Even in the rain, Ed Robertson's property is pretty.
"About everybody who comes up in here and goes over the property says 'Boy, I'd love to have a house up here,'" laughed Robertson as he drove the dirt roads through his property.
Robertson owns 500 acres of pristine mountains in Giles County. It's property that's been in his family since the 1800's.
"I love it; the views, to see the game," said Robertson. "It took a lot to make these mountains, but man can destroy them in a heartbeat."
To prevent that from happening, ever, Ed partnered with the National Committee for the New River (NCNR) and the Virginia Outdoors Foundation.
"Right now we're seeing so much development pressure in the New River Valley, and the land owners are really starting to watch it all go away," said George Santucci, executive director of the NCNR. "Folks that have been here all their lives and remembered what the mountains look like, and now they look out and they don't look the same."
The conservation easement keeps the property in Ed's name, but forever protects it from development. It's a decision that will affect generations long after he's gone.
"I would like to see other property owners do the same thing, if they don't want their property developed," urged Robertson. "There's money in development but then when it's developed its all gone, it's over."
Besides the environmental impacts, like protecting the New River water quality, there are are also financial benefits. Landowners can get federal and state tax breaks for conserving property.
