Project Description
The Shenandoah National Park Trust (SNPT) acquired 969 acres of rolling woodlands in Page County, VA that had been under threat of development for many years. The acquisition of these acres by the Trust was made possible through DuPont Waynesboro Natural Resource Damage Assessment and Restoration (NRDAR) settlement funds and the collaboration of many partners and landowners including the SNPT, Potomac Appalachian Trail Club, Valley Conservation Council, the Commonwealth of Virginia, the US Fish and Wildlife Service, and the supportive landowners who rallied together in an effort to protect this large area of contiguous forest.
The official Tanners Ridge Dedication Ceremony was held on May 18, 2023, and was hosted by the Shenandoah National Park (SNP) and the SNPT. The event celebrated the Trust’s donation of 969 acres to SNP to be protected in perpetuity. The acquired parcels (from 3 different landowners) contain relatively undisturbed forested habitat for migratory birds, bats, and other wildlife, as well as headwaters streams that support brook trout. Because the parcels are adjacent to SNP, this acquisition and donation increases the amount of contiguous protected habitat for migratory birds, bats (including Indiana Bat and Northern Long-Eared Bat), and other wildlife. To date, this is the largest (acreage) acquisition funded by the DuPont NRDAR settlement.
Restoration Land Ownership
National Park Service; Shenandoah National Park
Parties Implementing Restoration
The Shenandoah National Park Trust; Virginia Secretary of Natural Resources
DOI Project Representatives
Fish and Wildlife Service