Virginia Transportation, Planning and Environmental Affairs Chief Jeffrey Southard and the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) officially presented the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries (VDGIF) with the deed to a more than 750-acre tract of land adjacent to the Great Dismal Swamp National Wildlife Refuge. The property is located within the city of Chesapeake, south of Dominion Blvd. and adjacent to Rte. 17. VDOT donated the land as part of its mitigation package for the Rte. 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 Southard. "The planning and design of Rte. 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 anticipated to be open for public access by late summer, will be called the Great Dismal Swamp Wildlife Management Area. This 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.