Vdot Donates Wetland Acreage To Expand Dismal Swamp
The deed to a more than 750-acre tract of land adjacent to the Great Dismal Swamp National Wildlife Refuge has been presented to the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries (VDGIF) by the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT).
The property is located within the City of Chesapeake, south of Dominion Boulevard, and adjacent to Route 17. VDOT donated the land as part of its mitigation package for the Route 17 construction project in Chesapeake. The 12-mile road is being widened to accommodate growing traffic volumes.
“VDOT worked diligently to minimize the environmental impact to this environmentally sensitive and historic area while making critical improvements to a narrow, old roadway,” said VDOT Transportation, Planning and Environmental Affairs Chief Jeffrey C. Southard. “The planning and design of Route 17 took into consideration the protection of our crucial wetlands and species. In addition to donating more than 750 acres of wetlands, VDOT purchased about 16 acres of mineral soil wetlands, and is restoring about 9.6 acres of forested, organic soil wetlands within the project corridor.”
The site, which is expected to open for public access by late summer, will be called the Great Dismal Swamp Wildlife Management Area.
The new wildlife management area consists primarily of forested wetland habitat, including 100 acres of organic soil wetlands. It will add substantially to VDGIF’s wetland holdings in a suburban environment, and will provide exceptional habitat for waterfowl, black bear, and other game species.
VDGIF anticipates that the property will offer excellent wildlife viewing prospects. Several rare and endangered species, including the eastern big-eared bat, the canebrake rattlesnake, and the Dismal Swamp southeastern shrew, have also been documented on the property. This area also is an important breeding habitat for a number of migratory birds. Some controlled hunting opportunities may be available in the future.
