A Botetourt County couple has put 265 acres into a conservation easement, joining a growing number of Western Virginia landowners who are protecting their property from development.

Barbara Kolb and Jim Holaday put their family farm, which includes pastures and a vineyard, into an easement in December. The land is east of Eagle Rock. The easement also protects cave openings and a large spring in the James River watershed.

The easement is co-held by the Virginia Outdoors Foundation and the Valley Conservation Council.

Nearly 1,800 acres were placed under easement in Botetourt County in 2006, which doubled the acreage in the county under easement protection, according to the Valley Conservation Council.

The council is a land trust that has assisted property owners with conservation easements in an 11-county area throughout the Shenandoah Valley since 1990.

Virginia landowners put a record 70,652 acres under conservation easements in 2006.

Conservation easements put permanent restrictions on land development. In exchange, landowners get state and federal tax credits and deductions.

Owners keep title to the property, but the protective easements apply to all future owners.

In Virginia, easements are usually brokered by land trusts and administered by the Virginia Outdoors Foundation.

For more information:

Valley Conservation Council: www.valleyconservation.org

New River Land Trust: www.newriverlandtrust.org

Western Virginia Land Trust: www.westernvirginialand trust.org

Virginia Outdoors Foundation: www.virginiaoutdoors foundation.org