffer against shoreline erosion, produce large
            amounts of nutrients and energy, and provide habitats for a vast
            array of vertebrates and invertebrates. Tidal freshwater creeks
            rich in submerged aquatic vegetation provide spawning and nursery
            areas for fish and other aquatic animals.

            Special Note: Because of additional information discovered during
            the course of this project, the habitat of the globally rare
            animal species mentioned in the inventory site report for this
            natural area has been merged into the adjacent Yarmouth Creek
            Natural Area.

            PRIMARY ECOLOGICAL BOUNDARY: The primary boundary includes the
            exemplary tidal freshwater marshes of the natural area and their
            associated creeks and channels. The primary boundary is broken
            into two units where the marshes of the site are separated by a
            small peninsula of upland.

            SECONDARY ECOLOGICAL BOUNDARY: The secondary boundary delineates
            a buffer of forested upland around the wetlands and watercourses
            of the natural area. The purpose of the forested buffer is to
            protect the water quality and hydrologic integrity of the wetland
            resource by filtering sediments and other contaminants from
            surface runoff, minimizing impacts from groundwater drawdown,
            preventing erosion and the resultant sedimentation and turbidity,
            and attenuating stormwater surges. By protecting the water
            quality and hydrologic regime, the structure and function of the
            marshes and creeks are maintained.

            There has been an enormous amount of research regarding the
            appropriate width of wetland buffering strips. Widths ranging
            from 50 feet to 330 feet have been recommended based on the
            various data. The only point the immense body of literature on
            the subject has emphasized is that there is really no single
            equation for buffer strip width that applies to every situation.
            Given the high erodibility of the soil types and the extreme
            sensitivity and significance of the natural heritage resource,
            330 feet was chosen as the appropriate width for the forested
            buffer strip for this site.

            A 330 foot buffer strip was also designed around swamps and both
            the perennial and intermittent streams which feed into the
            natural area. Since those tributaries communicate directly with
            the core areal their water quality also requires protection.
            Where the height-of-land (drainage divide) occurs closer than 330
            feet to the edge of the wetlands or water course, the secondary
            boundary runs along the drainage divide. The secondary boundary
            is also extended 330 feet offshore of the marshes for stewardship
            purposes.





             Lower Peninsula Conservation Planning
             Page 114


             A single residence is included in the secondary boundary.

             PRIMARY ACREAGE: 130 acres


             SECONDARY ACREAGE: 190 acres

             OWNERSHIP AND ZONING: Except for  open water, Shield's Point
             Natural Area is entirely within private ownership. The natural
             area's boundaries include parts of eight property tracts. The
             open water portions of the site are considered "waters of the
             state."

             The entire natural area is zoned general agricultural.

             PROTECTION RECOMMENDATIONS: All of the area within the primary
             boundary is protected by the Federal Clean Water Act and similar
             state and local tidal wetland laws which regulate the
             alteration of wetlands. The marshes, creeks, and a 100 foot wide
             band of upland around these features are designated as Resource
             Protection Areas by the James City County Chesapeake Bay
             Preservation Ordinance. Most types of physical development are
             restricted from within Resource Protection Areas.

             More complete protection for the natural area is desirable.
            .Landowners should be approached regarding the placement of the
             appropriate parts of their property under a conservation easement
             or on the Virginia Registry of Natural Areas. Efforts should
             concentrate first on the larger tracts because they represent
             large sections of the buffer area.

             STEWARDSHIP: Land disturbing activity such as development,
             ditching, well-digging, road and utility construction, and the
             riding or driving of off-road vehicles should be restricted from
             within the natural area. Hunting, fishing, nature observation,
             and canoeing are uses generally compatible with the viability of
             the natural heritage resource of the site. Wastewater discharge
             should not be permitted in the natural area.

             Shield's Point Natural Area is subject to a moderate amount of
             motorized boat traffic. Studies in the Chesapeake Bay area of
             Maryland have indicated that operation of.motorboats in tidal
             creeks can have adverse effects on marshes, shores, creek
             bottoms, and water quality. The disturbance and resuspension of
             bottom sediments through the turbulence produced by boat
             propellers, damage to marshes, shorelines, and submerged aquatic
             vegetation, and the release of sewage and toxic compounds are
             problems associated with motorboat traffic in these sensitive
             areas. Similar studies have not been conducted in the Lower
             Peninsula project area. Because of the large number of.variables
             involved, such as amount and speed of boat traffic, hull sizes
             and shapes, creek widths and depths, and amount of natural (wind-
             generated). wave action, results documented from one specific site
             cannot be inferred to be the situation at another site. For this
             reason, the establishment of a research program to determine the
             effects, if any, of motorboat traffic in this and the other





            Lower Peninsula Conservation Planning
            Page 115


            Chickahominy River natural areas is recommended. The Shoreline
            Erosion Advisory Service of the Virginia Department of
            Conservation and Recreation or the Virginia Institute of Marine
            Science may be willing to lead the research effort. Funding for
            such a study may be available from the Coastal Zone Management
            program. Appropriate actions for the preservation of the tidal
            marsh and creek ecosystems should be instituted based on the
            results of the study.

            The tidal freshwater marsh should be monitored regularly.
            Several permanent sampling plots should be.established in random
            locations in the marsh. In each sampling plot, species
            composition and relative abundances should be measured at least
            once every five years during the late growing season. Soil
            composition factors and the threat of problem species should also
            be analyzed on these visits. Such a biological monitoring
            program will not only provide insight as to the structure and
            function of this exemplary wetland community, but also sound
            early warnings to adverse changes in the ecology of the marsh
            from such threats as invasive species, hydrologic disturbance, or
            water pollution. Department of Conservation and Recreation staff
            scientists are available to assist with the design and
            implementation of such a biological monitoring program.

            @ECREATIONAL, SCENIC, AND EDUCATIONAL CONSIDERATIONS: The
            incorporation of visual easements or a local scenic designation
            could provide some protection for the scenic resources of the
            Chickahominy River in this area.




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             Lower Peninsula Conservation Planning
             Page 117


                                        SKIFFE'S CREEK


             SIZE: 30 acres


             BIODIVERSITY RANK:   B4

             LOCATION: James City County
                         Yorktown quadrangle

             GENERAL DESCRIPTION: Skiffe's Creek is a small natural area
             nestled within an area of very intense land use. The site is
             centered on a small, broad ravine which supports a population of
             a globally rare plant species. Surrounding land use includes
             timber clearcuts, farm crops, multiple utility corridors, a clay
             quarry, dense residential development, and a large industrial
             park.

             The natural area is forested with middle-aged mixed hardwoods,
             such as American beech, red maple, and southern red oak. The
             understory features American holy and flowering dogwood. Shadow
             witch orchid and drooping bulrush, generally uncommon species in
             Virginia, are found in abundance in the ground level flora.

             Soils in the ravine consist of a series of highly erodible sandy
             loams, the Emporia complex. Emporia complex soils are formed
             over marl (ancient shell) deposits, making their chemistry
             decidedly calcareous. Soils on the surrounding, more level lands
             within the natural area are entirely Peawick silt loam, a deep,
             moderately well-drained soil with low erosion hazard and a slow
             rate of surface runoff.

             NATURAL HERITAGE RESOURCES: Skiffe's Creek Natural Area supports
             a population of Florida adder's-mouth. Florida adder's-mouth, an
             inconspicuous herbaceous plant in the orchid family, is very rare
             in Virginia, occurring at only nine sites on six coastal plain
             counties of the state. The species is rare to uncommon
             throughout its range: Virginia south to Florida.

             The Florida adder's-mouth grows two to six inches tall and
             sprouts one or two oval leaves from a bulbous base. This
             perennial species bears  ia few to many small white flowers with
             orange "lips" on a central stalk in middle to late summer.
             Florida adder's-mouth is a plant of moist, shaded soils and is
             usually found along streambanks, swamp margins, or wet mossy
             areas.   In addition to direct habitat loss from conversion of
             land to  other uses, threats to the species include clearing,
             erosion, sedimentation, trampling, and hydrologic disturbance.

             Florida adder's-mouth was first located at this site in 1990 when
             ten plants were found. Six of the ten plants produced fruit that
             year. Five plants of the species were relocated in 1992; at
             least one of those five produced fruit. It is normal for
             population sizes of Florida adder's-mouth to appear to fluctuate
             from year to year. The species has an ability to remain dormant






             Lower Peninsula Conservation Planning
             Page 118


             in the soil as a bulb*for long periods of time, awaiting ideal
             conditions for emergence.

             PRIMARY ECOLOGICAL BOUNDARY: The primary boundary encompasses
             the rare plant habitat of the natural area. This include   's the
             swampy ravine bottom, moist mossy seepage areas on the ravine
             slopes, and corridors of natural habitat connecting these areas.
             The extent of the calcareous Emporia complex soils were used as
             the principle guide in designing the primary boundary.

             SECONDARY ECOLOGICAL BOUNDARY: The main purpose of the secondary
             boundary is to provide a hydrologic buffer to the rare plant
             habitat. Because Florida adder's-mouth is influenced by
             surfacewater and groundwater, the design of the hydrologic buffer
             must include considerations for soil erosion, sedimentation and
             nutrient loading of surface runoff, contamination of groundwater,
             and disturbance of the surfacewater and groundwater regimes.
             Because the Peawick silt loam soils that dominate the buffer area
             have low erodibility and slow runoff rates, a buffer of 330 feet
             would be sufficient to protect surface water quality for the rare
             plant habitat. The buffer must also protect groundwater quality
             and quantity, however, so the secondary boundary is designed to
             encompass areas of probable groundwater recharge.

             The secondary boundary also provides a forested buffer to the
             rare plant habitat from surrounding land uses. Such-a forested
             buffer helps maintain the microclimatic conditions in the ravine
             and inhibits the spread of some invasive species from adjacent
             lands. The forested buffer is essential to Skiffe's Creek
             Natural Area considering the intense surrounding land use.

             OWNERSHIP AND ZONING: This diminutive natural area is privately
             owned. It occurs entirely within one tract, covering about one
             tenth of the property.

             The natural area is currently zoned for industry.

             PRIMARY ACREAGE: 5 acres


             SECONDARY ACREAGE: 25 acres


             PROTECTION RECOMMENDATIONS: About one third of the land within
             the primary boundary is designated as Resource Protection Area
             under the James City County Chesapeake Bay Preservation
             Ordinance. Most types of development are restricted from within
             Resource Protection Areas. A small portion of the natural area
             may receive some protection from the Federal Clean Water Act
             which regulates the alteration of wetlands.

             The property owner should be approached regarding the placement
             of Skiffe's Creek Natural Area on the Virginia Registry of
             Natural Areas. Site management needs should also be discussed.

             STEWARDSHIP RECOMMENDATIONS: Land-disturbing activities such as
             timber harvest, road construction, and physical development






            Lower Peninsula Conservation Planning
            Page 119


            should be restricted from within the natural area, although lands
            between the secondary and primary boundaries are suitable for
            some environmentally sensitive uses. Possible consequences of
            activities that may alter the hydrology of the natural area, such
            as ditching or groundwater withdrawal, should be carefully
            considered before implementation.

            Known stations of the species should be monitored annually. Due
            to the relatively small size of the natural area, the monitoring
            tasks could be accomplished during a single visit each year while
            the plants are in fruit. Department of Conservation and
            Recreation scientists are available to conduct or coordinate the
            monitoring efforts.

            Searches for invasive species, such as Japanese honeysuckle,
            should also be conducted during the annual site visits. If
            invasive species are determined to be threatening the viability
            of the rare plant population, the problem species should be
            controlled or suppressed using environmentally sensitive
            techniques.

            Because collection can be a threat to rare plant populations, the
            precise.location of the rare plant occurrences should be kept
            confidential.
            RECREATIONAL, SCENIC, AND EDUCATIONAL CO@SIDERATIONS: No
            recreational or visual comments due to the small size of the
            site.





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            Lower Peninsula Conservation Planning
            Page 121


                                       WARE CREEK


            SIZE: 2830 acres


            BIODIVERSITY RANK: B4

            LOCATION: James City County, New Kent County
                      Toano and Gressit quadrangles

            GENERAL DESCRIPTION: Ware Creek Natural Area includes a tidal
            creek, its marshes and headwater streams, and the surrounding
            uplands. Steep forested bluffs border the marsh. Ware Creek
            forms the boundary between James City and New Kent Counties. The
            natural area supports an exemplary natural community, a rare tree
            species, and a bird nesting colony.

            Except for marsh and open water, all of the natural area is
            forested. The natural area has been managed intensively for its
            timber resources in the past. Forestry continues to be the
            principle land use at Ware Creek along with hunting and fishing.
            The surrounding lands are rural in character with large forested
            tracts, agricultural fields, and rural residences. Part of Ware
            Creek will be dammed to form the Ware Creek Reservior for a
            public water supply. Additionally, a-very large planned
            community development is proposed in the area. The planned
            developments will greatly compromise the biodiversity
            significance of this site. Because of these future land uses,
            the viability of Ware Creek Natural Area is doubtful.

            The soils of the marshes are Bohicket muck which is level, poorly
            drained, and regularly inundated. The bottomland soils in the
            headwater streams of the tidal creek are Johnston complex, a
            series of poorly drained, hydric soils. Soils on the slopes
            surrounding the marsh and bottomlands invariably consist of the
            Emporia complex, a series of highly erodible fine sandy loams
            formed over marl (ancient shell) deposits. The level upland
            areas contain fine sandy loams such as the Craven-Uchee complex
            or Suffolk fine sandy loam.

            NATURAL HERITAGE RESOURCES: Ware Creek Natural Area contains
            exemplary tidal brackish and freshwater marshes. Brackish
            marshes are a relatively common community type, but freshwater
            marshes are rare to uncommon. The marsh is medium-sized (about
            600 acres) and in good condition. Though, the marshes at the
            mouth of Ware Creek are decidedly brackish, salinities and tidal
            influence decrease gradually as one moves upstream. Marsh
            vegetation follows the same pattern, starting with typical
            brackish water species near the mouth or the creek such as
            saltmarsh cordgrass. Big cordgrass replaces saltmarsh cordgrass
            as the dominant species in the middle sections of the marsh.
            Scattered individuals of freshwater marsh species are seen among
            the big cordgrass. The upper marsh harbors typical freshwater
            marsh species such as cattails and wild rice.






            Lower Peninsula Conservation Planning
            Page 122


            Healthy marshes and tidal creeks furnish many ecological
            benefits. Marshes enhance water quality, help contain storm and
            flood waters, buffer against shoreline erosion, produce large
            amounts of nutrients and energy, and provide habitats for a vast
            array of vertebrates and invertebrates. Tidal creeks rich in
            submerged aquatic vegetation provide spawning and nursery areas
            for fish and other aquatic animals. High quality marshes and
            creeks are essential to the health and productivity of the
            Chesapeake Bay.

            A small stand of sand post oak was found at Ware Creek Natural
            Area in 1990. Six healthy trees were discovered overlooking the
            marsh and additional survey may locate more individuals. Sand
            post oak is a small tree or shrub with leathery, round-lobed
            leaves. The species is closely related to post oak from which it
            was only recently taxonomically separated. Sand post oak often
            grows in loose sandy soils which makes it especially vulnerable
            to erosion and wind-throw.

            Sand post oak is common throughout most of its range which
            includes the southeastern states. The species reaches its
            northern range limit in southeastern Virginia. Sand post oak,
            also known as scrubby post oak and dwarf post oak, is known from
            nineteen sites in Virginia, all in six southeastern counties.
            Because of the low number of sites and its limited distribution
            in the Commonwealth the species is considered very rare in
            Virginia. Ware Creek Natural Area is the only known site for
            sand post oak on the Lower Peninsula.

            Ware Creek Natural Area supports a medium-sized heron nesting
            colony The colony is utilized solely by great blue herons.
            Like most colonial nesting birds, great blue herons "put all
            their eggs into one basket" by packing large numbers of
            reproductive birds into a few, small areas. This makes entire
            populations vulnerable to a single disturbance. Great blue
            herons are very sensitive to activity around their nesting sites,
            especially during the courtship and nestbuilding stages.
            Disturbance of the heron colony by such activities as
            construction, off-road vehicles, or even pedestrians can cause
            nesting failure and desertion of the colony. Although great blue
            herons are not particularly rare, the colonial breeding behavior
            of the species and the decline of the wetland habitats used for
            nesting and foraging make the species biologically significant
            and sensitive.

            In addition to the trees currently used for nests, great blue
            heron colonies require additional habitat around the nest sites
            for resting perches and colony expansion. Herons also require
            large areas of wetland habitat for foraging.
            PRIMARY ECOLOGICAL BOUNDARY: Most of the natural areals primary
            boundary encompasses the exemplary marsh. A portion of the
            primary boundary also includes the known stand of sand post oak
            and a small amount of adjacent habitat. The primary boundary
            around the heron colony includes the existing nest trees as well






            Lower Peninsula Conservation Planning
            Page 123


            as some of the surrounding forested habitat for resting perches
            and colony expansion. The significant marsh also provides
            foraging habitat for the herons.

            SECONDARY ECOLOGICAL BOUNDARY: The primary purpose of the
            secondary boundary around the exemplary marsh is to provide a
            hydrologic buffer. The buffer zone around the marsh protects the
            water quality and hydrologic regime of the marsh and its creeks.
            There has been an enormous amount of research regarding the
            appropriate width of wetland buffering strips. Widths ranging
            from 50 feet to 330 feet have been recommended based on the
            various data. The only point the immense body of literature on
            the subject has emphasized is that there is really no single
            equation for buffer strip width that applies to every situation.
            Given the high erodibility of the soil types surrounding the Ware
            Creek wetlands and the extreme sensitivity and significance of
            the natural heritage resources, 330 feet was chosen as the
            appropriate width for the forested buffer strip for the marsh of
            this natural area. A 330 feet buffer strip was also designed
            around swamps.and perennial and intermittent streams which feed
            into the marsh. Since those tributaries communicate directly
            with the core area, their water quality is also a concern for
            protection. Where the height-of-land (drainage divide) occurs
            closer than 330 feet to the edge of the wetlands or water course,
            the secondary boundary runs along the drainage divide. The
            secondary boundary was also extended 330 feet into the York River
            where the river is adjacent to the marsh for stewardship reasons.

            To protect its habitat from erosion, high winds, and alteration
            of microclimate, a 100 foot buffer zone was designed around the
            sand post oak's primary boundary.

            The secondary boundary around the great blue heron nesting colony
            essentially follows the primary boundary 1000 feet distant from
            it. The purpose of the secondary boundary in this case is to
            buffer the nesting colony from human activity. The buffer zone
            around the exemplary marsh will also serve to screen foraging
            herons from human activity.

            OWNERSHIP AND ZONING: A very large percentage of Ware Creek
            Natural Area (on both the James City and New Kent County sides)
            is owned by a single corporate landholder. The natural area
            includes less than one-tenth of the 11,712 acre James City County
            tract. Hunt clubs lease some of the these lands. The natural
            area also includes parts of seven smaller private tracts in James
            City County and about three acres of land owned by the James City
            county government. Open water within the natural area is
            considered "waters of the state."

            Although all of the land within the James City County side of the
            natural area was formerly zoned general agricultural, much of the
            property has recently been rezoned for planned community
            development.






            Lower Peninsula Conservation Planning
            Page 124


            Property ownership and zoning research was not conducted for the
            New Kent County side of the natural area.

            PRIMARY ACREAGE: 650 acres


            SECONDARY ACREAGE: 2180 acres

            PROTECTION RECOMMENDATIONS: The exemplary marsh downstream of
            the future dam location has been designated as Resource
            Protection Area under the James City County Chesapeake Bay
            Preservation ordinance. Under the Ordinance, wetlands and
            watercourses of the Bay along with a -100 foot wide upland buffer
            around these features are restricted from most types of
            development. Wetlands in the natural also benefit from a certain
            amount of protection under the Federal Clean Water Act and
            similar state and local tidal wetland laws which regulate the
            alteration of wetlands. The great blue herons and their nests,
            eggs, and-young receive some protection from the Federal
            Migratory Bird Treaty Act. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
            may issue permits under that legislation, however, allowing the
            "taking" of great blue heron nesting colonies.

            The Ware Creek reservoir will destroy the great blue heron
            nesting colony and a substantial portion of the upper marsh of
            Ware Creek. The intensive residential, commercial, and
            industrial development proposed for the area will also greatly
            affect the ecological integrity of the watershed.

            Most of the exemplary marsh and the rare tree population could be
            salvaged. James City County should require that the developer
            place conservation easements on all lands between the primary and
            secondary boundaries of the natural area below the dam. The same
            protection measures should be instituted on the New Kent County
            side of the natural area; protecting half of the buffer zones is
            insufficient for the viability of the marsh. The area within the
            primary boundary should be added to the Virginia Registry of
            Natural Areas.

            STEWARDSHIP RECOMMENDATIONS: Land-disturbing activities, such as
            clearing, well-digging, ditching, and road and utility
            construction, should not occur within the natural area.
            Wastewater discharge should not be permitted within the natural
            area and the consequences of septic systems should be carefully
            considered before being permitted. The buffer zone between the
            primary and secondary boundaries should remain forested. All
            human activity should be restricted from the 1000 foot buffer
            zone around the heron nesting colony during the nesting season,
            February through August (until the site is destroyed by the
            reservoir). Except during the restricted season around the
            nesting colony canoeing, hiking, hunting, fishing, and some other
            recreational activities are compatible uses within the natural
            area.






            Lower Peninsula Conservation Planning
            Page 125


            Additional inventory should be conducted for sand post oak. If
            additional stands of the rare tree are located, some of the
            natural area boundaries may have to be altered to protect them.

            The exemplary marsh should be monitored for its composition and
            condition to provide early warnings of any degradation of its
            structure and function. Several permanent study plots should be
            established at randomly determined locations in the marsh.
            species composition and abundance, water quality and soil
            composition factors, and the presence and status of problem
            species should be-carefully noted in each plot once every five
            years. Measurements should be taken at approximately the same
            time each year the plots are monitored, preferably late in the
            growing season.

            If problem species such as common reedgrass or beaver are
            determined to be threatening the viability of the natural
            heritage resources, the problem species should be controlled or
            suppressed using environmentally sensitive techniques.

            Although motorboat traffic appears to be light in the natural
            area at present, motorized boating traffic should be monitored to
            determine its effect on the marsh vegetation and soils. If @
            motorboats are determined to be causing significant marsh erosion
            or increased creek channel turbidity, steps should be taken to
            attenuate the problem.

            RECREATIONAL, SCENIC, AND EDUCATIONAL CONSIDERATIONS: Since much
            of this natural area is within developable areas of the James
            City County, it is recommended that the county:

                   Provide through the Parks and Recreation Department,
                   Planning Department, or local schools an  educational
                   program which focuses on natural resources within the
                   area.


                   Make the developers aware of the natural resource issues
                   relevant to the area. Encourage developers to include
                   public interpretive opportunities and conservation
                   mechanisms in design plans for the area.

                   Provide education to future contractors which will enhance
                   their awareness and willingness to comply with
                   recommendations made on behalf of the natural heritage
                   resources present within the site.

                   Establish locally recognized scenic viewsheds along Ware
                   Creek.

                   Incorporate a cartop boat launch access into Ware Creek.




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            Lower Peninsula Conservation Planning
            Page 127


                                    CRAB NECK MARSHES


            SIZE: 650 acres


            BIODIVERSITY RANK: B5

            LOCATION: York County
                       Poquoson West quadrangle

            GENERAL DESCRIPTION: This natural area consists of exemplary
            saltmarshes on the Chesapeake Bay near the mouth of the York
            River. The saltmarshes are dominated by saltmarsh cordgrass,
            saltmeadow hay, and black needlerush with marsh elder ringing the
            marsh edges. A few islands within the marshes are dominated by
            loblolly pine. Marsh soils consist of Axis very fine sandy loam,
            a deep, very poorly drained, regularly inundated soil typical of
            saltmarshes in the area. The soils found in the forested islands
            include Nimmo and Tomotley fine sandy loams.

            Although the marshes are only used for hunting today, historical
            use may have been more intense. There are remnants of old
            ditches in the marsh and the marshes may have been grazed by
            domestic livestock in years past. Surrounding land use is mostly
            light to moderate residential development. Commercial and
            recreational boating traffic in the area is heavy. A large
            petroleum refinery is only a few miles northwest of the natural
            area. A serious spill from the refinery or one of its tankers
            could easily destroy the structure and function of the marshes.

            NATURAL HERITAGE RESOURCES: Crab Neck Marshes Natural Area
            contains and exemplary tidal saltmarsh. The exemplary saltmarsh
            at this site is not unlike many that line the Chesapeake Bay, but
            the Crab Neck marshes are in excellent condition and support a
            high amount of natural diversity.

            Healthy marshes furnish many ecological benefits. Marshes
            enhance water quality, help contain flood and storm waters,
            buffer against shoreline erosion, produce large amounts of
            nutrients and energy, and provide habitats for a vast array'of
            vertebrates and invertebrates.

            PRIMARY ECOLOGICAL BOUNDARY: The primary boundary encompasses
            the extent of the significant marsh community, its associated
            tidal mudflats, and the forested islands within it.

            SECONDARY ECOLOGICAL BOUNDARY: Where the marsh is adjacent to
            the open water of the Chesapeake Bay, the secondary boundary is
            coincident with the primary. Where the marshes are contiguous
            with land, the secondary boundary extends 100 feet beyond the
            primary boundary.

            The primary purpose of secondary boundary is to provide a
            hydrologic buffer zone around the marsh to protect the water
            quality and hydrologic regime. There has been an enormous amount
            of research regarding the appropriate width of wetland buffering






            Lower Peninsula Conservation Planning
            Page 128


            strips. Widths ranging from 50 feet to 330 feet have been
            recommended based on the various data. The only point the
            immense body of literature on the subject has emphasized is that
            there is really no single equation for buffer strip width that
            applies to every situation. The 330 foot width was chosen
            because of the extreme significance and sensitivity of the
            natural heritage resource. A 100 foot wide buffer strip should
            provide sufficient protection to the marsh considering the low
            amount of surface runoff in the area.

            OWNERSHIP AND ZONING: Crab Neck Marshes Natural Area is entirely
            within private ownership and includes parts of 20 tracts and
            parts of two subdivisions.

            About three-fourths of the natural area is zoned residential
            conservation. The remainder is zoned rural residential.


            PRIMARY ACRES: 580 acres


            SECONDARY ACRES: 70 acres

            PROTECTION RECOMMENDATIONS: Virtually the entire natural
            area is protected by the York County Chesapeake Bay Preservation
            Ordinance. The wetlands of the site are protected by the York
            County Tidal Wetlands Ordinance and the Federal Clean Water Act.
            The Bay Ordinance has designated the marsh and a 100 foot buffer
            around the marsh as Resource Protection Area. Most types of
            physical development are restricted from within the Resource
            Protection Area. The Clean Water Act and the Wetlands Ordinance
            regulate the alteration of wetlands.

            STEWARDSHIP RECOMMENDATIONS: Land-disturbing activities such as
            physical development and ditching should not be allowed within
            the natural area. New or increased wastewater discharge or
            septic systems should not be permitted in the natural area.
            Hunting, fishing, canoeing, and some other recreational
            activities are compatible within the natural area, and the marsh
            might even be used for public education and nature observation.

            Except for existing development, the buffer zone between the
            primary and secondary boundaries should be forested and should
            remain undisturbed.

            RECREATIONAL, SCENIC, AND EDUCATIONAL CONSIDERATIONS: Private
            property owners may consider placing scenic easements on their
            properties to protect the visual integrity of the area.
            Educational material could be provided along the waterway for
            recreational boaters.







                                                CRAB NECK MARSHES NATURAL AREA


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            Lower Peninsula Conservation Planning
            Page 130


                                     GOODWIN ISLANDS


            SIZE: 770 acres


            BIODIVERSITY RANK: B5

            LOCATION: York County
                       Poquoson West quadrangle

            GENERAL DESCRIPTION: The Goodwin Islands are an archipelago of
            forested and saltmarsh islands at the mouth of the York River.
            The marshes are vegetated by typical salt marsh species such as
            saltmarsh cordgrass, saltmeadow hay, and black
            needle rush. About fifty percent of the largest island is
            forested by loblolly pine, northern red oak, and black gum.
            marsh soils consist of Axis very fine sandy loam, a deep, very
            poorly drained, regularly inundated soil typical of salt marshes
            in the area. The soils found in the forested area include Nimmo
            and Tomotley fine sandy loams.

            Historically, the Goodwin Islands have been used for waterfowl
            hunting and for fishing. Harvest of Chesapeake Bay seafood has
            and continues to occur in the waters surrounding the islands.
            The remains of large mooring posts and an area of disturbed soil
            in the northeastern part of the largest island indicate that a
            more intensive use of the land may have occurred in the past.
            Currently, the Goodwin Islands are used for environmental
            education and scientific research. A large oil refinery and
            petroleum storage facility lies less than two miles west of the
            site.

            The Goodwin Islands Natural Area supports a bird nesting colony
            and a population of a rare animal species.

            NATURAL HERITAGE RESOURCES: A medium-sized population of least
            bitterns nests on the Goodwin Islands. The least bitterns is a
            secretive, marsh-nesting bird of the heron family. Because there
            are only thirteen known breeding sites in just seven counties for
            the species in Virginia, least bitterns are considered very rare
            in the Commonwealth. Least bitterns are more common in some
            other parts of their breeding range which includes most of the
            eastern United States.

            A nesting colony of great blue herons is found in the forested
            part of the natural area. Like most colonial nesting birds,
            great blue herons put "all their eggs into one basket" by packing
            large numbers of reproductive birds into a few, small areas.
            This makes entire populations vulnerable to a single disturbance.
            Great blue herons are very sensitive to activity around their
            nesting sites, especially during the courtship and nestbuilding
            stages. Disturbance of the heron colony by such activities as
            construction, off-road vehicles, or even pedestrians can cause
            nesting failure and desertion of the colony. Although, great
            blue herons are not particularly rare, the colonial breeding
            behavior of the species and the decline of the wetland habitats






            Lower Peninsula Conservation Planning
            Page 131


            used for nesting make the species biologically significant and
            sensitive.

            In addition to the trees currently used for nests, great blue
            heron colonies require additional habitat around the nest sites
            for resting perches and colony expansion. Great blue herons also
            require areas of wetland habitat for foraging.

            PRIMARY ECOLOGICAL BOUNDARY: The primary boundary essentially
            encompasses the entire archipelago, its channels, and tidal mud
            flats. Included in this boundary is the nesting and foraging
            habitat for least bitterns, the heron nesting colony along with
            additional forested habitat for resting perches and colony
            expansion, and foraging habitat for the herons.

            SECONDARY ECOLOGICAL BOUNDARY: The secondary boundary generally
            follows the primary boundary at a distance of 330 feet. The
            purpose of the secondary boundary is to provide an open water
            buffer zone around the sensitive bird habitats.

            OWNERSHIP AND ZONING: The Goodwin Islands Natural Area is
            entirely owned by the College of William and Mary, a state
            supported university. The islands are designated and managed as
            a National Estuarine Research Reserve by William and Mary's
            Virginia Institute of Marine Science. The open water within the
            secondary boundary is considered "waters of the state."

            The Goodwin Islands are zoned residential conservation, although
            York County technically has no authority to regulate land use at
            the site because it is state-owned.


            PRIMARY ACREAGE: 480 acres


            SECONDARY ACREAGE: 290 acres

            PROTECTION RECOMMENDATIONS: The great blue herons and least
            bitterns receive protection from the Federal Migratory Bird
            Treaty Act. The Bird Act prohibits the direct destruction of the
            herons and bitterns as well as the destruction of their nests,
            eggs, and young. All of the Goodwin Islands are designated as
            Resource Protection Area under the York County Chesapeake Bay
            Preservation Ordinance. Most types of physical development are
            restricted within Resource Protection Areas. The wetlands of the
            natural area also receive protection from the Federal Clean Water
            Act and the York County Tidal Wetlands Ordinance which regulate
            the alteration of wetlands. Designation of the islands as a
            National Estuarine Research Reserve formally recognizes the
            environmental significance and sensitivity of the wetlands and
            encourages their preservation for research and education.

            The Goodwin Islands Natural Area is quite well protected by its
            state ownership, designation as a National Estuarine Research
            Reserve, and existing wetlands legislation.






            Lower Peninsula Conservation Planning
            Page 132


            STEWARDSHIP RECOMMENDATIONS: The current use of the natural area
            for scientific research and environmental education is generally
            compatible with the viability of the natural heritage resources.
            Managers of the Reserve should be advised not to disturb the
            heron colony during the sensitive nesting season, February
            through August. Ideally, recreational boat traffic should be
            restricted from within the secondary boundary during the-nesting
            season to minimize disturbances to foraging herons and bitterns.
            This restriction need not apply to commercial vessels. Because
            Chesapeake Bay watermen are normally very regular and unobtrusive
            in their seafood harvest activities, foraging herons are usually
            able to habituate easily to their boats.

            The natural area is in need of further biological inventory.
            During the biological surveys of the site, several species of
            rare birds were identified in the marshes, but only least
            bitterns were confirmed as breeding there. Additional survey
            should focus on determining the presence or absence of additional
            rare breeding birds and the status of their (and the least
            bittern) populations.

            The heron nesting colony should be monitored at least annually
            for numbers of individuals, numbers of active nests, and numbers
            of eggs and young. It is best to check the colony two or more
            times during the reproductive seaso"n to get the most accurate
            assessment of the colony's status and reproductive success.
            Because of limiting resources, however, more than one visit is
            not always possible. Great care should be taken to minimize
            disturbance to the nesting herons while conducting monitoring
            activities. The best monitoring technique for collecting the
            most accurate data while causing the least disturbance is through
            aerial survey. Researchers from the College of William and Mary
            and the Virginia Nongame and Endangered Species Program routinely
            monitor heron nesting colonies in Virginia. This colony has not
            been included in their aerial survey route in the past, but could
            probably added.

            RECREATIONAL, SCENIC, AND EDUCATIONAL CONSIDERATIONS: The
            Goodwin Islands areca part of the National Estuarine Research
            Reserve which is owned and managed by the Virginia Institute of
            Marine Sciences. Recreational access is not recommended on these
            islands, however, the islands use as a wetlands education area
            and research laboratory should be encouraged.








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            Lower Peninsula Conservation Planning
            Page 134



                                      GRAYLIN WOODS


            SIZE: 20 acres


            BIODIVERSITY RANK: B5

            LOCATION: James City County
                       Norge quadrangles

            GENERAL DESCRIPTION: This natural area includes the bottomland
            swamps and adjacent ravine slopes around Mill Creek near its
            intersection with Route 5. The bottomland is dominated by green
            ash and red maple with a dense understory of spicebush. The
            slopes bordering the swamp are forested with American beech and
            loblolly pine with an understory of American holly. The
            bottomland soils are Johnston complex, while the soils of the
            slopes consist of Emporia complex.

            Timber management has been the most influential land use of past
            years. Currently, the natural area is totally surrounded by
            residential development and utility corridors.

            Graylin Woods Natural Area supports a population of a rare plant
            species.

            NATURAL HERITAGE RESOURCES: A medium sized population of the
            hoary skullcap occurs at Graylin Woods Natural Area. Though the
            population is currently in good condition, the surrounding
            development limits its habitat.

            The hoary skullcap is a herbaceous plant of the mint family that
            is extremely rare in Virginia. The species is known to occur at
            only four sites in the Commonwealth, although it is much more
            common in other parts of its range, primarily the mid-Atlantic
            and mid-western states. Hoary skullcaps grow up to three feet
            tall and bear blue flowers in the summer. In addition to threats
            to its habitat, hoary skullcap must also contend with damage from
            trampling, deer browsing, and collecting.

            PRIMARY ECOLOGICAL BOUNDARY:   The primary boundary encompasses
            the known locations of the hoary skullcap in the natural area as
            well as adjacent unoccupied habitat from the swamp margin upslope
            to the residential development and from a pipeline corridor south
            to the highway.

            SECONDARY ECOLOGICAL BOUNDARY: The purpose of the secondary
            boundary is to provide a buffer zone which will protect the water
            quality and habitat structure in the primary boundary. Ideally,
            the secondary boundary would run 100 feet past the top of the
            slope where the rare plants are found. Existing development
            precludes this guideline, however, and the secondary boundary
            runs only to the edge of the residential development upslope of
            the natural heritage resource. The buffer zone also extends to
            the opposite swamp margin to prevent alteration of the skullcap
            habitat from clearing of adjacent lands.






            Lower Peninsula Conservation Planning
            Page 1'35


            OWNERSHIP AND-ZONING: A portion of the natural area is owned by
            James City County and houses a water and sewage pump station.
            The remainder of the natural area is in private ownership by
            either development companies or by individual lot owners.

            The natural area is currently zoned general residential.

            PRIMARY ACREAGE: 7 acres


            SECONDARY ACREAGE: 13 acres

            PROTECTION RECOMMENDATIONS: Mill Creek, its associated
            bottomlands, and 100 feet of surrounding upland are designated as
            Resource Protection Area under the James City County Chesapeake
            Bay Preservation Ordinance. About half of the land within the
            primary boundary, including the known plant locations fall within
            the Resource Protection Area. The Bay ordinance restricts most
            types of physical development from within Resource Protection
            Areas. The bottomland swamps of the site receive some protection
            from the Federal Clean Water Act which regulates the alteration
            of wetlands.

            A public awareness and environmental education program should be
            instituted for the owners of property within the natural area.
            once positive relationships have been established with the
            property owners, placement of Graylin Woods on the Virginia
            Registry of Natural Areas could be pursued. A local conservation
            group would be best suited for the landowner contact and
            education efforts; Department of Conservation and Recreation
            staff can provide technical support as needed and help with the
            registry of the site.

            STEWARDSHIP RECOMMENDATIONS: Land-disturbing activities, such as
           .timber harvest or development, should be restricted from within
            the natural area. Properly constructed trails for recreational
            use by the surrounding residents can be established between the
            primary and secondary boundaries, but should be restricted from
            within the primary boundary.

            The hoary skullcap population should be monitored for size and
            condition periodically. At least one visit during the normal
            fruiting season for the species will be required to accurately
            estimate numbers of individuals and amount of reproduction.

            Although the rare plant habitat is relatively free of problem
            species at this time, the surrounding utility corridors and
            backyards provide sources of invasive plant species such as
            millet grass and Japanese honeysuckle. Browsing by white-tail
            deer can also threaten hoary skullcap populations. Evidence of
            problem species should be monitored during the annual visits to
            the site. If an invasive plant species or aggressive animal
            species is determined to be threatening the viability of the
            natural heritage resource, the problem species should be
            controlled or suppressed using environmentally sensitive
            techniques.






            Lower Peninsula Conservation Planning
            Page 136


            RECREATIONAL, SCENIC, AND EDUCATIONAL CONSIDERATIONS: Since this
            area is already managed as greenspace within a subdivision, an
            educational kiosk or other focus on the site could be encouraged.
            The possibility of providing a trail from Route 5 to this area
            should be investigated. This may be an opportunity to focus on
            natural heritage resources located along the scenic byway.





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           Lower Peninsula Conservation Planning
           Page 138


                                      GRICEIS RUN


           SIZE: 160 acres


           BIODIVERSITY RANK: B5

           LOCATION: James City County
                      Yorktown and Hog Island quadrangles

           GENERAL DESCRIPTION: Grice's Run Natural Area includes a series
           of ravines and steep slopes around a small stream, Grice's Run.,
           Except for the open marsh in the southern part of the natural
           area, the site is forested with mixed hardwoods and pines. Soils'
           in the marsh are Bohicket muck, while the soils of the remainder
           of the natural area consist of Emporia complex or Craven-Uchee
           complex, both a series of highly erodible fine sandy loams.

           Historically, the natural area has been used for agriculture,
           timber harvest, and possibly grazing of domestic livestock.
           Currently, timber management is the predominant land use within
           the natural area. West of the natural area, lands are managed
           for timber resources,.farmed for crops and pasture, and a
           historical site is operated as a tourist attraction.   A major
           highway and moderate to heavy residential development lay north
           of the site, the James River and a large industrial plant are
           south of the natural area. Lands east of Grice's Run have
           recently been cleared and are being developed into a business
           park.

           Grice's Run Natural Area harbors a small exemplary natural
           community.

           NATURAL HERITAGE RESOURCES: Some of the slopes surrounding
           Grice's Run include a small, but exemplary, southern mixed
           hardwood forest. American beech, white oak, and southern sugar
           maple dominate the forest canopy. The understory is dominated by
           American holly in most places. The herbaceous layer is well-
           developed in some parts of the exemplary forest; shadow witch
           orchid, a plant which is uncommon in Virginia, can be found
           frequently on the forested slopes. Although the exemplary
           southern mixed hardwood forest at Grice's Run Natural Area is not
           virgin growth, it does have the old growth qualities such as many
           large maturing trees, complex stratification, diverse species
           composition and age structure, and substantial amounts of
           standing and fallen dead wood. Southern mixed hardwood forests
           are common natural community types, but the old growth
           characteristics of the Grice's Run forest make it a significant
           natural heritage resource.

           PRIMARY ECOLOGICAL BOUNDARY: The primary boundary at Grice's Run
           includes the extent of the exemplary natural community. Because
           most of the forests on the level areas have been disturbed, the
           exemplary forest is primarily limited to the slopes around
           Grice's Run and'its marsh.






           Lower Peninsula Conservation Planning
           Page 139


           SECONDARY ECOLOGICAL BOUNDARY: The purpose of the secondary
           boundary is,to provide a buffer zone around the exemplary forest.
           The secondary boundary generally follows the primary boundary at
           a distance of 100 feet on level land. Maintaining a 100 foot
           woodland buffer around the exemplary southern mixed hardwood
           forest will help insure the continued integrity of this natural
           community. Among the benefits provided by the buffer to the
           exemplary natural community are the following: (1) preventing
           increased light beyond the edges of the forest, (2) reducing the
           likelihood for invasion of aggressive "weedy" species into the
           forest, (3) protecting soils within the forest from erosion, and
           (4) decreasing the possibility of wind-throw of trees within the
           forest.

           The secondary boundary also includes the bottomlands and marsh
           along Grice's Run and the slopes opposite the exemplary forest.
           This measure protects the natural heritage resource from habitat
           alteration due to impoundment of the stream or clearing of
           adjacent lands.            I                           ?

           OWNERSHIP AND ZONING: Grice's Run Natural Area is entirely
           within private ownership. Most of the site is owned by a large
           private foundation. The remainder is owned by an industrial
           corporation.

           Most of the natural area is zoned residential. A small portion
           is zoned for agriculture or industry.

           PRIMARY ACREAGE: 60 acres


           SECONDARY ACREAGE: 100 acres


           PROTECTION RECOMMENDATIONS: The  marsh associated with Grice's
           Run and 100 feet of upland around it have been designated as
           Resource Protection Area by the James City County Chesapeake Bay
           Preservation ordinance.  Most forms of development are restricted
           from within the Resource Protection Area. The bottomlands in
           natural area may receive some,protection from the Federal Clean
           Water Act depending upon what wetland delineation guidelines are
           used. The Clean Water Act regulates the alteration of wetlands.
           The tidal marsh portion of the natural area also receives
           protection from the Federal Clean Water Act and from similar
           state and local tidal wetland laws applying to tidal wetlands.
           The exemplary forest itself has no existing protection
           whatsoever.

           The two landowners should be approached regarding placement of
           the site onto the Virginia Registry of Natural Areas.
           Negotiation of management agreements with these landholders
           regarding land-use within the natural area is desirable.

           STEWARDSHIP RECOMMENDATIONS: Land-disturbing activities, such as
           timber harvest, impoundment of watercourses, off-road vehicles,
           and physical development, should be restricted from within the
           natural area. Some recreational uses such as hiking and nature





          Lower Peninsula Conservation Planning
          Page 140


          observation are compatible within the natural area.  Details of
          appropriate land uses within the natural area should be
          established within the management agreements with the landowners.

          RECREATIONAL, SCENIC, AND EDUCATIONAL CONSIDERATIONS: This site
          is located near a historic site which is open to the public. The
          area serves as a visual buffer for the historic site. The
          property may be appropriate for use as equestrian and hiking
          trails. The area is also a key component to providing open space
          and possibly a wildlife corridor between developed lands.




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          Lower Peninsula Conservation Planning
          Page 142


                                   HOG NECK CREEK


          SIZE: 630 acres


          BIODIVERSITY RANK: B5

          LOCATION: James City County
                     Norge, Brandon, Walkers, and Toano quadrangles

          GENERAL DESCRIPTION: Three tidal creeks and the surrounding
          marshes form the core of Hog Neck Creek Natural Area. All three
          creeks are tributaries to the Chickahominy River. The marshes
          are dominated by wild rice, arrow arum, and pickerelweed. The
          uplands surrounding the marsh contain mixed pine-hardwood forest,
          young planted pine forest, and recent clearcuts.
          Soils in the marshes are Levy silty clay, a poorly drained,
          acidic, regularly inundated soil type typical of the marshes of
          the Chickahominy River. Soils of the bluffs surrounding the
          marshes consist of Emporia complex, a series of deep, well-
          drained, loamy soils which are highly susceptible to erosion.
          Most of the soils beyond the bluffs within the natural area are
          of the Crave-Uchee complex, a set of sandy clay loams and loamy
          fine sands which are also highly erodible. The remainder of the
          upland soils in the natural area consist of various silt loams
          and fine sandy loams.

          Hunting and fishing are the principle historic and current uses
          of the marshes and creeks. The surrounding uplands are managed
          for their timber resources.
                                I
          Hog Neck Creek Natural Area contains an exemplary natural
          community and a population of a rare plant species.

          NATURAL HERITAGE RESOURCES: Hog Neck Creek supports a moderate
          size tidal freshwater marsh in excellent condition. Tidal
          freshwater marshes are rare to uncommon natural communities occur
          in the narrow range where estuarine salinities are very low but
          the rivers and creeks are still tidal.

          Healthy tidal,freshwater marshes and creeks furnish many
          ecological benefits. Marshes enhance water quality, help contain
          floodwaters, buffer against shoreline erosion, produce large
          amounts of nutrients and energy, and provide habitats for a vast
          array of vertebrates and invertebrates. Tidal freshwater creeks
          rich in submerged aquatic vegetation provide spawning and nursery
          areas for fish and other aquatic animals.

          Hog Neck Creek Natural Area supports a fair population of the
          yellow cowlily. Yellow cowlily is an aquatic plant in the water-
          lily family. Yellow cowlilys are rooted in creek and river
          bottoms and their elongated leaves float at the water's surface.
          The showy yellowish to green flowers bloom through the spring and
          summer. Yellow cowlily often grows in deep, mid-channel waters.
          In addition to being sensitive to degradation of water quality





A






           Lower Peninsula Conservation Planning
           Page 143


           and disturbance of the hydrologic regime, the plant's habit of
           growing in open water makes it very vulnerable to direct damage
           from boat traffic.

           Yellow cowlily is rare throughout its range, the coastal regions
           of Virginia, North Carolina, and South Carolina, and extremely
           rare in Virginia. The subspecies occurs at only seven sites in
           in the Commonwealth, all of which are in three counties along the
           tidal portion of the Chickahominy River. The population at Hog
           Neck Creek is small, but occurs in good habitat.

           PRIMARY ECOLOGICAL BOUNDARY: The primary boundary at this site
           encompasses the freshwater marsh as well as the associated tidal
           creeks and sections of the Chickahominy River in which the yellow
           cowlily grows.

           SECONDARY ECOLOGICAL BOUNDARY: The purpose of the secondary
           boundary around the marsh is to provide a buffer which will
           protect the water quality and hydrologic regime of the marsh and
           its creeks. There has been an enormous amount of research
           regarding the appropriate width of wetland buffering strips.
           Widths ranging from 50 feet to 330 feet have been recommended
           based on the various data. The only point the immense body of
           literature on the subject has emphasized is that there is really
           no single equation for buffer strip width that applies to every
           situation. Given the high erodibility of the soil types
           surrounding the wetlands and the extreme sensitivity and
           significance of the natural heritage resources, 330 feet is the
           most appropriate width for the forested buffer strip for the
           wetlands of this natural-area. A 330 feet buffer strip was also
           designed around swamps and perennial and intermittent streams
           which feed into the marsh. Since those tributaries communicate
           directly with the core area, their water quality is also a
           concern for protection. Where the height-of-land (drainage
           divide) occurs closer than 330 feet to the edge of the wetlands
           or water course, the secondary boundary runs along the drainage
           divide. The secondary boundary was also extended 330 feet past
           the primary boundary into the Chickahominy River where the river
           is adjacent to the marsh for stewardship reasons.

           The yellow cowlily habitat is also protected by the secondary
           boundary around the marsh and creeks.

           OWNERSHIP AND ZONING: Except for open water, Hog Neck Creek
           Natural Area is entirely within private ownership and includes
           parts of four tracts. Areas of open water are considered "waters
           of the state."

           The entire natural area is zoned general agricultural.

           PRIMARY ACREAGE: 310 acres


           SECONDARY ACREAGE: 320 acres






          Lower Peninsula Conservation Planning
          Page 144


          PROTECTION RECOMMENDATIONS: The freshwater marsh and its creeks
          and channels are are afforded some protection by the Federal
          Clean Water Act and similar state and local tidal wetland laws
          and the James City County Chesapeake Bay Preservation Ordinance.
          The Clean Water Act regulates alteration of wetlands. The
          Chesapeake Bay Ordinance provides a 100 foot buffer around the
          edge of wetlands and watercourses of the Bay; most types of
          development are restricted from within the 100 foot buffer zone.

          Because laws and their interpretation can change, additional
          protection should be secured for the site. Natural Area Registry
          with the private land-holders of the natural area would most
          appropriate for this site. A management agreement should
          accompany the registry for those tracts upon which intensive
          forestry practices occur.

          STEWARDSHIP RECOMMENDATIONS: Land uses which would degrade water
         .quality or disturb the hydrologic regime of the marsh, such as
          physical development, ditching, wastewater discharge, and road
          and utility construction, should be restricted from within the
          natural area. The buffer strip between the primary and secondary
          boundary should remain forested except that some types of
          environmentally sensitive timber harvest may be compatible in
          some sections of the buffer zone. Hunting.and fishing are
          generally compatible uses inside the primary and secondary
          boundaries.

          Hog Neck Creek Natural Area is subject to a moderate amount of
          motorized boat traffic. The establishment of a research program
          to determine the effects, if any, of motorboat traffic in this
          and the other Chickahominy River natural areas is recommended.
          Appropriate actions for the preservation of the tidal marsh and
          creek ecosystems should be instituted based on the results of the
          study.

          Yellow cowlily colonies in Hog Neck Creek Natural Area often show
          signs of damage from motorboats passing through them. Steps to
          help abate motorboat damage to the yellow cowlily populations
          would greatly enhance their long-term viability. Preventative
          measures could include posting of educational signs at area
          marinas and possibly in or near yellow cowlily colonies
          themselves. The signs could provide a description of the plant,
          explain its sensitivity and significance, and request boaters to
          voluntarily avoid navigating through cowlily colonies.

          The tidal freshwater marsh should be monitored periodically.
          Several permanent sampling plots should be established in random
          locations in the marsh (pending a management agreement with the
          landowner). In each sampling plot, species composition and
          relative abundances should be measured at least once every five
          years during the late growing season. Soil composition factors
          should also be recorded on these visits. Such a biological
          monitoring program will not only provide insight as to the
          structure and function of this exemplary wetland community, but
          also sound early warnings to adverse changes in the ecology of






           Lower Peninsula.Conservation Planning
           Page 145


           the marsh from such threats as invasive species, hydrologic
           disturbance, or water pollution.

           The rare plant population should also be monitored periodically.
           A single visit during the fruiting season of the species should
           be sufficient to document the status of the population.

           Searches for potentially invasive problem species should also be
           conducted during the biological monitoring visits. If an
           invasive species, such as common reedgrass, is determined to be
           threatening the viability of the marsh or the rare plant
           population, the problem species should be controlled or
           suppressed using environmentally safe techniques.

           Department of Conservation and Recreation staff scientists are
           available to assist with the design and implementation of the
           biological monitoring program.

           RECREATIONAL, SCENIC, AND EDUCATIONAL CONSIDERATIONS: This area
           is located near Shipyard Landing. Some education could be
           oriented from the water to this area. For example, a boat
           accessed observation platform at or near the natural area could
           promote an awareness of natural heritage resources and encourage
           the protection of the site.








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          Lower Peninsula Conservation Planning
          Page 147


                                   KENTUCKY FARMS


          SIZE: 130 acres


          BIODIVERSITY RANK: B5

          LOCATION: York County
                     Poquoson West quadrangle
          GENERAL DESCRIPTION: Kentucky Farms Natural Area consists of a
          nearly level site in southern York County forested by mixed pines
          and hardwoods. Soils on the site consist mostly of silt loams
          such as Bethera silt loam and Peawick silt loam. The natural
          area harbors a fair occurrence of an uncommon natural community
          type.
          Timber management and agriculture have been the principle
          historic land uses in the natural area. Currently, the site is
          managed for its timber resources. Surrounding land uses include
          farming, forestry, and operation of an airport.

          NATURAL HERITAGE RESOURCES: Kentucky Farms Natural Area contains
          a small number of coastal plain sinkhole ponds similar to those
          found at the Grafton Ponds Natural Area to the north. The ponds
          are actually depression caused by the dissolving and sagging of
          underground marl (ancient shell) deposits. The ponds' hydrology
          is influenced by a combination of surface and ground water. Most
          ponds fill in the winter and spring, loose water through the late
          spring and summer, and are usually dry by the late summer or
          early autumn. Each pond has a unique hydrologic regime which may
          also vary from year to year. The type of vegetation found in and
          around each pond is influenced by its hydrologic regime. These
          unusual natural communities often harbor rare plant and animal
          species.

          Fifteen to twenty small ponds occur in this natural area. Trees
          in and around the ponds are maturing, but have been heavily
          logged in the past.

          PRIMARY ECOLOGICAL BOUNDARY: The primary boundary encompasses
          the ponds and forest habitat connecting groups of ponds.

          SECONDARY ECOLOGICAL BOUNDARY: The secondary boundary includes a
          substantial a-mount of forest around the primary boundary. The
          purposes of the secondary boundary are to provide a buffer zone
          around the primary boundary for protection of surface and ground
          water quality and quantity and to connect the two separate
          primary areas with continuous forested habitat.

          A corridor of forest habitat connecting Kentucky Farms Natural
          Area with Grafton Ponds Natural Area is also included in the
          preserve design. The purpose of the corridor is to provide for
          movement of plants and animals from one site to the other, thus
          greatly increasing the long-term genetic viability of populations
          at each site.






           Lower Peninsula Conservation Planning
           Page 148


           OWNERSHIP AND ZONING: Most of the Kentucky Farms Natural Area is
           owned by the City of Newport News as part of their public water
           supply. The eastern part of the natural area is owned by the
           adjacent airport. The site includes parts of three tracts.

           About half of the site is zoned residential conservation and half
           limited industrial. The residential conservation designation
           allows agriculture, forestry, or limited residential development.

           PRIMARY ACREAGE: 30 acres


           SECONDARY ACREAGE: 100 acres

           PROTECTION RECOMMENDATIONS: The seasonal ponds may receive some
           protection from the Federal Clean Water Act depending upon what
           wetland delineation technique is used. The Clean Water Act
           regulates the alteration of wetlands.
           The Newport News Waterworks Department and the Peninsula Airport
           Commission should be approached regarding placement of this site
           on the Virginia Registry of Natural Areas. Management agreements
           in the form of Memoranda of Understanding should be negotiated
           among the Airport Commission, Newport News, York County, and the
           Department of Conservation and Recreation regarding the
           appropriate management of the natural area-.

           STEWARDSHIP RECOMMENDATIONS:  Details as to compatible and
           incompatible land uses within the natural area should be
           established in the management agreements. Generally, the land
           within the primary boundaries and a 100 foot wide forested buffer
           zone around the primary boundaries should be left undisturbed.
           Forest management can continue between the forested buffer zone
           and secondary boundaries if measures are taken to protect the
           water quality and quantity of the seasonal ponds. Physical
           development such as buildings, roads, runways, and utilities
           should be restricted from within the natural area.

           Additional inventory in and around the seasonal ponds may
           discover Mabee's salamander, a rare amphibian which occurs at
           other sites in the vicinity.

           The seasonal ponds should be monitored periodically for their
           condition and threats.

           RECREATIONAL, SCENIC, AND EDUCATIONAL CONSIDERATIONS: The
           property owned by the water works could be incorporated into a
           passive park area. Interpretive facilities could be placed near
           Harwoods Mill Park to provide information on the sinkhole ponds.




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          Lower Peninsula Conservation Planning
          Page 150


                                    LACKEY PONDS


          SIZE: 80 acres


          BIODIVERSITY RANK: B5

          LOCATION: York County
                     Yorktown quadrangle

          GENERAL DESCRIPTION: Lackey Ponds Natural Area centers on a few
          seasonal ponds in a forested area just south of the community of
          Lackey. The ponds and surrounding forest support a very small
          population of a rare animal species. The forests consist of
          mixed hardwoods in the eastern half of the natural area and
          planted pines in the west. Soils in the natural area consist
          mostly of Slagle fine sandy loam with some Bethera silt loam
          occurring in the eastern part of the site.

          The natural area was used for agriculture and forestry in years
          past. Current land use is timber management. The surrounding
          area is mostly forested with some residential development.

          NATURAL HERITAGE RESOURCES: A rare amphibian, Mabee's
          salamander, has been documented at Lackey Ponds Natural Area
          through the capture of a single individual during a 1991 survey.
          Mabee's salamander is at the northern edge of its range in
          southeastern Virginia. The species' range is restricted; Mabee's
          salamanders occur only on the coastal plain of South Carolina,
          North Carolina, and Virginia. The salamander is known from six
          sites in Virginia, only four of which are confirmed reproductive
          populations. The species is listed as threatened under the
          Virginia Endangered Species Act. Mabee's salamanders are three
          to four inches long, dark gray or brown, and have light specks
          along their sides. In the family known as the mole salamanders,
          Mabee's salamanders spend most of their lives crawling through
          leaf litter or burrowing through soft ground in search of food
          (primarily ground-dwelling invertebrates). Individuals may range
          as far as 1000 feet from their breeding ponds, but the
          salamanders must return to the seasonal ponds to reproduce.

          PRIMARY ECOLOGICAL BOUNDARY: The primary boundary contains the
          seasonal ponds of the site plus 1000 feet of adjacent mixed
          hardwood forest, except where development or pine plantations
          preclude such habitat.

          SECONDARY ECOLOGICAL BOUNDARY: The secondary boundary
          encompasses an area upslope of the primary boundary to provide a
          buffer zone which will protect the surface and ground water
          quality and quantity. The secondary boundary also provides a 100
          foot wide buffer zone around other parts of the primary boundary,
          where possible, to protect the woodland habitat from alteration
          caused by clearing of adjacent lands.

          A corridor of forested habitat connecting Lackey Ponds Natural
          Area to Beaverdam Creek Natural Area is included in the preserve






          Lower Peninsula Conservation Planning
          Page 151


          design. The purpose of the corridor is to allow movement of
          species among conservation sites and thus greatly increase the
          viability of their otherwise fragmented populations.
          OWNERSHIP AND ZONING: Approximately half of Lackey Ponds Natural
          Area is owned by the City of Newport News Waterworks Department.
          The remainder is in private ownership, including parts of four
          tracts. About half of the site is zoned residential conservation
          and half is zoned single family residential.

          PRIMARY ACREAGE: 30 acres


          SECONDARY ACREAGE: 50 acres

          PROTECTION RECOMMENDATIONS: The seasonal ponds may receive some
          protection from the Federal Clean Water Act depending upon what
          wetland delineation*technique is used. The Clean Water Act
          regulates the alteration of wetlands. Mabee's salamander
          receives protection from direct harm under the Virginia
          Endangered Species Act, but that legislation does not completely
          protect the species' habitat.

          The Newport News Waterworks Department and the private owners
          should be approached regarding placement of this site on the
          Virginia Registry of Natural Areas. Appropriate management and
          land uses within the primary and secondary boundaries should be
          discussed.

          STEWARDSHIP RECOMMENDATIONS: The land within the primary
          boundary and the 100 foot wide forested buffer zone around the
          primary boundary should be left undisturbed. Physical
          development such as buildings, roads, and utilities should be
          restricted from within the natural area. Forest management can
          continue within the secondary boundary beyond the 100 foot buffer
          strip if measures are taken to protect the water quality and
          quantity of the site.

          RECREATIONAL, SCENIC, AND EDUCATIONAL CONSIDERATIONS: This area
          may provide an opportunity for connecting trails to the Newport
          News Park or extending trails to the pond sites.









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          Lower Peninsula Conservation Planning
          Page 153


                                  NEW BETHEL CHURCH


          SIZE: 230 acres


          BIODIVERSITY RANK: B5

          LOCATION: York County
                     Newport News North quadrangle

          GENERAL DESCRIPTION: New Bethel Church Natural Area consists of
          a forested site on a low, level plain in southern York County.
          The forest includes mixed pines and hardwoods. Soils in the
          natural area include mostly Tomotly fine sandy loam with some
          areas of Nimmo fine sandy loam.

          The principle historic land uses appear to have been forest
          management and agriculture. The natural area is currently
          subject to timber harvest and residential development. The
          natural area is surrounded by a large powerline corridor, light
          and medium-duty roads, rapidly growing residential Oevelopments,
          and a small marsh.

          New Bethel Church Natural Area supports a good population of a
          rare plant species.

          NATURAL HERITAGE RESOURCES: A population of Shumard's oak is
          found in New Bethel Church Natural Area. Though it is fairly
          common in some parts of its range which covers most of the
          southeastern and southcentral states, Shumard's oak is considered
          rare in Virginia because it occurs at less than ten sites and is
          limited to a distribution of four counties. Shumard's oak
          closely resembles scarlet oak in appearance and the acorns are
          sometimes needed to discern the species from each other. Besides
          destruction from logging, Shumard's oak is also vulnerable
          alteration of its habitat.

          Although the species has been found scattered about the vicinity,
          the natural area boundaries encompass only the trees in a
          relatively undisturbed and unfragmented woodland habitat which
          supports many mature individuals as well as many seedlings. The
          area is threatened by logging and residential development.

          PRIMARY ECOLOGICAL BOUNDARY: The primary boundary encompasses an
          unbroken, unfragmented,-relatively old block of woodland habitat
          which supports the a large number of the oldest Shumard's oaks of
          the vicinity and forms the most easily protected unit of land.
          The primary boundary includes the known mature trees plus
          additional surrounding habitat for recruitment of seedlings into
          the population.

          SECOND ARY ECOLOGICAL BOUNDARY: Ideally, the secondary boundary
          would delineate a forested buffer zone to protect the habitat
          contained within the primary boundary. Because of existing
          development surrounding the Shumard's oak habitat, however, a






          Lower Peninsula Conservation Planning
          Page 154


          forested buffer zone is not possible. In this case, the
          secondary boundary is entirely coincident with the primary.

          OWNERSHIP AND ZONING: New Bethel Church Natural Area is entirely
          within private ownership and the ownership pattern is
          complicated. Parts of several large tracts are included within
          the natural area, but these tracts are being quickly subdivided
          into residential lots.

          The entire site is zoned single family residential.

          PRIMARY ACREAGE: 230 acres


          SECONDARY ACREAGE: 0 acres

          PROTECTION RECOMMENDATIONS: Shumard's oak has no existing
          protection. Some trees occur in wet areas of the site which may
          receive limited protection under the Federal Clean Water Act
          depending upon which wetlands delineation guidelines are used.
          The Clean Water Act regulates the alteration of wetlands.

          Specific protection recommendations"will depend on the results of
          additional inventory. A landowner contact and education program
          and addition of the site to the Virginia Registry of Natural
          Areas will probably be recommended.

          STEWARDSHIP RECOMMENDATIONS: Additional inventory is needed for
          Shumard's oak at New Bethel Church Natural Area. With more
          complete population information, a more refined preserve design
          can be formulated and more specific protection and stewardship
          recommendations can be offered.

          At least until further inventory is completed, the lands within
          the existing primary and secondary boundaries should be left
          undisturbed; land clearing and construction of roads, utilities,
          and buildings within the existing natural area boundaries should
          be discouraged.

          RECREATIONAL, SCENIC, AND EDUCATIONAL CONSIDERATIONS: The areas
          designated within the ecological boundaries could be incorporated
          into greenspace for planned communities. The open space areas
          will ensure visual interest in the communities and help to
          preserve biodiversity.




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          Lower Peninsula Conservation Planning
          Page 156


                                    QUEEN'S CREEK

          SIZE: 2360 acres


          BIODIVERSITY RANK: B5

          LOCATION: York County and City of Williamsburg
                     Williamsburg and Clay Bank quadrangles

          GENERAL DESCRIPTION: This natural area centers on Queen's Creek,
          a.tidal tributary of the York River, and harbors several
          reg'ionally significant habitats. Marshes line the creek and
          salinities decrease as one moves upstream. Most of the
          surrounding lands are forested, but an airstrip and some
          residential development occur near the lower part of the  creek.
          Soils of the marsh are Bohicket muck, while the soils of  the
          slopes surrounding the marsh consist of Emporia complex or
          Craven-Uchee complex, both a series of well-drained, highly
          erodible fine sandy loams. The soils of the adjacent level
          uplands consist predominantly of Emporia fine sandy loam.
          Historically, the natural area and vicinity have been used for
          fishing, hunting, timber management, and military training.
          Those historic uses continue today to some degree and are
          augmented by recreational boating and residential development.

          NATURAL HERITAGE RESOURCES: Queen's Creek Natural Area contains
          good examples of tidal freshwater and brackish marshes. The
          marsh of the natural area is medium-sized and in good condition.
          Though the marshes at the mouth of Queen Creek are decidedly
          brackish, salinities and tidal influence decrease gradually as
          one moves upstream. Marsh vegetation follows the same pattern,
          starting with typical brackish water species near the mouth or
          the creek such as saltmarsh cordgrass. Big cordgrass replaces
          saltmarsh cordgrass as the dominant species in the middle
          sections of the marsh. Scattered individuals of freshwater marsh
          species are seen among the big cordgrass. The upper marsh
          harbors typical freshwater marsh species such as cattails and
          wild rice.

          Healthy marshes and tidal creeks furnish many ecological
          benefits. Marshes enhance water quality, help contain storm and
          flood waters, buffer against shoreline erosion, produce large
          amounts of nutrients and energy, and provide habitats for a vast
          array of vertebrates and invertebrates. Tidal creeks rich in
          submerged aquatic vegetation provide spawning and nursery areas
          for fish and other aquatic animals. High quality marshes and
          creeks are essential to the health and productivity of the
          Chesapeake Bay. Additionally, the proximity of this marsh to
          urban areas, the existing access at bridge crossings and a local
          park, and the salinity and vegetation gradient would make the
          marsh of Queen Creek an excellent outdoor classroom.

          Some of the uplands surrounding Queen's Creek include good
          examples of southern mixed hardwood forest. American beech,





           Lower Peninsula Conservation Planning
           Page 157


           white oak, and tuliptree dominate the forest canopy. The
           understory is dominated by American holly and flowering dogwood
           in most places. These southern mixed hardwood forests are
           beginning to show old growth qualities such as many large
           maturing trees, complex stratification, diverse species
           composition and age structure, and substantial amounts of
           standing and fallen dead wood. If left undisturbed, these
           forests will develop into significant natural communities with
           time.

           PRIMARY ECOLOGICAL BOUNDARY: The primary boundary encompasses
           the tidal creek and its associated marshes. Also included in the
           primary boundary are the significant forests.

           SECONDARY ECOLOGICAL BOUNDARY: The secondary boundary generally
           follows the primary boundary at a distance of 100 feet. The
           secondary boundary also surrounds all swamps and streams feeding
           into Queen Creek. Because they communicate directly with Queen
           Creek, the tributaries are also a concern for protection.

           The purpose of the secondary boundary is to provide a buffer zone
           between the areas within the primary boundary and adjacent land
           uses. The primary purpose of the buffer around the marsh is to
           protect the water quality and hydrologic regime of the marsh and
           its creeks. The buffer zone around the forest habitats prevent
           increased light into the forest, reduce the likelihood of
           invasion by aggressive "weedy" species, protect the soils from
           erosion, and decrease the possibility of wind-throw of trees.

           OWNERSHIP AND ZONING: Approximately two-thirds of the natural
           area is in public ownership by York County (New Quarter Park),
           the City of Williamsburg (Waller Mill Reservoir and Park), the
           National Park Service (Colonial National Historic Park), and the
           US Department of Defense (Camp Peary Naval Reservation and US
           Naval Supply Center). The remaining private land in the natural
           area includes parts of 19 tracts and one subdivision.

           Almost all of the natural area lies within York County; a small
           part of the marsh and its buffer zone are within the Williamsburg
           city limits.

           Parts of the natural area within the City of Williamsburg are
           currently zoned for residential development. Most of the York
           County tracts are zoned residential conservation with the
           remainder zoned as rural residential or single family
           residential. Parts of the natural area under federal
           jurisdiction (Camp Peary and Colonial Parkway) are not subject to
           local land use regulations.

           PRIMARY ACREAGE: 1700 acres


           SECONDARY ACREAGE: 660 acres


           PROTECTION RECOMMENDATIONS: The marsh habitats and their buffer
           zones receive protection from the Williamsburg and York County






          Lower Peninsula Conservation Planning
          Page 158


          Chesapeake Bay Preservation ordinances. Areas within the primary
          and secondary boundary associated with the marsh and not on
          federal land have been designated as Resource Protection Areas by
          the Bay Ordinances. Most types of physical development are
          prohibited from within Resource Protection Areas. The marsh also
          receives some protection from the Federal Clean Water Act and
          state and local tidal wetland laws (especially the York County
          Tidal Wetlands Ordinance) which regulate the alteration of tidal
          wetlands.

          The marsh is fairly well protected by existing legislation, but
          the forest habitats have little protection. A small portion of
          the significant forests may fall under Resource Protection Area
          Designation. Given the regional significance of the natural area
          and its potential benefits to area residents, it is recommended
          that the-York County pursue protection of the exemplary
          forests. Key tracts of the.natural area should be added to  ' the
          Virginia Registry of Natural Areas. Rezoning of the parts of the
          natural area associated with the exemplary southern mixed
          hardwood forests to a more conservation oriented designation
          should be considered. The managers of the Camp Peary and
          Colonial Parkway should also be approached regarding compatible
          management of the portion of the site which occurs on federal
          land.

          STEWARDSHIP RECOMMENDATIONS: Land-disturbing activities such as
          timber harvest, physical development, and ditching should be
          restricted from within the natural area. Scientific research ad
          environmental education within the natural area are encouraged.

          Queen Creek Natural Area requires no additional natural heritage
          inventory, ecological management, or biological monitoring.

          RECREATIONAL, SCENIC, AND EDUCATIONAL CONSIDERATIONS: The
          development of an interpretive canoe trail which focuses on the
          progression of a stream from freshwater to saltwater could be
          established within this natural area. Route 143 could function
          as the put in and New Quarter Park as the take out for canoes.

          Queens Lake School could provide an additional opportunity for
          interpretive and educational exhibits. The woodland area
          adjacent to the school may provide some of these opportunities.











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           Lower Peninsula Conservation Planning
           Page 160


                                    UPPER CRAB NECK


           SIZE: 840 acres


           BIODIVERSITY RANK: B5

           LOCATION: York County
                      Poquoson West quadrangle
           GENERAL DESCRIPTION: Upper Crab Neck Natural Area consists of a
           large forested site on a low, level plain in eastern York County.
           The forest is dominated variously with stands of older oaks,
           stands of mixed hardwoods, and stands of mixed pines and
           hardwoods. The predominant soil type is Tomotley fine sandy
           loam.

           Past land use on the site is forestry and possibly agriculture.
           It appears the site has been left undisturbed for some time. The
           natural area is completely surrounded by major roads, residences,
           light industry, and a very large powerline. A major petroleum
           refinery lays just north of the site.

           Upper Crab Neck harbors a significant natural community and a
           small population of a rare plant species.

           NATURAL HERITAGE RESOURCES: Upper Crab Neck contains a example
           of a southern mixed hardwood forest. Although much of the site
           has been heavily disturbed by logging and ditching in the past,
           several patches of older, maturing growth are scattered in the
           natural area and many of the remaining forest stands are
           beginning to recover from past disturbances. The highest quality
           stands are'dominated by large, old oak trees, mostly cherrybark
           oak, swamp chestnut oak, white oak, and willow oak. American
           holly and red maple are common in the understory and are often
           accompanied by red bay and flowering dogwood. The herbaceous
           layer is well-developed in these older stands and scattered
           standing dead trees can be found. In the more disturbed areas
           loblolly pine and tuliptree become more dominant.

           Although the southern mixed hardwood forest at Upper Crab Neck
           Natural Area is not virgin growth, some stands do have old growth
           qualities such as many large maturing trees, complex
           stratification, diverse species composition and age structure,
           and substantial amounts of standing and fallen dead wood. These
           old growth characteristics make the forest a significant natural
           heritage resource.

           A very small population of Carolina bolt*onia is known from the
           southern edge of the natural area. Carolina boltonia, a member
           of the composite family, is very rare throughout its range which
           includes the piedmont and coastal plain from Virginia south to
           South Carolina. The species is also considered very rare in the
           Commonwealth; it is known from less than twelve sites in eight
           Virginia counties.






           Lower Peninsula Conservation Planning
           Page 161


           Carolina boltonias are tall (up to six feet) herbaceous perennial
           plants with many branches, sparse compound leaves, and yellow and
           white composite flowers. The plants normally grow in full sun in
           moist or wet soils. A single boltonia was discovered growing at
           the edge of a small stream at Upper Crab Neck in 1990. Two
           additional plants were discovered in the same vicinity in 1992.
           All of the plants were flowering.

           PRIMARY ECOLOGICAL BOUNDARY: The  primary ecological boundary
           encompasses all of the significant woodland and includes the rare
           plant habitat.

           SECONDARY ECOLOGICAL BOUNDARY: Ideally, the secondary boundary
           would form a forested buffer zone around the primary boundary in
           this situation. Because the primary boundary is surrounded by
           major roads and development, a buffer zone is not possible. The
           secondary boundary at this natural area is entirely coincident
           with the primary boundary.

           OWNERSHIP AND ZONING: Most of the natural area is owned by a
           single corporate landholder. Some of the natural area includes
           parts of several private tracts, especially along the periphery
           of the site.

           Approximately three-fourths of the natural area is zoned general
           industrial with the remainder of the land within the natural area
           boundaries zoned limited industrial or single family residential.

           PRIMARY ACREAGE: 840 acres


           SECONDARY ACREAGE: 0 acres

           PROTECTIONRECOMMENDATIONS: Upper Crab Neck Natural Area has no
           known existing protection.

           The property owners should be contacted and advised as to the
           significance of the site. Placement of the site on the Virginia
           Registry of Natural Areas is recommended. Once positive
           relations have been established with the landholders, the
           negotiation of management agreements to protect the natural
           heritage resources of the site may be possible.

           STEWARDSHIP RECOMMENDATIONS: The land within the natural area
           boundary should not be subjected to further land-disturbing
           activities such as timber harvest, ditching, or physical
           development. Hiking, nature observation, and environmental
           education are activities compatible with the natural heritage
           resources of the site.

           Additional inventory should be conducted in Upper Crab Neck
           Natural Area. Inventory efforts should focus on finding any
           additional Carolina boltonia sites which may exist at the site.
           Known boltonia plants should be monitored periodically.






           Lower Peninsula Conservation Planning
           Page 162


           RECREATIONAL, SCENIC, AND EDUCATIONAL CONSIDERATIONS: The
           corparate landowner could be convinced to offer use of this site
           as open space to benefit the local community. Trails and
           interpretive exhibits could be established.







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           Lower Peninsula Conservation Planning
           Page 164


                                      BIBLIOGRAPHY

           Following is a listing of many of the written resources drawn
           upon during the course of this project. Also included are some
           general references regarding biodiversity and land protection
           tools. Additional information regarding conservation planning
           can be obtained by contacting the Virginia Department of
           Conservation and Recreation's Division of Natural Heritage.


           Adams, L.W., and L.E. Dove. 1989. Wildlife Reserves and Corridors
               in the Urban Environment. National Institute for Urban
               Wildlife, Columbia, MD. 91 pp.

           Andrew, J.M., and J.A. Mosher. 1982. Bald eagle nest site
               selection and nesting habitat in Maryland. Journal of
               Wildlife Management 46:382-390.

           Bent, A.C. 1937. Life Histories of North American Birds. Dover
               Publications, New York, NY. 19 volumes.

           Berger, J.J. 1990. Environmental Restoration. Island Press,
               Washington, DC. 398 pp.

           Brennenman, R.L., and S.M. Bates, eds. 1984. Land-Saving Action.
               Island Press, Covelo, CA. 249 pp.

           Brown, M.T., J.M. Schaefer, and K. Brandt. 1990. Buffer Zones for
               Water, Wetlands, and Wildlife in East Central Florida. CFW
               Publication #89-07, Florida Agricultural Experiment Stations
               Journal Series No. T-00061.

           Buckley, P.A., and F.G. Buckley. 1976. Guidelines for the
               Protection and Management of Colonially Nesting Waterbirds.
               U.S. National Park Service, Boston, MA. 54 pp.

           Calver, J.L., and C.R.B. Hobbs, Jr. 1963. Geologic Map of
               Virginia. Department of Conservation and Economic
               Development, Division of Mineral Resources (now Dept. of
               Mines, Minerals, and Energy), Charlottesville, VA.

           Cooper, J.R., J.W. Gilliam, R.B. Daniels, and W.P. Robarge. 1987.
               Riparian areas as filters for agricultural sediment. Soil
               Science Society of America Journal.

           Diamond, J.M. 1975. The island dilemma: lessons of modern
               biogeographic studies for the design of natural preserves.
               Biological Conservation 7:129-146.

           Diehl, J., and T.S. Barrett. 1988. The Conservation Easement
               Handbook. The Land Trust Alliance, Alexandria, VA. 269 pp.

           Dillaha, T.A., J.H. Sherrare, D. Lee. 1986. Long term
               effectiveness and maintenance of vegetative filter strips.
               Bulletin 153, Virginia Water Resources Research Center.






          Lower Peninsula Conservation Planning
          Page 165


          Dillaha, T.A., J.H. Sherrard, D. Lee, S. Mostaghim, and V.0.
               Shanholtz. 1988. Evaluation of vegetative filter strips as a
               best management practice for feedlots. Journal of Water
               Pollution Control Federation 60:1231-1238.

          Dixon, J.A., and P.B. Sherman. 1990. Economics of Protected
               Areas. Island Press, Washington, DC. 234 pp.

          Fernald, M.L. 1950. Gray's Manual of Botany. Dioscorides Press,
               OR. 1632 pp.

          Gleason, H.A. 1952. Illustrated Flora  of the Northeastern United
               states and Adjacent Canada. Hafner Press, New York, NY. 3
               volumes.

          Harvill, A.M., Jr.,.T.R. Bradley, C.E. Stevens. T.F. Wiebolt,
               D.M.E. Ware, D.W. Ogle, G.W. Ramsey, and G.P. Fleming. 1992.
               Atlas of the Virginia Flora, Third Edition. Virginia
               Botanical Associates, Burkeville, VA. 144 pp.

          Hodges, R.L., P.B. Sabo, D. McCloy, and C.K. Staples. 1985.,Soil
               Survey of James City and York Counties and the City of
               Williamsburg, Virginia. U.S.D.A. Soil Conservation Service.
               137 pp.

          Hoose, P.M. 1981. Building and Ark, Tools for the Preservation of
               Natural Diversity through Land Protection. Island Press,
               Covelo, CA. 221 pp.

          Jaffee, N.B. 1980. Nest site selection and foraging behavior of
               the bald eagle in Virginia. M.A. thesis, College of William
               and Mary, Williamsburg, VA. 113 pp.

          Johnson, G.H., and C.R. Berquist, Jr. 1989. Geology and Mineral
               Resources of the Brandon and Norge Quadrangles, Virginia.
               Dept. of Mines, Minerals, and Energy, Charlottesville, VA.

          Klein, R.D. 1992. The Effects of Boating Activity and Related
               Facilities upon Tidal Creeks in Maryland. Community and
               Environmental Defense Services, Maryland Line, MD. 25 pp.

          Knight, S. K., and R.L. Knight. 1984. Responses of wintering bald
               eagles to boating activity. Journal of Wildlife Management
               48:999-1004.

          Mathisen, J.E. 1968. Effects of human disturbance on nesting bald
               eagles. Journal of Wildlife Management 32:1-6.

          McGarigal, K. 1988. Human-eagle interactions on the lower
               Columbia River, Oregon. M.S. thesis. Oregon State University,
               Corvallis, OR. 115 pp.

          Mitsch, W.J., and J.G. Gosselink. 1986. Wetlands. Van Nostrand
               Reinhold Company, New York, NY. 539 pp.






           Lower Peninsula Conservation Planning
           Page 166


           Norton, B.G. 1987. Why Preserve Natural Variety? Princeton
               University Press. 281 pp.
           Noss, R.F. 1987. Protecting natural areas in fragmented
               landscapes. Natural Areas Journal 7(l):2-13.
           Pennak, R.W. 1989. Fresh-water Invertebrates of the United
               States, Third Edition. John Wiley and Sons, Inc., New York,'
               NY. 628 pp.

           Radford, A.E., H.E. Ahles, and C.R. Bell. 1968. Manual of the
               Vascular Flora of the Carolinas. University of North Carolina
               Press, Chapel Hill, NC. 1183 pp.

           Rawinski, T.J. 1990. A Classification of Virginia's Indigenous
               Biotic Communities: Phase 1 - Upper Levels of the Hierarchy.
               Unpubl. Report.'Department of Conservation and Recreation,
               Division of Natural Heritage, Richmond, VA. 11 pp.

           Roman, C.T., and R.E. Good. 1985. buffer Delineation Model for
               New Jersey Pinelands Wetlands. Rutgers Center for Coastal and
               Environmental Studies, Division of Pinelands Research.

           Shafer, C.L. 1990. Nature Reserves. Smithsonian Institution
               Press, Washington, DC. 189 pp.

           Soule, M.E. 1987. Viable Populations for Conservation. Cambridge
               University Press, Cambridge, UK. 189 pp.

           Soule, M.E., and D. Simberloff. 1986. What do genetics and
               ecology tell us about the design of nature reserves?
               Biological Conservation 35:19-40.

           Terwilliger, K., coordinator. 1991. Virginia's Endangered
               Species: Proceedings of a Symposium. McDonald and Woodward
               Publishing Company, Blacksburg, VA. 672 pp.

           White, C.P. 1989. Chesapeake Bay, Nature of the Estuary, a Field
               Guide. Tidewater Publishers, Centreville, MD. 212 pp.

           Weigmann, D.L., and C.J. Kroehler. Threats to Virginia's
               Groundwater. Virginia water Resources Research Center,
               Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University,
               Blacksburg, VA. 44 pp.

           Williams, R.D. 1990. Vegetative filter Strips and surface Water
               Quality. Unpublished report of USDA-ARS Water quality and
               Watershed Research Laboratory.

           Wright, L.D., and S.P. Hubbell. 1983. Stochastic extinction and
               reserve size: a focal species approach. Oikos 41:466-476.

           Zabawa, C. 1981. The role of boat wakes in shore erosion in Anne
               Arundel County, Maryland. Maryland Coast Report 5:1-4.
               Maryland Department of Natural Resources, Annapolis, MD.






          Lower Peninsula Conservation Planning
          Page 167


                                   ACKNOWLEDGMENTS


          Funding for this project was provided by the Virginia Council on
          the Environment's Coastal Resources Management Program through
          grant number NA170ZO359-01 of the National Oceanographic and
          Atmospheric Administration under the Coastal Zone Management Act
          of 1972, as amended. Matching funds were provided by the
          Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation. We would
          like to thank Laura McKay of the Council on the Environment for
          coordinating this funding.

          We wish to thank the staff and elected officials of the James
          City County, York County, and the City of Williamsburg for
          helping to make this project a reality and providing valuable
          assistance and information. Wayland Bass, Cindy Taylor, and Reid
          Nestor of the local planning departments deserve special
          recognition for their help. We hope this report will prove to be
          a useful tool for the conservation efforts by these local
          governments.

          All the staff members of the Division of Natural Heritage
          contributed expertise or assistance to this project at some
          point; Caren Caljouw, Chris Clampitt, and Larry Smith were
          especially valuable.  Several scientific and conservation experts
          outside the Division of Natural Heritage provided vital
          assistance: Dana Bradshaw, Ruth Beck, Mitchell Byrd, Virginia
          Crouch, John Holsinger, Nancy Ibison, Gerald Johnson, and Donna
          Ware. Donna Ware also furnished valuable expertise on several
          site visits. Christopher Clampitt, Shep Moon, and Janit Potter
          wrote some sections of this report; their contributions are
          greatly appreciated. The following people reviewed the draft
          report and provided important editorial comments: Dana Bradshaw,
          Sue Bruenderman, Caren Caljouw, Chris Clampitt, Laura McKay, Shep
          Moon, Reid Nestor, Chuck Rafkind, Larry Smith, Cindy Taylor,
          Donna Ware, and Stewart Ware.

          Norman Crabill graciously volunteered the use of his airplane and
          aviation skills for the aerial survey over the project
          area. Many people deserve thanks for allowing access to their
          property. David Morris and other staff of Newport News
          Waterworks Department and Parks and Recreation Department
          facilitated access to several Newport News owned sites in York
          County. Anheusher-Busch Incorporated, especially William Voliva
          and-Leslie Migliozzi, allowed access to Grove Creek Natural Area
          on several occasions for this project. The Boy Scouts of
          America, the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, the College of
          William and Mary, the Virginia Institute of Marine Science, and
          York River State Park graciously permitted us to visit the parts
          of their properties which are included in some of the natural
          areas. We would also like to thank the many private property
          owners who gave permission to access their property.

          Several individuals and organizations participated in
          environmental review or initial protection activities on a few of





          Lower Peninsula Conservation Planning
          Page 168


          the Lower Peninsula natural areas during this project; their
          constructive cooperation was appreciated and we look forward to
          continuing environmental review and protection work with them:
          Wayland Bass, Ron Boyd, Caren Caljouw, Chris Clampitt, Joe Cross,
          Pat Freil, Sarah Holbrook, Ann Jennings, Mike Kelley, Carolyn
          Lowe, Shep Moon, Robin Morgan, Tim O'Connell, Cindy Schulz, Larry
          Smith, Elizabeth Sullivan, Estie Taylor, William Voliva, Donna
          Ware, Anheuser-Busch, Incorporated, Historic Rivers Land
          Conservancy, James City County Planning Department, Warhill
          Partnerships, Incorporated, City of Williamsburg Planning
          Department, Williamsburg Environmental Group.





           Lower Peninsula Conservation Planning
           Page A-1












                                      APPENDIX A


                      LOCAL OPTIONS FOR CONSERVING NATURAL AREAS



                                    by Shepard Moon
                          Virginia Council on the Environment
















                          LOCAL OPTIONS FOR CONSERVING NATURAL AREAS

                                     Virginia Council on the Environment

                                              February 19, 1993





                   This report was prepared by staff of the Virginia Council on the Environment
            at the request of the Department of Conservation and Recreation. It is a general
            guide to the land management options available to local governments in Virginia for
            conserving natural areas. The report is for use in conjunction with the Division of
            Natural Heritage report, Conservation Planning for the Natural Areas of th Lower
            Peninsul which contains detailed information on identified natural areas in James
            City and York Counties, and the City of Williamsburg. The Natural Heritage report
            is the final product of a multi-year effort to survey and promote protection for
            important natural areas in the subject localities. The Natural Heritage survey was
            conducted at the request of local officials. The concepts presented here are
            applicable throughout Virginia and can be used for natural area conservation pl
            in any state locality.













                   This report was funded, in part, by the Virginia Council on the Environment's
            Coastal Resources Management program through Grant #NA170ZO359-01 of the
            National Oceanic and atmospheric Administration, Office of Ocean and Coastal
            Resource Management, under the Coastal Zone Management Act of 1972 as
            amended.











                                                   Contents




                                                                                            Page

             L Introduction                                                                 1

             II. State and Fedend Regulations                                               3

                    State and Federal Laws Protecting Rare Plants and Animals
                    Environmental Impact Review
                    State and Federal Regulation of Significant Areas

             III. Non-regulatory Options                                                    6

                    Acquisition
                    Conservation Easements
                    Dedication of Natural Area Preserves
                    Natural Areas Registry and Management Agreements
                    Tax Incentives

             IV. Managing Development                                                       11

                    Comprehensive Planning
                    Conventional Zoning
                    Flejdble Zoning
                    Transfer, Purchase and 1,ease of Development Rights

             V. Developing a Natural Area Conservation Program                              16












                       LOCAL OPTIONS FOR CONSERVING NATURAL AREAS




           1. Introduction


                 This report describes options available to Virginia localities for conserving
           natural areas identified through a natural heritage resource inventory. Natural
           heritage resources are "the habitat oftare, threatened, or endangered plant and
           animal species, rare or state significant natural communities or geologic sites, and
           similar features of scientific interest" (Virginia Natural Area Preserves Act, Vugiida
           Code ï¿½10.1-209 et seq.). Natural areas are determined based on an inventory,
           conducted by the Department of Conservation and Recreation!s Division of Natural
           Heritage, which systematically identifies natural heritage resources and the' land area
           necessary to protect thern.

                 Natural areas are increasingly threatened by the cumulative effects of human
           activities which alter the natural environment. Habitat disturbance, fragmentation, or
           destruction is occurring as a result of encroaching urban development as well as
           logging, agriculture, and surface mining. The conservation techniques described in this
           report can be used in various combinations.to prevent the loss of important natural
           areas and provide a comprehensive local natural areas protection program.

                 In describing natural area boundaries, staff scientists from the Division of
           Natural Heritage consider a number offactors including;

                 * the extent of current and potential habitat for important biological
                 communities,
                 * species migration corridors, and
                 * buffer requirements to maintain surface and ground water quality and
                 quantity within the site, and exclude or control problem species.

           Using these guidelines, a preserve design is prepared for each natural area which
           generally consists of two zones: a core reserve, and a buffer zone. Each zone has its
           own special planning considerations. In general, the core reserve requires the highest
           level of protection. A buffer zone around the core protects it from outside threats
           and encroachments. This buffer may still be used in a low intensity manner if
           appropriate performance standards are applied. 'ne specific requirements of each







             zone may vary from site to site, based on the characteristics and needs of the
             resources found there.

                   The primary goal of a local natural areas program is to conserve natural
             heritage resources. Other benefits of preserving these natural areas include providi g
             habitat for other, more common species, as well as providing opportunities for
             recreation, education and research. In order to better integrate natural area
             conservation into the local decision process, complementary goals should be to protect
             these resources in ways that do not impose unfair restrictions on private property, and
             that serve as an asset for local economic and community development efforts.

                   Most efforts to date to conserve natural heritage resources have focused either
             on state and federal regulations or traditional non-regulatory options such as
             acquisition or easements. These most commonly used methods are discussed in the
             next two sections of this'report. There is also, however, a growing trend toward
             increased local government involvement in natural area conservation. An enhanced
             local role can fill the gaps where federal and state program are unable to limit
             habitat loss from land development and other activities which fall under the purview
             of local programs. Information on the location of natural areas can assist localities in
             planning for community development and implementing local land management
             program . These options for managing development are also discussed later in this
             report.

                   A key principle for a successful local natural areas program is to integrate
             natural heritage resource conservation into the planning and land management process
             in a way that considers local circumstances and accommodates community
             development. There is no single approach for natural area conservation that is
             appropriate for all localities. An appropriate program is determined by local
             conditions such as population density, anticipated growth, the extent and value of
             natural areas, public awareness of the issue, and the general vision the community has
             for its future. Each strategy has advantages and disadvantages in different situations
             and for different localities. Certain local governments will choose to emphasize one
             approach over another. The most effective local program , however, will likely consist
             of a combination of strategies and management techniques. These issues will be
             discussed in the last section entitled "developing a natural areas conservation
             program".





                                                        2








               11. State and Federal Regulations

                     State and federal mandates play an important role mi conservmg natural
               heritage resources. Some, such as state and federal endangered species laws, are
               directed specifically at protecting these resources. Others are focused on managing
               significant lands such as wetlands, beaches, or Chesapeake Bay Preservation Areas
               which may contain natural heritage resources or be closely tied to the well being of
               these resources. Still others, such as the National Environmental Policy Act and
               Virginia!s Environmental Impact Review Process are designed to identify and manage
               the effects of proposed public facilities, including impacts to natural heritage
               resources. Taken together, these mandates can provide an important component of a
               comprehensive natural area conservation program.


               State and Federal Laws Protecting Rare Plants and Animals

                     Virginia!s natural heritage includes a number of species which are listed or
               proposed for inclusion on the state or federal endangered or threatened species lists.
               Several protection measures are afforded to listed endangered and threatened species
               such as systematic surveys, preparation and implementation of recovery plans, permit
               review, land acquisition and other species conservation actions.

                     Virginia has two laws designed to protect endangered species. Ile Virginia
               Endangered Species Act (Fu&ia Code ï¿½29.1-230 et seq.) was passed in 1972 and is
               admini tered by the Department of Game and Inland fisheries. This legislation
               prohibits the taking, transportation, sale, etc. of endangered and threatened animal
               species, except by permit. Virginia!s Endangered Plant and Insect- Act (Fuginia Code
               ï¿½3.1-1020 et seq.) was passed by the General Assembly in 1979 in order to extend
               protection and management to endangered and threatened species of plants and
               insects. This act is administered by the Department of Agriculture and Consumer
               Services and prohibits'the taking or possession of listed species except from a person!s
               own land or by permit.

                     The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service administers the federal Endangered Species
               Act, which was passed in 1973. The Fish and Wildlife Service's regulations
               promulgated pursuant to this act prohibit the taking of any endangered species
               including significant modification or degradation of their habitat. Cooperative
               agreements for the implementation and enforcement of provisions of the federal
               Endangered Species Act have been signed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service with


                                                         3







             the Department of Game and Inland Fisheries and the Department of Agriculture and
             Consumer Services.



             Environmental !=act Revi

                    Environmental review affords an important opportunity to provide early
             comments on the potential impacts to natural heritage resources from proposed
             federal and state development projects. Projects proposed, funded, or permitted by a
             federal agency may require some level of environmental review under the National
             Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). Under this act, any federal agency proposi
             funding, or granting a permit for an activity which could affect a threatened or
             endangered species.must consult with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The rules
             governing the federal environmental impact process require that federal agencies
             contact affected state and local governments in preparing and reviewing federal
             documents. The Council on the Environment is the coordinating agency for the
             Commonwealth of Virginia for federal environmental documents, with the exception of
             road projects.

                    The Commonwealth of Virginia also requires an environmental review of major
             state-funded projects. Ile Virginia Environmental Quality Act (Fulginia Code ï¿½10.1 -
             1200 et seq.) requires that any state agency or institution proposing to construct
             facilities costing more that $100,000 must prepare an environmental impact report and
             submit it to the Council on the Environment. If there is a possibility that natural
             heritage resources will be affected by a state project, the Division of Natural Heritage
             will be asked to comment. The impacts to natural heritage resources must be
             described in the environmental impact report along with measures to avoid or
               . . .   these impacts. Following a review of the project, the Council provides
             comments to the Governor prior to authorization for project funding. Unlike the
             federal NEPA, state legislation does not require state agencies to prepare an
             environmental impact report before issuing permits to private parties.

                    Certain agencies and organizations submit permit applications and project
             notices directly to the Division of Natural Heritage in response to various mandates
             beyond the coordinated review programs described above. These include the Virginia
             Department of Transportation, the Virginia Marine Resources Commission, the State
             Water Control Board, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife
             Service and other permitting and regulatory agencies, along with some private
             concerns. Again, the objective of this review is to protect natural heritage resources

                                                        4








             by avoiding or              impacts to the resources. The Division of Natural Heritage
             reviews these proposals and makes recommendations to assist in planning efforts.


             State and Federal Regulaoon of Significant Areas

                    State and federal regulations ap ply to certain classes of environmentally
             significant areas which may contain or be closely linked to natural heritage resources.
             These include wetlands, dunes, beaches, and Chesapeake Bay Preservation Areas.
             These areas provide rich habitats and often have a higher than average likelihood of
             supporting rare species. Although natural heritage conservation may not be the sole
             or primary purpose for protecting these areas, applicable regulations can form an
             important component of a comprehensive local natural areas program.

                    Wetlands, both tidal and non-tidal, have a number of important physical and
             biological functions, including providing important habitat for many rare and
             endangered species. Nationally, almost 35 percent of protected animal species are
             found in wetlands, although wetlands cover only about 5 percent of the nation!s land
             area. In Virginia, over 50 percent of our rare, threatened, or endangered plant
             species are found in wetlands.

                    State law regulates the use of tidal wetlands in Virginia (Yu'gbzia Code ï¿½28.2-
             1300 et seq.). This law is administered cooperatively by local wetlands boards and
             the Virginia Marine Resources Commission. A permit from the local wetlands board
             is required prior to starting construction, dredging, or filling a tidal wetland. Permits
             are to be issued only if the proposed activity would not violate the intent and
             standards of the law and the benefits of the activity exceed its detriment. One of the
             standards listed in the law is that 'Wetlands of primary ecological significance shall not
             be altered so that the ecological systems in the wetlands are unreasonably disturbed."

                    Non-tidal wetlands are regulated under Section 404 of the Clean Water Act
             (1977), administered by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The Act prohibits
             disposal of dredged material or placement of fill material into "waters of the United
             States," which are interpreted by the Environmental Protection Agency to include most
             non-tidal wetlands. Section 401 of the Act gives states the authority to review the
             404 permit applications (as well as other federal water permits or license requests),
             and to certify accordance with state water quality standards and policies. As a result
             of 1989 Virginia legislation, the state has strengthened its 401 certification program
             through the issuance of a Virginia Water Protection Permit.


                                                          5









                   Beaches and coastal primary sand dunes in Virginia are regulated by VYgWa
             Code ï¿½28.2-1400 et seq. This law is administered in similar fashion to the wetlands
             law and requires a permit for any dune or beach disturbing activity above the mean
             high water mark. Beaches below the mean high water mark are regulated by the
             wetlands law.


                   The Chesapeake Bay Preservation Act (Vugbzia Code ï¿½10.1-2100 et seq.),
             although enacted to protect water quality, has provisions which can help conserve
             natural heritage resources. The Chesapeake Bay Preservation Area Designation and
             Management Regulations are administered by the Chesapeake Bay Local Assistance
             Department and implemented by local governments in the Tidewater region of
             Virginia. The regulations require local governments to designate tidal and contiguous
             non-tidal wetlands, tidal shores, and at least a 100 foot buffer as Resource Protection
             Areas. Development or alteration of these areas is, in most cases, prohibited.
             Adjacent lands which may affect water quality are designated as Resource
             Management Areas. Land uses in these areas must meet specific water quality
             protection criteria.

                   The regulations that apply to each of these environmentally significant areas
             can be instrumental in protecting natural heritage resources. It is important to
             recognize, however, that these programs were not designed solely to conserve natural
             heritage resources. In some cases, the regulations may permit activities which are
             detrimental to these resources. For example, non-tidal wetlands such as bottomland
             hardwood areas may be logged under current regulations, thus severely altering the
             ecosystem. Ibis does not mean that the regulations have no value for habitat
             protection, but rather that it may be necessary in some cases to use other
             management techniques in addition to the applicable regulations.



             III. Non-regulatory Options

                   The state and federal regulatory program described above may afford
             protection against some of the threats to natural areas. More than likely, however,
             they will not by themselves provide sufficient conservation measures to fully protect a
             natural area. In order to provide comprehensive natural area conservation, other
             protection techniques need to be used as well. An integral part of a comprehensive
             natural area conservation program will be effective partnerships among the various
             parties having influence over activities that affect the target resources. Landowners,

                                                       6








             businesses, developers, environmental groups and citizens in general need to be
             included in this partnership along with local and state government. This section
             describes some techniques that can be used for building partnerships to conserve
             natural areas through non-regulatory means.



             Acquisition

                   Fee simple acquisition is one of the oldest and most direct strategies for
             conserving natural areas. Natural areas can be acquired by the federal, state, or local
             governments, or by private concerns. Funds to acquire these areas can also come
             from some combination of these groups. There are hundreds of natural areas in need
             of protection in Virginia. Because funds are limited and land is expensive, only a
             small percentage of the most biologically important natural areas can be protected
             through outright acquisition by the state and federal governments or by private
             conservation organizations. Still, acquisition can play an important role in local
             natural area conservation and can be particularly effective if local governments,
             businesses, and conservation groups take an active role in acquiring important
             properties.

                    In some cases land acquisition may be the only realistic option for preserving
             significant natural areas. For instance where parcels he entirely within an important
             natural area, conservation might require a difficult compromise between habitat
             preservation and reasonable use of the land. Where the owner is interested in
             altering land in ways detrimental to the natural heritage resources, some form of
             acquisition may be the most appropriate preservation technique. The property could
             be acquired by the local government, a private environmental group, or a coalition of
             interests including businesses and private citizens.

                    There are a number of options, and combinations of options, available for
             acquiring and maintaining important natural areas. The simplest option is for the
                                      9
             local government to purchase property with either general funds or through a local
             bond issue. This option, of course, requires strong support from local citizens. Local
             government funds can also be used as "seed money' to attract contributions from
             businesses, citizen groups and private individuals, or to be used as a match for other
             grants. Funds may also be available on a competitive basis from the state or federal
             governments and national conservation organizations. In addition to fee simple
             purchase of property, these funds could also be used to protect natural heritage
             resources by leasing land. This technique can be a more cost effective use of fimds if


                                                         7








              the property owner is interested in such arrangements.

                    Acquisition of important natural areas can provide a core from which to build
              a more comprehensive open space network. It may also encourage nearby property
              owners to preserve their land through other techniques such as those discussed below.



              Conservation Easements


                     Conservation easements are legally enforceable agreements between a
              landowner and a government agency or conservation organization that place
              restrictions on the present and future use of land. State agencies and local'
              governments can hold easements, or property, under the provisions of the Open Space
              Land Act (Fuginia Code ï¿½ 10.1-1700 et seq.). The Virginia Outdoors Foundation,
              which was created to accept and hold gifts of open space land, also accepts easements
              (Vugii@ Code ï¿½ 10.1-1800 et seq.). Non-profit conservation organizations can hold
              conservation easements under the provisions of the Virginia Conservation Easement
              Act (VugWa Code ï¿½ 10.1-1009 et seq.). An easement can run for a term of years or
              can be a perpetual easement to be observed by the present and future owners of the
              land. Easements are attractive for both the conservation-minded landowner as well as
              the agency or conservation organization. The restrictive terms of the easement are
              entirely negotiable between the parties involved. Ile present and future landowners
              continue to enjoy many uses of the property while the agency or conservation
              organization achieves their conservation goals for the site. There are also financial
              benefits for the donor of the easement such as a possible reduced assessment for. real
              estate purposes, a charitable deduction for state and federal income tax purposes, and
              reduction of federal estate taxes and Virginia inheritance taxes.



              Dedication of Natural Area Preserves


                     The Virginia Natural Area Preserves Act authorizes the Department of
              Conservation and Recreation to accept the dedication of qualified natural areas into
              the Virginia Natural Area Preserves System. Natural area dedication is the strongest
              form of protection that can be afforded a natural area. It involves recording a legally
              binding agreement which states the conservation purpose of a property and grants a
              conservation interest to the Department. The terms of a dedication agreement can be
              similar to those of a conservation easement and should state intentions for the use of
              the property, its management,  development, and possible public uses. The dedication

                                                         8








             agreement is recorded with the deed of the property and is perpetual. Ile Natural
             Area Preserves Act allows any private landowner, state agency, or other public body
             (other than federal) to dedicate their lands as natural area preserves. Private
             landowners may dedicate their property as a natural area preserve and still maintain
             ownership and all rights to sell or otherwise transfer title to the property. In addition
             to the satisfaction of preserving important natural resources, the same financial
             benefits offered the donor of a conservation easement are available to a private
             landowner who dedicates land as a natural area preserve.



             Natural Areas Regisla and Management Agreements

                    The Virginia Natural Area Preserves Act also authorizes the Department of
             Conservation and Recreation to maintain a state registry of voluntarily protected
             natural areas. The Division of Natural Heritage is initiating a registry program for
             voluntary conservation of publicly and privately owned natural areas. Natural Area
             registry agreements will be sought on private, state, and federal lands. Participating
             landowners receive a plaque that recognizes the significance of the property and its
             placement on the Department's Natural Area Registry. In return, the landowner
             offers voluntary protection for their property and agrees to notify the Department of
             Conservation and Recreation of any intent for ownership to change hands, as well as
             the condition of the natural heritage resources on the land. In return for this
             voluntary protection, a landowner receives the personal satisfaction of knowing that
             they have contributed to a statewide natural area conservation effort. Landowners
             also receive advice and assistance with site and species management and monitoring,
             and other assistance from the Department of Conservation and Recreation relating to
             natural area conservation.



                    A management agreement is a contract between the landowner of a natural
             area and an agency or conservation organization to achieve specific conservation
             objectives. Management agreements are designed to clearly state the desires of the
             landowner and the conservation group in regard to the conservation intent for the site
             and the duration of the agreement. Tlese agreements can be used to conserve
             natural areas on either publicly or privately owned land. A natural area management
             agreement may be an effective conservation option alone, or may be used in
             conjunction with some other technique such as natural areas registry.


             Tax Incentives


                                                        9









                    Under the "Land Use Assessment Law" (FugWa Code ï¿½58.1-3230           et seq.) a
             locality may, at its own option, adopt a program of preferential assessment for lands
             devoted to agriculture, horticulture, forestry, and open space uses. In localities which
             adopt this program, real estate which meets qualification standards formulated by the
             State Land Evaluation Advisory Committee is assessed by local officials according to
             its "use value!' as opposed to its fair market value. Such assessments promote the
             conservation of open space by ameliorating pressures which might otherwise force a
             property's conversion to more intensive use.

                    The Agricultural and Forestal Districts'Act (Vuginia Code ï¿½15.1-1506 et seq.)
             allows farm or timberland owners to voluntarily form agricultural or forestal districts.
             These are areas in which landowners declare their intention to maintain their land in
             agricultural or timber harvesting for a period of five to eight years. Although the
             primary goal of this legislation is to preserve the economic production aspects of these
             lands, the act also states that the areas will serve to "conserve and protect agricultural
             and forestal lands as valued natural and ecological resources which provide essential
             open spaces for clean air sheds, watershed protection, wildlife habitat, as well as for
             aesthetic purposes." In return for entering into a district agreement, landowners
             receive certain financial incentives and protection from development pressures.
             Landowners in an agricultural or forestal district are automatically eligible for use-
             value assessments for property taxes. Limitations are placed on the expenditure of
             public funds for infrastructure expansion in districts as well as restrictions on the
             acquisition of land through eminent domain. Local governments rezoning parcels next
             to agricultural and forestal districts must also consider the existence of these districts
             in their decision making.

                    Although agricultural and forestal districts do not prohibit 0 activities which
             may be detrimental to natural areas, they can help reduce development pressures and
             provide some buffering from development. In this respect, these districts would be
             most valuable when combined with some form of acquisition, such as conservation
             easements, for the most important natural areas within a district.







             IV. Managing Development
 A
                                                         10








                   Non-regulatory protection options, used in combination with state and federal
            regulations, can provide a strong core for a local natural area conservation program.
            But these regulations and agreements, although valuable components, do not by
            themselves represent a comprehensive natural areas program and probably cannot
            protect all of the natural areas in a locality. State and federal regulations Will not
            apply to all of the land within most natural areas. Non-regulatory protection options
            are limited by available funds and by the wishes of current landowners. In order to
            supplement these strategies and develop a more extensive system of protected natural
            areas, local governments should use their land management authority to harness the
            development pressures threatening natural areas. Development proposals can then
            actually be used to conserve these areas. To accomplish this objective, a strong
            natural area conservation component in the comprehensive plan is essential. The plan
            can provide a blueprint for natural area conservation which can be implemented
            through several different flexible zoning techniques. This section describes these
            planning and land management mechanisms which are available to localities for
            conserving natural areas by managing development.



            Co=rehensive PI

                   All localities in Virginia are required to adopt a comprehensive plan.
            Comprehensive planning provides a means for anticipating and influencing changes
            occurring within a community. Comprehensive plans include information on existing
            conditions, community goals and objectives, and strategies for attaining the
            community's vision for its future. Conserving natural areas should be an integral part
            of this vision.


                   With regard to natural areas, deciding how to best display the occurrence of
            rare species populations is a matter of some debate. A natural areas inventory Will
            provide detailed information on natural area boundaries, as well as a description of
            the natural heritage resources within the area and their location and management
            requiremen . The debate occurs over how much detail should be given in
            comprehensive plans available to the public. There is some concern that including
            details on species location may invite harm to those species from collectors or by
            landowners wishing to remove what they may see as an obstacle to achieving their
            goals for their property.- On the other hand, limiting the level of detail to very
            general location information also limits the usefulness of the information for planning
            purposes. Some have argued that very general location information is sufficient and








              that precise location data should be reserved for local staff review of development
              proposals. This strategy has limitations, however, because it does not encourage
              developers to consider sensitive resources as they design developments. Each locality
              must decide how to best balance these risks and opportunities.

                    There is no debate, however, over the value of developing strong
              comprehensive plan goals and objectives for conserving natural areas. Ile
              comprehensive plan can be a powerful tool for coordinating a comprehensive natural
              area conservation program. A goal is an end towards which community actions are
              aimed. An objective is a measurable activity to be accomplished in pursuit of that
              goal. The final part of the natural area planning process is to develop conservation
              strategies. Strategies are specific proposals for accomplishing an objective. Strategies
              to employ for attaining natural area conservation objectives should include the non-
              regulatory and development management options described in this report. These
              strategies, when added to applicable state and federal regulations, form a well
              balanced and comprehensive natural area conservation program.

                     One planning strategy for natural area conservation is to incorporate natural
              areas into a comprehensive open space plan. Open space planning involves
              identifying open spaces and recommending strategies to conserve these areas through
              various land management techniques. An open space plan may address conservation
              of many important community features, including natural areas, historic sites and
              districts, scenic routes and rivers along with their adjacent "Viewsheds", national, state
              or local parks and forests, other environmentally sensitive areas such as wetlands and
              steep slopes, groundwater recharge areas, and public reservoir watersheds. In addition
              to their primary purposes, these areas may provide opportunities for recreation and
              education. Open space planning can also help guide growth and result in a more
              orderly community.

                     The cultural and recreational value of open space can be amplified by
              connecting various resources through a system of greenways. Greenways are linear
              corridors of private and public lands and waters providing access to open space and
              other recreational resources. These corridors can also be used to connect rural open
              spaces with more urbanized areas. Often abandoned rail lines, utility right-of-ways,
              scenic routes, rivers, and stream floodplains are used as greenways. If greenways
              contain a sufficient amount of undisturbed vegetation, they may also add to the
              habitat value of the natural areas they connect by providing a natural corridor
              between them. Habitat corridors among natural areas provide avenues of movement
              for species and help keep populations genetically healthy.

                                                          12








                    To help incorporate the concepts of natural areas, open space, and greenways
             into the planning process, various natural and cultural resources can be assembled
             into a single data base. Although not a necessity, a computerized geographic
             information system (GIS) can make it easier to mana e such a data base. A GIS
             can be useful in land management decisions such as rezoning requests by providing a
             quick reference on the natural resources that will be affected by a particular decision.

                    The combined benefits of open spaces and greenways make it easier to justify
             conservation of significant resources in the face of expanding suburb= growth. In
             addition to conserving valued natural and cultural resources, they provide a valuable
             community asset which contributes to a higher quality of life. As a community asset,
             these areas can have the added benefit of enhancing local economic development and
             tourism efforts. To achieve these many benefits, however, the strategies identified in
             the comprehensive plan must be implemented through local land management
             authority such as zoning.



             Conventional Zoning

                    State law enables localities to use their zoning authority to protect open spaces
             (Vulginia Code ï¿½15.1-486), and to provide for the preservation of 'lands of significance
             for the protection of the natural environment!' (Vugbda Code ï¿½15.1-489). State law
             also cites conservation of natural resources as one of the matters to be considered in
             drawing and applying zoning ordinances and districts (Fuigbzia Code ï¿½15.1-490).

                    Conventional zoning can be used for natural area conservation, however it has
             some limitations. In general, conventional zoning by itself does not offer the
             flexibility needed to protect natural areas while allowing reasonable use of private
             property. Conventional zoning typically only classifies land uses and regulates
             development density. It does not provide the flexibility to conserve sensitive natural
             areas while allowing appropriate development in other, more suitable portions of a
             tract. Classifying large tracts of land for natural area preservation would require strict
             limits on development and may prohibit most uses of land within that zone.

                    Limiting development to very low densities through large lot zoning also
             presents problems. Although the number of dwelling units may be an appropriately
             low intensity for protection of the natural area, no actual protection is afforded to
             living resources since they are subject to the will of individual property owners. Large


                                                         13








            lot zoning may actually cause more rapid loss of natural areas because more land is
            required to meet the demand for development.


            Flexible ZQWA9
                  Other more'flexible zoning techniques are available for conserving natural
            areas. These include overlay zones, cluster and planned unit development provisions,
            and conditional zoning. These techniques can be used in conjunction with
            conventional zoning'and incorporate guidelines for preserving natural areas and open
            space into the development review process. They can encourage sensitive site design
            which conserves natural areas without sacrificing other objectives. Each of these
            techniques can be used to provide more flexibility because they offer an opportunity
            for negotiation regarding site design.

                  Overlay zones are special districts that are placed "on top of" portions of other
            conventional zoning districts. The development standards for the overlay zone are
            then added to the standards of the original zones. Overlay zones can be used to
            outline natural areas or land designated for open space preservation. Within this
            zone, developments can be required to provide a certain percentage of open space or
            meet certain design standards which increase the viability of natural areas. Overlay
            zones can also include provisions for density bonuses for clustering development and
            preserving open space.

                  Cluster development encompasses many techniques that allow moderate to high
            density development n exchange for conservation of open space and natural areas.
            Clustering is an excellent way to preserve open space by i i i 1 '7 the amount of
            land needed for development. Development costs are usually lower because fewer
            streets are needed and water and sewer systems can be made more compact. By
            concentrating development on the most suitable portion of a tract, open space,
            including natural areas elsewhere on the tract, can be preserved.

                  A planned unit development, or PUD, is a form of clustering, but is generally
            larger and can include non-residential land uses. Planned unit development
            regulations set an average development density for large tracts and thenpermit higher
            density and cluster development on selected portions of the tram The more intensely
            developed areas are off-set by areas with little or no development. Clustering of both
            residential and non-residential uses can be done within a PUD, thus yielding benefits
            to the developer while conserving open space and natural areas. Many PUD


                                                     14








             regulations appear as floating zones which are not designated on a zoning map. TIds
             allows more flexibility for the community to reserve judgement on placement of such
             large developments until a request is received.

                   Conditional zoning is a procedure that allows localities to accept conditions
             proffered (voluntarily offered) by an applicant for a rezoning. Proffered conditions
             are commitments, not required by the zoning ordinance, to limit how the property is
             to be used or to provide facilities to meet the needs of the area being rezoned.
             Under conditional zoning, developers could proffer to leave important natural areas
             undeveloped and assure the protection and management of these areas. Other
             measures to protect natural areas could also be proffered such as stormwater
             management facilities to protect the water quality of sensitive aquatic habitats, or
             water dependent terrestrial species and communities.

                   IThe purpose of conditional zoning is to add flexibility to the way zoning is
             practiced. It allows applicants to proffer conditions that make the proposed rezo
             more acceptable to the community. Conditional zoning enabling legislation (Fuginia
             Code ï¿½15.1-491.1 et seq.) requires that proffers must relate to the rezoning and
             conform with the comprehensive plan. Upon approval, conditions become legally
             binding on the property and are enforced by the zoning administrator.



             Transfer. Purchase and Lease of Development Rights

                   Another mechanism which holds promise for the future is the transfer, purchase
             or leasing of development rights. Current state law does not allow the transfer of
             development rights between parcels of land, however a number of efforts have been
             made to promote this legislation. Where such systems have been used in other states,
             owners of designated open space have been assigned development rights according to
             a formula based on the amount of land owned in the area where development is to
             be restricted. Landowners in these designated areas may not develop their land, but
             may transfer, sell or lease the development rights while keeping the land itself. Once
             the development rights are gone, the land may be used only for limited purposes such
             as open space conservation, agriculture or forestry and is taxed accordingly.

                   The development rights removed from these "sending' properties can then be
             used to increase allowable density on other more suitable properties. In some cases,
             the community itself may obtain development rights from property owners in order to
             restrict growth while, at the same time, providing compensation to those property

                                                        15








            owners. Advocates of the use of development rights see them as the most effective
            and equitable way yet devised to conserve open space in areas experiencing rapid
            growth. Although the transfer of development rights alone does not assure habitat
            protection, it can be used in combination with other non-regulatory techniques such as
            easements to conserve natural areas while providing compensation to landowners.


            V. Developing a Natural Areas Conservation Program

                   The various techniques described in this report present a broad spectrum of
            options for local governments to use for conserving natural areas. Beyond addressing
            natural area conservation in the local comprehensive plan, there is no one technique,
            or combination of techniques, that is best for all natural areas or all localities. A
            local strategy must consider a number of variables. This sections describes these
            variables and their relation to conservation strategies.

                   Local governments must adopt strategies for individual natural areas that
            consider the characteristics of each site. An initial step should be to prioritize natural
            areas according to their natural values and risk of loss from development. The
            natural areas inventory provides information on the natural heritage value of each
            area. This information should be combined with details on other natural values such
            as opportunities for passive recreation, water quality maintenance, education, research,
            and linkages to other open space areas. The potential for development is determined
            by factors such as current land use designation and zoning, environmental constraints
            such as steep slopes or wetlands, access, available utilities, and proximity to urban
            growth areas. Natural areas with high natural values and high development potential
            should be given first priority.

                   Once natural areas have been prioritized, other factors such as ownership
            patterns and parcel size should be analyzed. It is important to determine the
            attitudes of the property owner, or owners, with regard to natural area conservation.
            Conservation minded owners may be willing to provide voluntary protection for the
            natural area. If so, representatives from a state agency such as the Department of
            Conservation and Recreation, or a private organization such as The Nature
            Conservancy may be able to provide technical assistance by working with the
            landowner to assure protection. If the landowner desires compensation for conserving
            the site, he may be interested in a below-market-value sale, or sale of a conservation
            easement on the property.
                   If owners are less conservation minded, other strategies will be necessary. An


                                                      16








             important factor in this case is the location of the natural area in relation to
             individual parcels and owners. If the designated natural area, or portion of the
             natural area, constitutes only a small portion of the parcel in question there may be
             an opportunity to conserve the natural area while still allowing reasonable use of the
             remainder of the site. This could be accomplished through the flexible zoning
             techniques described above. lf@ however, the natural area constitutes a high
             percentage of the parcel, negotiation through flexible zoning may not be feasible. In
             this case, it may be difficult to conserve the natural area while allowing reasonable
             use of the site. Under these circumstances, the only option for protecting the natural
             area may be acquisition of either the property or a conservation easement at market
             rate.


                    In cases where some form of acquisition, whether at or below market value, is
             the only option available, localities should seek creative solutions for raising the
             necessary funds. Local funds, either from the general budget or from the sale of
             bonds, can be used as seed money to attract other resources. Although scarce, grant
             monies from the state or federal governments or private national conservation
             organizations may be available to provide matching funds. Local fundraising through
             private conservation groups or businesses could also be added into this effort.

                    Whatever strategy is used must be appropriate for local circumstances such as
             projected growth and community attitudes. Localities experiencing, or expectin&
             moderate to high growth can harness development pressure to conserve natural areas.
             Flexible zoning techniques can be used in these localities to protect natural areas as
             growth occurs. In this way, as land is developed, the more sensitive features of that
             land, such as natural areas, are permanently protected. In the face of rapid growth,
             citizens may also be more willing to commit public and private funds to resource
             protection. Although natural areas in growing communities may be the most
             threatened, these circumstances may offer more opportunities for resource
             conservation.


                    Highly urbanized areas and rural areas with little projected growth may require
             different strategies. In these cases, it may be difficult to use local land management
             authority to conserve natural areas because little growth is occurring. Highly
             urbanized areas may have few remaining natural areas, but because of their scarcity,
             these areas may be highly valued by citizens. Citizens in rural localities with little
             expected growth, on the other hand, may not be as willing to support conservation
             efforts because natural resources seem abundant and unthreatened. This does not
             mean, however, that actions to conserve natural areas through local land management

                                                        17


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             authority are inappropriate for localities that do not expect high growth. On the
             contrary, a natural area conservation strategy which includes comprehensive planning
             and flexible land management techniques is appropriate for any locality. This type of
             strategy is simply more likely to be effective in growing localities that have more
             opportunities to use this technique.

                    In conclusion, there are a number of options available for localities to use to
             conserve natural areas. The keys to protecting these areas are good information on
             the resources to be preserved, a strong natural area or open space component in the
             comprehensive plan, land management ordinances that provide adequate flexibility,
             and in particular, strong public involvement and support for natural area conservation.

































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           Lower Peninsula Conservation Planning
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                                      APPENDIX B
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            Lower Peninsula Conservation Planning
            Page B-2


            For convenience and readability, only common or colloquial names
            are used in the text. Following is an alphabetical listing of
            all species common names found in the report text along with
            their scientific names and an alphabetical listing of the common
            names of the natural communities with their technical names.
            Many common names of species are not standardized, so one may
            find that an unfamiliar common name is actually a synonym for a
            familiar species. Also note that some common names for natural
            community types are actually used to refer to several closely
            related technically defined biotic communities.


                                         SPECIES NAMES


            COMMON NAME                          SCIENTIFIC NAME

            American Beech                       Fagus grandifolia
            American holly                       Ilex opaca
            arrow arum.                          Peltandra virginica
            Asiatic clam                         Corbicula fluminea
            bald cypress                         Taxodium distichum
            bald eagle                           Haliaeetus leucocephalus
            barking treefrog                     Hvla gratiosa
            beaver                               Castor canadensis
            beggar's ticks                       Bidens species
            big cordgrass                        SRartina cynosuroides
            black gum                            Nyssa sylvatica
            black needle rush                    Juncus roemerianus
            black walnut                         Juglans niger
            blueflag                             Iris versicolor
            broad-leaved  arrowhead              Sagittaria latifolia
            brown-headed  cowbird                Molothrus ater
            cardinal flower                      Lobelia cardinalis
            Carolina boltonia                    Boltonia caroliniana
            cattail                              Typha species
            cherrybark oak                       Quercus Ragoda
            chestnut oak                         Ouercus montana
            Collins' sedge                       Carex collinsii
            common paw paw                       Asimina trilobata
            common reedgrass                     Phracrmites australis
            Cuthbert's turtlehead                Chelone cuthbertii
            drooping bulrush                     Scirpus lineatus
            eastern pondmussel                   Licrumia nasuta
            false hop sedge                      Carex luviliformis
            Florida adder's-mouth                Malaxis spicata
            flowering dogwood                    Cornus florida
            glossy crayfish snake                Regina regida
            great blue heron                     Ardea herodias
            great egret                          Casmerodius albus
            green ash                            Fraxinus Rensylvanica
            gypsy moth                           Lymantria dispar
            Harper's fimbristylis                Fimbristylis perpusilla
            hoary skullcap                       Scutellaria incana
            Japanese honeysuckle                 Lonicera laponica
            least bittern                        Ixobrychus exilis






           Lower Peninsula Conservation Planning
           Page B-3


           loblolly pine                      Pinus taeda
           Mabee's salamander                 Ambystoma mabeei
           marsh elder                        Iva frutescens
           marsh hibiscus                     Hibiscus moscheutas
           milletgrass                        Microstegium vimineum
           mountain camellia                  Stewartia ovata
           mountain laurel                    Kalmia latifolia
           New Jersey rush                    Juncus caesariensis
           northern red oak                   Ouercus rubra
           northern spring sideswimmer        Gammarus Pseudolimnaeus
           pagoda dogwood                     Cornus alterniflora
           Parker's pipewort                  Eriocaulon Rarkeri
           pickerelweed                       Pontederia cordata
           post oak                           Ouercus stellata
           red bay                            Persea borlonia
           red maple                          Acer rubrum
           rice cutgrass                      Leersia orvzoides
           saltmarsh cordgrass                SRartina alterniflora
           saltmeadow hay                     SRartina patens
           sand post oak                      Ouercus marwetta
           scarlet oak                        Ouercus coccinea
           sensitive joint-vetch              Aeschynomone virginica
           shadow witch orchid                Ponthieva racemosa
           Shumard's oak                      Ouercus shumardii
           slender marsh pink                 Sabatia campanulata
           small whorled pogonia              Isotria medeoloides
           southern blackhaw                  Viburnum rufidulum
           southern red oak                   Ouercus falcata
           southern sugar maple               Acer barbatum
           southern twayblade                 Listera australis
           Spanish moss                       Tillandsia usneoides
           spatterdock                        Nuphar luteum
           spicebush                          Lindera benzoin
           spikenard                          Aralia racemosa
           star-nosed mole                    Condylura cristata
           swamp chestnut oak                 Ouercus michauxii
           swamp tupelo                       Nyssa aguatica
           sweet flag                         Acorus calamus
           sweet pine sap                     Monotropsis odorata
           sweetgum                           Licfuidambar styraciflua
           tuliptree                          Liriodendron tuliRifera
           Virginia least trillium            Trillium Dusillum var.
                                                    virginianum
           Virginia pine                      Pinus virginiana
           water oak                          Ouercus nigra
           white oak                          Ouercus alba
           white-tailed deer                  Odocoileus virginianus
           wild rice                          Zizania aquatica
           willow oak                         Ouercus Phellos
           yellow cowlily                     Nuphar luteum ssp. sagittifolia
           zebra mussel                       Dreissena Dolymorpha






           Lower Peninsula Conservation Planning
           Page B-4


                                   NATURAL COMMUNITIES


           COMMON NAME                        TECHNICAL NAME

           coastal plain sinkhole pond        oligotrophic seasonally flooded
              complex                              palustrine forest
                                              oligotrophic seasonally flooded
                                                   palustrine woodland
                                              oligotrophic seasonally flooded
                                                   palustrine scrub
                                              low herbaceous palustrine
                                                   wetland
                                              moss/lichen palustrine wetland
           marl ravine forest                 permesotrophic forest
           southern mixed hardwood forest     submesotrophic forest
           tidal brackish marsh               tall herbaceous estuarine
                                                   wetland
           tidal freshwater marsh             tall herbaceous palustrine
                                                   wetland
                                              mid-height herbaceous
                                                   palustrine wetland
           tidal saltmarsh                    mid-height herbaceous estuarine
                                                   wetland










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