Short Hills Wildlife Management Area is a

Wildlife Management Area A Wildlife Management Area (WMA) is a protected area set aside for the conservation of wildlife and for recreational activities involving wildlife. New Zealand There are 11 Wildlife Management Areas in New Zealand: * Horsham Downs Wildlife Man ...

(WMA) located in Rockbridge and Botetourt counties,

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...

. It covers approximately of ridgeline along the Short Hills range.

History

Short Hills Wildlife Management Area was acquired by the

Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries The Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources is a department of the government of the U.S. state of Virginia that regulates wildlife conservation. History The Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries was created on June 17, 1916, under the ...

(VDGIF) in July 2010, after the land was initially secured by two non-governmental conservation organizations. Half of the WMA was first purchased by the

Virginia Outdoors Foundation The Virginia Outdoors Foundation is a quasi-state agency formed by the Virginia General Assembly in 1966 "to promote the preservation of open space lands and to encourage private gifts of money, securities, land or other property to preserve the nat ...

, which paid $3 million for a portion of the tract before donating the land to VDGIF. The other half was first purchased by the Wildlife Foundation of Virginia; that parcel was subsequently acquired by VDGIF for $3 million, utilizing Pittman–Robertson Federal Aid funds. Although the acquisition was praised by conservation groups due to the parcel's protection of wildlife habitat and water resources, some members of the public vocally criticized the purchase due to the land's rugged nature and limited accessibility for public walk-in hunting. The long and often narrow area includes a single stretch of land bordering public roads; the remainder is landlocked by private property.

Description

The majority of Short Hills WMA is located in Rockbridge County with the remainder in

Botetourt County Botetourt County ( ) is a US county that lies in the Roanoke Region of the Commonwealth of Virginia. Located in the mountainous portion of the state, the county is bordered by two major ranges, the Blue Ridge Mountains and the Appalachian Mou ...

. It covers approximately of ridges along the Short Hills range, which reaches a maximum elevation of . The landscape includes of mixed pine and hardwood forests, as well as of former open farmland. The area also includes rocky karst topography. The headwaters of Cedar Creek, which flows through the nearby

Natural Bridge A natural arch, natural bridge, or (less commonly) rock arch is a natural landform where an arch has formed with an opening underneath. Natural arches commonly form where inland cliffs, coastal cliffs, fins or stacks are subject to erosion ...

rock formation, are located within the WMA. The area is owned and maintained by the

, and is open to the public for hunting, trapping, hiking, and primitive camping. Access for persons 17 years of age or older requires a valid hunting or fishing permit, or a WMA access permit. , public access points remain limited to a stretch of Plank Road (Virginia State Route 610) that borders the area. A small parking area off Plank Road has also been developed for public use.

References

External links

Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries: Short Hills Wildlife Management Area
{{Protected areas of Virginia Wildlife management areas of Virginia Protected areas of Rockbridge County, Virginia Protected areas of Botetourt County, Virginia

History

Description

See also

References

External links