Tuesday, August 21, 2007
Editorial: Protect Carvins Cove
A conservation easement would ensure this nature reserve remains unspoiled by development.
From the RoundTable blog
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Carvins Cove is too valuable a natural treasure for Roanoke not to shield it from the threat of development.
Mayor Nelson Harris' call last week for a conservation easement to protect the more than 12,000 acres of undeveloped wooded land deserves support -- and the permanent safeguard that an easement can provide.
Not only is the cove critical to the city's water supply, it is pristine landscape. Such natural resources cannot be left vulnerable to inappropriate uses.
Roanoke's past actions are cause for optimism. City officials for years have grappled with what the cove should be and what uses should be allowed, primarily because it is the city's primary water source.
Ultimately, the city has ruled in favor of protection. Ten years ago, city council turned down a promoter's request to hold a nationally sanctioned mountain bike race at the cove for fear it would open the door to other events that could adversely affect water quality.
Roanoke also has long recognized the value of also protecting the unique, near-wilderness experience the cove offers. That acknowledgment continues; Harris noted in his state-of-the-city address that the city parks and recreation department, with help from state and federal officials, is developing a land-use management plan that may include the easement idea.
By endorsing a request made by the Western Virginia Land Trust last month, Roanoke City Council would adhere to the municipal promise made when the forested acres and reservoir they surround were purchased many years ago.
Roanoke, as it continues to refocus its direction, must protect what sets it apart from other urban areas: its natural, scenic vistas. If a conservation easement to protect Carvins Cove adds to the rebranding of Roanoke as a "cool, green city," all the better.
A conservation easement at this nature reserve would ensure that it remains undeveloped, and unspoiled, for generations to come.
