Greetings from Field Sport Concepts! It has been a hot and dry summer here in Charlottesville and we’d like to head into fall refreshed by looking again at a few vibrant Field Sport projects. Recently, we’ve also been working to develop our blog as a hot source for content related to conservation, working landscapes, and current events. Check it out and subscribe here!
Do you have an interesting project or event to tell us about? Give us a call or drop us an email.
The Fork Farm and Stables
Rural Conservation at its Finest
Situated at the confluence of two rivers in southern North Carolina, The Fork is an 1,100 acre working farm with a wide variety of topographic features, fields, woods and flood plain. Field Sport Concepts was retained to assist in the re-imagining of its potential value for outdoor recreation.
A feasibility study was performed in order to ascertain the property’s suitability for a combination of uses including equestrian sports and breeding programs, wildlife habitat and management, and sustainable, environmentally friendly farming. What we discovered was a rural landscape steeped in Native American and colonial history, enriched by a local agricultural tradition and ready to be molded by the creative eye of an outdoor enthusiast and committed conservationist. Read more…
Little Mountain Ranch
Lounging along the northwestern slope of Little Mountain in Highland County, Virginia, the property stretches from the ridge top to the valley floor along the Jackson River. This rich landscape offers views from a rocky ridge, trails through forested slopes, and wide open meadows in a fertile floodplain. Field Sport Concepts Ltd. produced a master plan for Little Mountain Ranch devised to enhance the existing natural resources and landforms, preserve wildlife habitat, and introduce opportunities for rural recreational pursuits.
In order to enable the owner to put the entire property under easement with the Virginia Outdoors Foundation, McKee Carson, the FSC land planning affiliate, formulated a “by-right” development plan illustrating the traditional rural lot allowance for this land. This plan was employed to appraise the post development value of the property and, thereby, to determine allowable conservation tax credits. Read more…
Stream Corridor Bioengineering
Poor land stewardship on this central Colorado ranch left the new land owner with multiple areas of severely eroded stream bank. Riparian cattle grazing decreased habitat complexity both instream as well as along the riparian corridor. Degraded stream banks and a loss of habitat biodiversity resulted in excessive sediment loads, decreased spawning habitat, lack of instream structure and an overall deficiency in aquatic and terrestrial production. Additionally, a previous restoration attempt left over 200 large boulders in stream and plugged numerous side channels.
Trout Headwaters Inc., after a thorough assessment, developed a stream design that would address and combat these problems. THI’s stream design improved bank stability, instream habitat and water quality while creating naturally functioning channel characteristics. The construction of bioengineered “soft” banks, specifically suited to the sites hydrologic and geomorphic conditions were implemented to achieve THI’s project goals. Read more…
All the best,
Bob McKee
