Powell is executive director of Scenic Virginia, a nonprofit conservation group dedicated to protecting Virginia’s majestic landscapes.
How would you rate former Gov. Tim Kaine on his goal of land preservation?
He met his goal of 400,000 acres of preserved land, and he exceeded it. That was a huge achievement. Gov. [Bob] McDonnell has agreed to do the same, so we’re hopeful about that.
What are the big legislative issues for you right now?
Obviously money is going to be a big issue. We’re looking at making sure there are ways for people who want to do conservation easements to be able to continue doing them. We want to make sure there’s money in the budget for preserving land.
Are people still interested in preserving land during this economic downturn?
Absolutely. As more land gets eaten up, the desire to preserve it grows stronger. When you think about it, preserved land makes the land around it more valuable. It’s a win-win for preservationists and developers.
Northern Virginia — a suburban/urban region — describe your efforts up here.
In Northern Virginia we really focus more on parks-type issues. There are always opportunities no matter whether you’re in an urban, suburban, rural setting to preserve something. We look at it very pragmatically — you can’t preserve everything. What we’re doing right is we have a project that we’re getting going called the Virginia Viewshed Register. … What we want people to be thinking about is what are the views in your localities that are most important to you — what would break your heart if you lost — so that we can start thinking and helping localities with tools for preserving them. It might be something that has no historical importance at all, but it’s something that everybody loves. So that’s what we’re looking at right now — what are those places, and what are steps we can take?
– William C. Flook
