Bill Cochran is a Roanoke Times outdoors columnist.

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Bill Cochran's Outdoors

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• Less freedom at Hatteras for surf casters
• Here’s the scoop on hunting shed antlers
• Want more grouse? Get used to hearing chainsaws
• Sunday hunting bills aplenty, but some hunters hold out
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Bill's Mailbag

• Hunting for a book on rabbit hunting
• More comments on Sunday hunting
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Bill's Field Reports

• Winterize your boat? Heck no! Keep on fishing
• Senator gets attention of DGIF
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Resources

• Trout stocking schedule

BILL: In your recent post about conservation land acquisitions (see last week’s Cochran Field Reports) you mentioned Short Hills in Botetourt and Rockbridge counties was a 4,232-acre “Rugged area with mixed hardwood and conifer forest that will be managed by the Department of Game and Inland Fisheries for hunting and wildlife viewing. A big chunk of money comes out of the pocket of DGIF to make the purchase, a fact that has some sportsmen concerned.”

I wanted to provide some background on the funding for that acquisition.

The appraised value of the Short Hills property is approximately $6 million. As you know, the Short Hills acquisition was part of Gov. Kaine's effort to conserve 400,000 acres during his term.

Three million dollars in bond funds have been allocated to this project with the idea that the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries would use federal Pittman-Robertson funds for the balance. Two foundations purchased the property and will hold it for the Department until federal PR funds are approved.

The Virginia Outdoors Foundation utilized bond funds to acquire half the property. The Wildlife Foundation of Virginia secured a loan and purchased the other half of the property. The two tracts are now being separately appraised to provide the appraisal needed for VDGIF's application for federal PR funds.

VDGIF intends to purchase the tract now being held by the Wildlife Foundation of Virginia. The tract being held by the Virginia Outdoors Foundation will be gifted to the Department.

VDGIF should be able ultimately to own the entire Short Hills property, paying approximately half the appraised value, and be able to utilize the gift property as the required state match for federal funds. If the project concludes as planned, the property will be acquired utilizing no hunting and fishing license funds.

Hope that is information can reassure sportsmen who have concerns about the acquisition.

BILL: Just thought I'd give you a heads-up in regards to trout fishing concerns over the Gathright hydroelectric proposal. Someone should look into the Caney Fork fishery in East Tennessee, as that river is a hydro tailrace and produces 20-plus-inch trout with regularity that sometimes reach 20-plus-pounds! Whatever they are doing down there might be easily applied to the Jackson River at Gathright, should this project move forward.