↑ Return to Protect Your Land
Landowner Stories
A Marriage of Hunting and Conservation
If the Cacapon River has existed forever, so have these hunt clubs in the memories of their current members. Officially, the two clubs have separate landholdings, deeds and titleholders, but many of the owners are listed on both parcels. And if an individual only appears on one title, the distinction means nothing when it comes …
A simple love of the land
On July 28, 2000, the Trust completed the permanent protection of North River Retreat, a 437-acre hunting haven owned by John Gavitt of Winchester, Virginia. This prized land near Delray, West Virginia, with nearly a half mile of riverfront along the North River, the major tributary of the Cacapon, was saved simply because John loves …
Boulderfield Farm
Drawn irresistibly to the half-mile North River frontage that featured an interesting limestone cliff, open pasture, and dense woodland, George and Elaine had found their dream farm in Delray, West Virginia back in 1964. Initially the property was used for family recreation on weekends and vacations. The Vogt family and their friends and neighbors delighted …
Forest and Steam Protective Association
by Gene Fisher As I reflect upon this property of 163 acres, known to me all my life as “North River,” it causes me to pause and think of my grandparents and the other founding members of the Forest and Stream Protective Association. Why did they purchase a piece of property located hours away from …
How one man started a land conservation epidemic
People talk about natural leaders, and then there is Carlton Mills. I have learned a lot from Carlton over the years but no lesson is more important than the power of neighbors talking with neighbors about land protection. A person like Carlton can promote a land trust better than any staff person. Carlton first came …
Meet the Buzzerds
Warren, Linda, and Todd Buzzerd’s love affair with the Cacapon River began two generations and many years ago when Warren’s grandfather, Simeon Strother Buzzerd camped and fished along the Cacapon for two weeks every summer with his wife Addie and four children. It was a primitive vacation for the small town newspaper owner of The Morgan …
Rich in land — and in spirit
Ralph Spaid reports that several years ago he could have become a very wealthy man. His Uncle Winfred died and left Ralph 1,657 acres. A property that had been in the family for many generations. But Ralph saw it differently and he reports it this way: the lawyer said, “Sit down there, Mr. Spaid. You …
These are the woods, dark and deep: protecting Conners Hollow
Bob Poole was a world traveler. For 40 years he flew private jets for the likes of Kevin Costner, Snoop Dogg, corporate CEOs, and Saudi dignitaries. But West Virginia has always had a place in his heart. Since a boy in the early 50’s, Bob hiked and hunted the dark and deep woods of Conners …
