RCCA Mission:
RCCA’s mission is to ensure that Rappahannock County remains a scenic, rural community. We are dedicated to preserving the open space and rural character of our county by developing educational materials and programs that promote land protection and conservation easements. Given that our work is targeted exclusively on Rappahannock County, we have the unique ability to work on a neighbor-to-neighbor basis within our small community to personally spread the word about the benefits of conservation easements.
Our persistent advocacy about land conservation is working. As of January 2009, 27,523 acres, or 20.2%, of private land are under easement. This significant percentage of protected land ensures that much of our county will be protected forever from development. However, lots of work remains to be done to ensure that Rappahannock’s rural heritage is protected from future development threats.
Protecting our community from development takes the investment of every resident. We invite you to learn about land protection and conservation easements by perusing our website, and we hope that you will join us in preserving Rappahannock’s rural heritage. Please let us know if we can answer any questions or be of any assistance in educating the landowners and the community about the importance of land conservation.
RCCA History:
RCCA was established in 1999 by a core group of Rappahannock citizens who knew land protection was of foremost importance to keeping Rappahannock County’s rural character intact. The founding board members included Bayard Catron, Gary Light, Douglas Ginsberg, Gerald Ochs, Don Audette, Bob Dennis, Chris Bird, Hal Hunter, Cliff Miller, Chris Parrish, Hildy Teegen, Sharon Pierce, and Mitzie Young.
Throughout its history, RCCA has spearheaded many key land conservation projects, such as:
- Establishment of the county’s Farmland Preservation Program, which preserves productive farmland through the purchase of all or a portion of the development rights on the property, thus giving the farm owner an economic return while preserving the property for agricultural use.
- Through our annual fundraising dinner, The Rappahannock Evening View, RCCA has donated over $100,000 to the Farmland Preservation Program, all of which has been eligible for matching state funds.
Former RCCA Board Member, Monira Rifaat, greets guests at the 2007 Rappahannock Evening View. Photo by Richard Lykes.
- A “buildout” analysis that showed the county population would double if landowners exercised their rights to build. This analysis helped to demonstrate the value of land use planning and conservation easements.
- The 2002 survey of historic resources, which led to the Laurel Mills Historic District, and identified six additional districts worthy of state recognition. Owners of historic properties can donate an easement to the Department of Historic Resources; the easement protects both the structure and the surrounding land.
- Production of numerous educational guides on land use taxation, agricultural and forestral districts, and conservation easements, including The Rappahannock Guide to Conservation Easements, a free “toolkit” for landowners considering a conservation easement.
The RCCA Office is located on the second floor at the Link in Sperryville, Virginia. Photo by Franklin & Esther Schmidt.
Largely a volunteer grassroots effort, RCCA hired its first part-time executive staff and secured office space in 2006. RCCA’s office is located on the upstairs level at the Link in Sperryville at 12018 Lee Highway. Come by and say hello.
