by John J Zeugner, FOJ Chair
Honorable Dwight C. Jones, Mayor
City of Richmond
900 E. Broad Street, Suite 201
Richmond, VA 23219
RE: Conservation Easement for James River Park System
Dear Mayor Jones,
I am the Chair of the Falls of the James Group, Sierra Club, the leading conservation and environmental protection organization in the Richmond region. I am writing on behalf of our group’s 1,750 members.
For the last 10 years, we have been keenly interested in local discussions about conservation easements for City’s most valuable parks. Dr Charles Price was the chair of our group then.
In the past two years, we have closely followed the development of the Conservation Easement proposed for the James River Park system, and we are in total support of its immediate adoption.
We believe the legal framework of the easement strikes a reasonable balance between allowing current park uses and keeping the parks relatively wild and natural. It allows for limited expansions, if needed and necessary, by the City’s Utilities and Works Departments, and protects the parks from commercial exploitation or sale, as was attempted by a previous Mayor.
With more growth and development in our capitol region, pressure grows on natural areas. Similarly, urban pressures build on Richmond’s citizens, and parks and natural areas are the essential antidote. Recent findings about Nature Deficit Disorder highlight the need to get children of all ages out in nature, and to become environmentally educated, in order to make sound decisions about climate change and saving the Chesapeake Bay.
We strongly urge you to support the conservation easement for the James River Park system.
Sincerely,
John J Zeugner, AICP
Chair, Falls of the James Group, Sierra Club
804-288-5005
CC: Richmond City Council Members
Additional Info:
PDF: Primer for Conservation Easement
PDF: Gov Kaine Signs Permanent Protection for the James River Park System
PDF: State Conservation Easement
LINK TO: RRPF JRPS Baseline Document (BLD)
