Nottoway River

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE February 6, 2017 Enviva contact: Caroline Bagley 240.482.3806 caroline.bagley@envivabiomass.com U.S. Endowment contact: Carlton Owen 864.233.7646 carlton@usendowment.org Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation Protects Environmentally Sensitive Forestland with Award from the Enviva Forest Conservation Fund and Ducks Unlimited Matching-fund grant protects cypress-tupelo swamp forests along the Nottoway River in Southampton County, VA Southampton, Va. (Feb. 6, 2017) – The Enviva Forest Conservation Fund (the Fund) today announced the closing of its first easement purchase from the 2016 grant cycle to the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR). The approximately 220-acre easement – known as the Crowder and White tract – is the first of two in Southampton, Virginia, that will be secured with financial assistance from the Fund. When the second easement is completed, a total of 385 acres of floodplain forest dominated by mature cypress-tupelo will be protected. The land protected through this first award is across the river from another parcel already protected by DCR. Together, the two form “The Narrows,” an important transit point for river herring, shad and alewife – fish species that rely on floodplain forest for spawning and nursery habitat. The Narrows will now be permanently protected. The swamps also provide habitat for a multitude of waterfowl, water birds, mammals, amphibians, reptiles and other fish. “The permanent protection of this property with a conservation easement is cause for celebration,” said Carlton Owen, President and CEO of the U.S. Endowment for Forestry and Communities which administers the Fund. “Not only is it a valuable property for fish, wildlife and recreation, it is also the first transaction to be completed of the four Enviva Forest Conservation Fund awards made in 2016. It’s the first of many more to come.” The Fund awarded $500,000 in 2016 to help conserve more than 2,000 acres of environmentally sensitive forests. In addition to DCR, 2016 grant recipients included the Virginia and North Carolina chapters of The Nature Conservancy and the Triangle Land Conservancy of North Carolina. The Crowder and White tract easement was made possible through combined support from the Fund, donated timber value from the owner, and a North American Wetlands Conservation Act grant secured by Ducks Unlimited and supported by several partners, including the Atlantic Coast Joint Venture, the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the Virginia Outdoors Foundation. To learn more about the grant and to view a map of the project tract, visit the Enviva Forest Conservation Fund’s website. “Conversion to other uses is one of the greatest threats to Virginia forests,” said Clyde Cristman, Director of the Virginia DCR. “Our partnership with the Enviva Forest Conservation Fund and Ducks Unlimited builds on the Cypress Bridge Natural Area Preserve, allowing us to conserve another key property along the Nottoway River and protect more ecologic, recreational and scenic resources, helping to build a legacy for future generations in southeast Virginia.” The conservation easement blends forest land reclamation with conservation of cypress/tupelo swamp forest, one of four specific types of sensitive bottomland forest ecosystems the Fund has targeted for special conservation. The terms of the conservation easement will eliminate all timber harvesting in the wetlands, as well as any subdivision and development rights. The landowner, a Southampton County local who made this property available and provided a significant contribution toward the easement in the form of donated timber value in a desire to see this section of the Nottoway River permanently protected, will continue to hold hunting and fishing privileges. As the easement holder, Virginia DCR will conduct annual monitoring visits to document easement conditions. “Conservation easements are irreplaceable in meeting the needs of landowners who wish to protect valuable natural resources,” said Ducks Unlimited Conservation Lands Coordinator Justin Park. “Ducks Unlimited is proud to work with grant partners, VA DCR, private landowners, and the Enviva Forest Conservation Fund to help landowners protect sensitive bottomlands while continuing to enjoy the area for recreation. Such easements provide the best of both worlds – protection of broad benefits to society at large while also affording rights to the landowner.” “Enviva is very pleased to announce the permanent protection made possible by our very first project under the Enviva Forest Conservation Fund – the Virginia DCR’s Lower Nottoway River Project,” said Jennifer C. Jenkins, Ph.D., Vice President and Chief Sustainability Officer at Enviva. “We treasure the forests and communities where we work, and we are absolutely delighted to be a part of this important project.” The Fund is a $5-million, 10-year program established by Enviva Holdings, LP and administered by the U.S. Endowment for Forestry and Communities. It is designed to protect tens of thousands of acres of bottomland forests in northeast North Carolina and southeast Virginia. For more information on the Enviva Forest Conservation Fund visit www.envivaforestfund.org. Read more about the Crowder White project at the Voices of Enviva blog. For 2017, up to $500,000 is available to not-for-profit organizations, government agencies and tribes for the second year of Fund grants to protect bottomland hardwood and other wetland forests in 35 North Carolina and Virginia counties that include approximately 6 million acres of forests of all types. The RFP and additional materials are available on the Endowment’s website and at http://envivaforestfund.org/matching-fund-grants/.

By Staff Reports Email the author Published 10:17 am Friday, February 10, 2017 NEWSOMS The Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation recently announced that a matching-fund grant from the Enviva Forest Conservation Fund will help permanently protect a 220-acre easement known as the Crowder and White tract in Southampton County. According to a press release from Enviva, the tract will be the first of two parcels of environmentally sensitive land in Southampton County to be protected with financial assistance from the Fund. When the second easement is completed, a total of 385 acres of floodplain forestland, dominated by mature cypress-tupelo, will be protected. The land protected through this first award is across the Nottoway River from another parcel already protected by the DCR. Together, the two parcels form “The Narrows,” an important transit point for river herring, shad and alewife – fish species that rely on floodplain forests for spawning and nursery habitats. The swamps also provide habitats for a multitude of waterfowl, water birds, mammals, amphibians, reptiles and other fish. The Narrows will now be permanently protected. “The permanent protection of this property with a conservation easement is cause for celebration,” said Carlton Owen, president and CEO of the U.S. Endowment for Forestry and Communities, which administers the Enviva Forest Conservation Fund. “Not only is it a valuable property for fish, wildlife and recreation, it is also the first transaction to be completed of the four Enviva Forest Conservation Fund awards made in 2016. It’s the first of many more to come.” The Fund awarded $500,00 in 2016 to help conserve more than 2,000 acres of environmentally sensitive forests. In addition to the DCR, 2016 grant recipients included the Virginia and North Carolina chapters of The Nature Conservancy and the Triangle Land Conservancy of North Carolina. The Crowder and White tract easement was made possible through combined support of the Fund, donated timber value from the owner, and a North American Wetlands Conservation Act grant secured by Ducks Unlimited and supported by several partners, including the Atlantic Coast Joint Venture, the Virginia Department of Game andInland Fisheries, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Virginia Outdoors Foundation. “Conversion to other uses is one of the greatest threats to Virginia forests,” said Clyde Christman, director of the Virginia DCR. “Our partnership with the Enviva Forest Conservation Fund and Ducks Unlimited builds on the Cypress Bridge Natural Area Preserve, allowing us to conserve another key property along the Nottoway River and protect more ecologic, recreational and scenic resources, helping to build a legacy for future generations in southeast Virginia.” The conservation easement blends forest land reclamation with conservation of cypress/tupelo swamp forest, one of four specific types of sensitive bottomland forest ecosystems the Fund has targeted for special conservation. The terms of the conservation easement will eliminate all timber harvesting in the wetlands, as well as any subdivision and development rights. The landowner, a Southampton County local who made this property available and provided a significant contribution toward the easement in the form of donated timber value in a desire to see this section of the Nottoway River permanently protected, will continue to hold hunting and fishing privileges. As the easement holder, the Virginia DCR will conduct annual monitoring visits to document easement conditions. “Conservation easements are irreplaceable in meeting the needs of landowners who wish to protect valuable natural resources,” said Ducks Unlimited Conservation Lands Coordinator Justin Park. “Ducks Unlimited is proud to work with grant partners, VA DCR, private landowners and the Enviva Forest Conservation Fund to help landowners protect sensitive bottomlands while continuing to enjoy the area for recreation. Such easements provide the best of both worlds — protection of broad benefits to society at large while also affording rights to the landowner.” “Enviva is very pleased to announce the permanent protection made possible by our very first project under the Enviva Forest Conservation Fund — the Virginia DCR’s Lower Nottoway River Project,” said Jennifer C. Jenkins Ph.D., vice president and chief sustainability officer at Enviva. “We treasure the forests and communities where we work, and we are absolutely delighted to be a part of this important project.” The fund is a $5 million, 10-year program established by Enviva Holdings LP and administered by the U.S. Endowment for Forestry and Communities. It is designed to protect tens of thousands of acres of bottomland forests in northeast North Carolina and southeast Virginia. February 6, 2017

Greenville, SC (June 15, 2022) – An important watershed forest along the Nottoway River in Southampton County, Virginia, will now be permanently conserved thanks in part to a grant from the Enviva Forest Conservation Fund. The Virginia Department of Forestry (VDOF) has secured permanent conservation easements within the Nottoway River corridor on more than 838 acres, including 791 acres of working forest stands. The Nottoway Properties tract includes over 2.5 miles of frontage on the scenic Nottoway River, 600 acres of wetlands including approximately 200 acres of high-quality Cypress Tupelo, and about 400 acres of mixed typical Piedmont bottomland hardwoods. Additionally, the uplands portion of the tract is in pine plantation under management as a long-term working forest. “The conservation of this property achieves several goals. Thanks to the support from Enviva and The Nature Conservancy, over 2.5 miles of the scenic Nottoway River are protected from development, and visitors will always be able to enjoy the natural beauty of the river. This land will be preserved and managed indefinitely as forest, rather than being converted to agriculture or other non-forest uses, supporting critical wildlife and habitat,” said Karl Didler, Forestland Conservation Program Manager with the VDOF. “Finally, a portion of the tract will continue to be managed as pine plantation, sustainably supporting the wood products industry while protecting Virginia’s water resources while protecting Virginia’s water quality,” Scheps concluded. Currently, the property is home to numerous habitats, plant and animal species, including the federally threatened yellow lamp mussel (lampsilis cariosa) and the northern long-eared bat (myotis septenrionalis). This easement contributes another parcel to the National Scenic Nottoway River project, and a larger portion of the property is within the 100-year floodplain. Conservation will ensure that the water quality of the Nottoway River and other streams on the property are protected from sedimentation and pollution, especially during flood events. “We are very pleased to contribute to the growing conservation corridor on the state scenic Nottoway River. We are happy to join the many other landowners who have chosen to protect our river here in Southampton County for future generations” said Clay Porter, the owner of the property. “This is an important addition as work continues to conserve the Nottoway River corridor,” said Alicia Cramer, Senior Vice President of the US Endowment for Forestry and Communities. “This project is a significant piece of the Nottoway River protection effort, critical to supporting the important cultural, economic, and environmental contributions of this special area.” The Fund’s goal is to be a catalyst for forest and habitat conservation in North Carolina and Virginia. More than five years into the planned 10-year partnership, 25 projects have been funded with a total commitment approaching $2.3 million, including today’s announcement. When these projects are completed, the Fund will have helped protect an estimated 30,024 acres of sensitive wetland forest and other habitats.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE (June 29, 2021) Greenville, SC and Bethesda, MD – The Enviva Forest Conservation Fund (the Fund) today announced the recipients of its 2021 grants. The projects funded will help conserve more than 4,000 acres and protect ecologically sensitive bottomland forests in the coastal regions of Virginia and North Carolina. Including those announced today, the Fund has awarded 24 projects totaling more than $2,600,000 in grants over the past six years. An estimated 31,000 acres will be protected when these projects reach completion. The forests conserved as a part of the Fund help clean drinking water, purify the air, buffer structures from storms, and provide habitat for many species of wildlife, while at the same time, providing jobs and economic opportunity for rural families and private landowners. “We are proud to partner with several prominent conservation groups in this grant cycle, helping to promote responsible forest conservation by building climate resilience while preserving precious habitats and protecting natural heritage,” said Dr. Jennifer Jenkins, Vice President and Chief Sustainability Officer of Enviva. The 2021 Enviva Forest Conservation Fund grant recipients include: The City of Franklin, VA in partnership with the Virginia Outdoors Foundation (VOF): A permanent conservation easement will be placed on one tract of 140 acres of bottomland hardwood forests in the City of Franklin, Virginia. The property is part of a natural land network which sits at the intersection of two important Natural Heritage sites, the Blackwater River Main Stem Conservation site and the Antioch Swamp Stream Conservation unit, supporting several rare species and significant natural communities including anadromous fish and colonial water birds. Over 200 acres of river frontage will be conserved for the development of a public city park and natural area (dubbed the Blackwater Park) including the creation of picnic areas, and a trailhead on the Blue Water Trail that terminates at the River Walk Park in downtown Franklin.

For IMMEDIATE RELEASE (January 19, 2021) Greenville, SC – The Virginia Outdoors Foundation (VOF) is pleased to announce its purchase of a second tract – approximately 430 acres – of riparian forest that will be held in a permanent conservation easement in Southampton County, Virginia. This purchase, which complements the more than 700-acre purchase announced in December, is made possible in part by a grant from the Enviva Forest Conservation Fund (the Fund). The tracts are adjacent and on the Three Creeks River, with over 43,000 feet of combined total stream corridor. “This is an especially important conservation project; it consists of large areas of wetlands and woodlands which are home to many birds, land animals, and myriad fish and mussel species both on-site and downstream,” said Brett Christina Glymph, Executive Director of VOF. “This tract, in particular, has an old-growth Bald Cypress-tupelo swamp forest in a high-priority wetland block. Its protection, along with the protection of the adjoining tract purchased late last year, significantly contributes to the area’s overall ecological health.” The property includes planted loblolly pines and mixed hardwood forests, including substantial bottomland hardwood forests. It also features a tributary stream and frontage on Three Creeks Swamp of the Nottoway River, a tributary of the Chowan River, which drains to the Albemarle-Pamlico Sound Estuary. Under the easement, all residential, commercial, and industrial development will be restricted. Extensive riparian protection buffer zones will help protect forests and enhance water quality for future generations. The upland forests will be sustainably managed in order to have a combination of wildlife species conservation, professionally managed working forest, and riparian protections. “This is yet another example of the Virginia Outdoors Foundation’s important work to secure an expansive, protected corridor, starting here and moving downstream along the Nottoway. This purchase completes the permanent protection of more than a thousand acres of sensitive wildlife habitat, watersheds, and bottomland forests while also ensuring sustainable forest management that will contribute to the community’s economic health,” stated Alicia Cramer, Sr. Vice President of the US Endowment for Forestry and Communities. “The Endowment is incredibly proud to be a partner with Enviva and the Virginia Outdoors Foundation, and to administer the Enviva Forest Conservation Fund for its critical work in preserving forested watersheds.” The Fund’s goal is to be a catalyst for bottomland hardwood forest and habitat conservation. More than five years into the planned 10-year partnership, 19 projects have been funded, with the commitment from Enviva to date approaching $2.3 million. When these projects are completed, the Fund will have helped protect an estimated 27,000 acres of sensitive wetland forest and other habitats.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE (December 2, 2020) Greenville, SC – The Virginia Outdoors Foundation (VOF) announced its purchase of a permanent conservation easement on 710 acres of bottomland hardwood forests in Southampton County, Virginia, made possible in part by a grant from the Enviva Forest Conservation Fund (the Fund). The easement restricts all future residential, commercial, and industrial development for any purpose. Additionally, it will promote sound, upland forest management via the implementation of a formal forest management plan and establish riparian protection zones. Brett Christina Glymph, Executive Director of VOF, explained, “The state of Virginia has designated this area with a high ‘Forest Conservation Value’ encouraging its protection. However, without intervention, bottomland harvesting would be inevitable, given the quality and volume of bald cypress and hardwood saw-timber present. Helping to mitigate conversion risk, combined with our strong desire to build on other ongoing conservation efforts, made this purchase essential. Enviva understands this imperative and once again provided vital support for our success. We are grateful for their partnership.” The tract’s 10,000 feet of perennial streams help comprise the Three Creek Swamp of the Nottoway River, a tributary of the Chowan River, which drains to the Albemarle-Pamlico Sound Estuary. The Nottoway is designated as a Virginia Scenic River by the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation. It’s home to 32 species of “greatest conservation need” and also functions as an important bird nesting and rookery area along the Three Creek bottomlands. The site has 200 acres of old-growth bald cypress-tupelo swamp forest. The remaining 510 acres are predominantly in working pine plantations. Of the approximately 603 square miles in Southampton County, 345 square miles, or 57.3% of the land area, are devoted to forests. The newly acquired easement is roughly 1.5 miles upstream of a previously conserved site partially funded through the use of the Fund in 2019. “Two hundred years ago, these glorious bottomland forests covered approximately thirty million acres across the Southeastern United States,” explained Alicia Cramer, Sr. Vice President of the U.S. Endowment for Forestry and Communities. “Today, only about forty percent of that area still supports the productive and unique ecosystems provided by these forests. The determination of the Virginia Outdoors Foundation and its many partners to help stem the loss of lands is most appreciated by the conservation community.” The Fund’s goal is to be a catalyst for forest and habitat conservation in the southeastern Virginia region and North Carolina’s coastal plain. More than five years into the planned 10-year partnership, 19 projects have been funded with a total commitment approaching $2.2 million, including the grant announced today. When these projects are completed, the Fund will have helped protect an estimated 27,000 acres of sensitive wetland forest and other habitats.

U.S. Endowment for Forestry and Communities, Greenville, SC For IMMEDIATE RELEASE (November 19, 2019) Greenville, S.C. – An important watershed forest along the beautiful and biodiverse Nottoway River in Southampton County, Virginia, will now be permanently preserved thanks in part to a grant from the Enviva Forest Conservation Fund (Fund). The Virginia Outdoor Foundation (VOF) of Tappahannock has acquired the 246 acres of high conservation value forest and will hold it in a conservation easement. The tract will be managed in perpetuity using a combination of working forest plans with riparian and special habitat protection. The tract – 55 acres of riparian buffer or approximately 2.3 miles – includes “no-harvest” areas that will provide water quality benefits, complement the growing corridor of protected tracts on the Nottoway, and protect a Coastal Plain bottomland forest. The site is located in a Virginia longleaf pine priority conservation area. The lowland portion is home to multiple plant and animal species of concern including the rare crowfoot sedge (Carex crus-corvi) [a plant] and the yellow lampmussel (Lampsilis cariosa) [ a freshwater mussel]. Through the easement, this critical habitat will be preserved and continuously enhanced. The upland portions are to remain as working forest, providing sustainable wood products to a variety of markets. “We are excited to be able to acquire and preserve this beautiful and important riparian forest that is home to so many plants and animals,” said Brett Christina Glymph, Executive Director of the VOF. “The property will have both rare species conservation and sustainable forest management. We are grateful to Enviva for their contribution to our conservation mission.” Hunter Darden, the property owner, said, “My wife Kathy and I are pleased to be a part of protecting this property for future generations to come, and to preserve the natural beauty of the Nottoway River.” “This land will be preserved and managed indefinitely as forest, rather than being converted to agriculture or other non-forest uses,” said Carlton Owen, President and CEO of the U.S. Endowment for Forestry and Communities. “Forested watersheds play a vital role in storing and purifying water for downstream consumers and provide two-thirds of the drinking water in the U.S.” The Fund’s goal is to be a catalyst for investments in forest and habitat conservation in the southeastern Virginia region and North Carolina’s coastal plain. More than four years into the planned 10-year partnership, 17 projects have been funded with a total commitment approaching $2.0 million, including the grant announced today. When these projects are completed, the Fund will have helped protect an estimated 24,000 acres of sensitive wetland forest and other habitats.

For IMMEDIATE RELEASE (April 23, 2019) Greenville, S.C. – A critical habitat for a threatened bat species will be preserved thanks in part to a $50,000 grant from the Enviva Forest Conservation Fund (the Fund) to the Virginia Outdoors Foundation (VOF). The award will go towards a $750,000 project to acquire and establish a conservation easement for the “Shand’s Tract,” 8,000 feet of frontage along the Nottoway River, as well as 425 acres of cypress and tupelo swampland. In addition to helping protect the tract, Enviva funds will be used to enhance public access by supporting the acquisition of a boat ramp which will be owned by the town of Courtland, Virginia, giving the public permanent access to the waterway. The unique cypress swamp forest that will be preserved is of high ecological and conservation value. These bottomlands provide shelter for several species of bats most impacted by the white-nose syndrome; a fungal disease associated with the death of millions of bats. During late spring and summer, bats rely on the large mature trees for roosting and for rearing their young. The bats also provide a natural and economic benefit to farmers and foresters in the community by consuming tons of harmful insects and pests. “Our mission at VOF is to encourage investment to promote the preservation of the many natural, scenic, historical, scientific, open-space and recreational areas of the Commonwealth,” said Brett Christina Glymph, Executive Director of the VOF. “In addition to providing a home for the bats, the riparian river frontage is a high priority watershed, as it is home to at least two documented threatened aquatic species and multiple neo-tropical and migratory bird species. We so appreciate the funding made available through the Enviva Forest Conservation Fund to conserve important habitats like this one in our state, as well as all of our partners in this project, including Ducks Unlimited and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service through the North American Wetlands Conservation Act.” “At the Endowment, we are committed to both forests and the people that rely on them,” said Carlton Owen, President and CEO of the U. S. Endowment for Forestry and Communities. “These forests that will be protected are of significant value not only because they are home to threatened and endangered species, but because they also provide flood mitigation services and contribute to the quality of life for the communities that surround them.” The Fund’s goal is to be a catalyst for investments in forest and habitat conservation in the southeastern Virginia region and North Carolina’s coastal plain. More than three years into the planned 10-year partnership, 13 projects have been funded with a total commitment of over $1.5 million, including the grant announced today. When these projects are completed, the Fund will have helped protect an estimated 17,000 acres of sensitive wetland forest and other habitats.