A New Chapter for an Old Barn

Most people assumed the couple would tear the dilapidated barn down--that it obscured the value of the 270-acre Virginian farm on which it sat.  But the pair was drawn to the sagging 1800s bank barn, recognizing its clean lines and enormous potential.  After several recommendations to just demolish the structure, the couple met their match in DC-architect and FSC affiliate John Blackburn of Blackburn Architects, P.C.  The architect, who specializes in distinctive adaptive reuse and renovation, agreed that the old barn was worth saving.

Now, viewed from any of three sides approaching the barn, the appearance is original--an old bank barn that is in excellent condition.  Only from the northeast side, which faces an unbroken stretch of farmland populated by a herd of cattle, is the adaptive reuse obvious through the barn's "wall of windows."

The party barn serves as a place for the couple's family and friends to gather, as well as a guesthouse.  Salvaged wood from another old structure on the property is used throughout the bank barn.  To make the barn more energy-efficient, hydronic heating (also known as radiant heating) was placed underneath the original plank floors along with carefully hidden structural insulated panels that are also in the ceiling.  There's a ducted heating system in place, but the owners say they've yet to turn it on.

To learn more about this converted barn and AIA award-winning project, read Brooke Lange's article from the July issue of Cowboys & Indians Magazine or visit www.blackburnarch.com.

FSC Seeks Regional Representatives

In an effort to help a wider range of landowners realize their vision of conserving rural land, Field Sport Concepts is looking to add regional representatives to develop and foster new client relationships and market access.  As FSC expands to new regions, our need for people familiar with these areas has become increasingly apparent.  Our expectation is that these new reps, focused on business development, will help to cultivate leads and develop projects in regional markets in which FSC is underrepresented.   Representative responsibilities will include identifying potential business opportunities and providing introduction to prospective clients, as well as developing relationships with groups and organizations with similar missions to those of FSC. 

If you or someone you know would be interested in this exciting opportunity to join the FSC team, please contact Bob McKee at rmckee@fieldsport.com for additional information regarding the regional rep position.    

 

 

FSC Staff Volunteer with the 2012 canon envirothon

We are proud to announce our participation in the 2012 Canon Envirothon.  Field Sport Concepts affiliate McKee Carson will be conducting a workshop on Low Impact Development and Non-Point Source Pollutants for Charlottesville-area high school students training to compete in their local Envirothon competition.

Envirothon is an annual competition designed to expose high school students to environmental issues.  Participating in local, state, and national competitions, students train for months to demonstrate their expertise in a range of issues pertaining to environmental science and natural resource management.  Those teams successful enough to make it to the national competition have the opportunity to compete for five consecutive days against teams from across the U.S. and Canada.  Now in its 25th year, the theme of this year’s Envirothon is Nonpoint Source Pollution and Low Impact Development.  Learn more about the 2012 Canon Envirothon by visiting http://www.envirothon.org/ and be sure to visit the current issue topic page to learn more about non-point source pollution and the benefits of using low-impact development.

 

 

Bob McKee Presents to Virginia Conservation Assembly

McKee Carson and Field Sport Concepts principal, Bob McKee, was recently invited to present at the Virginia Conservation Network's 2011 Virginia Conservation Assembly at Wintergreen Resort.  His talk, "Investing in Habitat Restoration," introduced a series of case studies which build an argument for implementing innovative conservation strategies and rural recreational programming as viable and attractive strategies for adding value to landowners' holdings.

Working from the assumption that most landowners need economic incentives to adopt conservation practices, Mr. McKee provided an overview of an array of public and private sources of funding that have been used successfully to encourage landowners to embrace these practices.  Beginning on the public side, he addressed three particularly successful programs, including the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP), Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP), and the Texas Wildlife Management Tax Exemption.  Shifting to the private side, he introduced a number of sources of funding including hunting and fishing revenue, the monetization of ecosystem services, wildlife credits, and even appropriately-sized residential development.  By embracing both avenues of funding, land development with a focus on conservation can actually be quite lucrative, even in a faltering economy.

To see the full presentation, please check out this link.  (Note: if you find that the viewing window is too small, you can view a full screen version of the presentation by mousing over the "More" button.)

On December 7, Mr. McKee will be presenting to the Albemarle Garden Club.  His presentation, "Investing in Wildlife Management: The Economic Opportunities for Residential Lands and Estates" will provide an overview of economic incentives available to holders of small properties.