MONTEBELLO, Va. (AP) - The U.S. Forest Service has acquired 317 acres in Nelson County long-coveted for its scenic view from the Appalachian Trail.
The Roanoke Times reports that the acquisition was made with $760,000 from the federal Land and Water Conservation Fund. The program was established by Congress in 1965. It is due to expire in September and its fate rests with Congress.
The property was first purchased from the mountain farming Campbell family by The Conservation Fund, a non-profit organization. The fund was then reimbursed by the Land and Water Conservation Fund.
Blaine Phillips of The Conservation Fund negotiated with the surviving members of the Campbell family to secure the land.
The Campbell tract had been subsistence farmed by the family for more than 100 years.
