Land Trust of Virginia announces first conservation easement in Warren County

The Land Trust of Virginia (LTV) is pleased to announce its first conservation easement in Warren County, thanks to the generosity of landowner Samer Sibay. This 94-acre property is located in Front Royal, Va., and will forever protect the scenic views along State Route 55, a Virginia Byway.

“My whole life, I was always interested in nature and the beauty of farmland,” said Sibay. “It would get me so upset living in Washington, D.C., to see these places lost to development. I inherited this piece of property from my parents, and I was determined that it wouldn’t face the same fate. I chose to work with LTV because they provided the cost assistance I needed to protect my property with an easement. It’s a really beautiful piece of land.”

Sibay’s entire property is within the Study Area, and 42.3 acres are in the Core Area of the Civil War Battle of Manassas Gap. Additional natural resources protected include 27 acres of “Prime Farmland Soils” or “Farmland Soils of Statewide Significance” and 74 acres of forest cover. There is a 0.6-acre pond and 1.32 acres of wetlands.

This easement was completed with cost assistance from the Ohrstrom Foundation, LTV’s Deborah Whittier Fitts Battlefield Stewardship Fund, and the Virginia Piedmont Heritage Area Association.

“As a Warren County resident myself, I was thrilled when Sibay reached out and wanted to learn more about our conservation easement program,” said LTV Executive Director Sally Price. “We were glad to use several of our donor-restricted funds to ensure this property got protected. This property on the drive into downtown Front Royal will now look as it does today for generations to come.”

Sibay’s easement is the 223^rd easement completed by the Land Trust of Virginia. For more information about their work, please visit www.landtrustva.org.

About the Land Trust of Virginia

The Land Trust of Virginia is a nonprofit organization that partners with private landowners who voluntarily protect and preserve properties with significant historic, scenic, or ecological value. LTV has worked with 223 families, conserving a total of 26,774 acres in 26 counties in Virginia. While LTV charges landowners for their services, the fees charged only cover about 28% of LTV’s actual costs so fundraising is essential to our mission.