• Home
  • About Us
    • Who We Are
    • Staff
    • Board of Directors
    • Our History
    • Annual Reports
    • Join Our Team!
  • Our Work
    • Land Use and Transportation
    • Conservation and Agriculture
    • Clean Water
    • Strong Communities
    • Regional Issues
    • Virginia General Assembly
  • Home
  • Counties
    • Augusta County
    • Frederick County
    • Page County
    • Rockingham County
    • Shenandoah County
    • Warren County
  • News + Events
    • News
    • Events
  • Donate

(540) 908-3914

Subscribe
Alliance for the Shenandoah ValleyAlliance for the Shenandoah Valley
  • Home
  • About Us
    • Who We Are
    • Staff
    • Board of Directors
    • Our History
    • Annual Reports
    • Join Our Team!
  • Our Work
    • Land Use and Transportation
    • Conservation and Agriculture
    • Clean Water
    • Strong Communities
    • Regional Issues
    • Virginia General Assembly
  • Home
  • Counties
    • Augusta County
    • Frederick County
    • Page County
    • Rockingham County
    • Shenandoah County
    • Warren County
  • News + Events
    • News
    • Events
  • Donate

Shenandoah Valley Fund

Working with our regional partners through the Shenandoah Valley Conservation Collaborative (SVCC), the Alliance has created the Shenandoah Valley Fund. This revolving loan fund will assist landowners with gap funding to cover the costs of completing conservation easements on their land.

A conservation easement is a voluntary agreement, established between a landowner and non-profit conservation organization or public agency. The easement permanently restricts development while allowing for uses such as farming, grazing and timber harvest as determined by the owner of the land. A landowner sometimes chooses to do this to preserve the environmental integrity of the land and/or because they want the parcel to remain intact as a legacy for generations to come.

When a landowner makes the decision to permanently protect their land with a conservation easement, they encounter several upfront costs, including property surveys, appraisals, and other associated legal fees. These costs require the landowner to have cash on hand to begin the process and often discourage or downright exclude willing landowners from going forward. The Shenandoah Valley Fund will remove this financial barrier by providing interest-free loans to help landowners cover these upfront costs.

The key to making the Fund work is Virginia’s transferrable Land Preservation Tax Credit. Once an easement is in place, the landowner is eligible for an income tax credit of up to 40% of the value of the easement. The credit can be claimed in increments of $20,000 per year. Landowners who have little or no Virginia income tax burden can sell these tax credits and use the proceeds to repay their loan from the Shenandoah Valley Fund, thus replenishing the Fund so it can help the next landowner. 

The Shenandoah Valley Fund is overseen by a five-person loan committee made up of individuals dedicated to conservation in the Valley and tasked with assessing project suitability and determining the size of a loan.

The Alliance is proud to play a central role in providing access to the benefits of conservation easements for all landowners in the Valley. If you’re interested in more information on the Shenandoah Valley Fund, please reach out to SVCC Project Manager Kevin at ktate [@] shenandoahalliance.org.

Meet the Loan Committee

Fred Andreae

Fred Andreae

Fred Andreae and his wife moved to Warren County in…

View Profile
Abbie Cutter

Abbie Cutter

Abbie Cutter was born and reared in Virginia, and she…

View Profile
Bibb Frazier

Bibb Frazier

Bibb Frazier grew up in the Shenandoah Valley, where he…

View Profile
Thomas Lockhart

Thomas Lockhart

Thomas Lockhart, a Warren County native, lives on the land…

View Profile
Michelle Tetreault

Michelle Tetreault

Michelle Tetreault, a native of Virginia, currently serves at Risk…

View Profile
Staff contact:
  • Kevin Tate, SVCC Project Manager, ktate@shenandoahalliance.org

Related News

Partnership effort to preserve forestland and rich history
Apr 29, 2020

It can take a village to preserve such a treasured place. Nearly 50 people, including the Bullard family and Potomac Conservancy staff, worked together to protect this special land for generations to come.

Support Our Work! Donate Online Here

Get In Touch

  • Kate Wofford, Executive Director
  • Alliance for the Shenandoah Valley
  • 9485 S Congress St • PO Box 674 • New Market, VA 22844
  • (540) 908-3914
  • info@shenandoahalliance.org

Stay in Touch

SIGN UP FOR E-NEWS

Search our site

Our Counties

  • Augusta
  • Frederick
  • Page
  • Rockingham
  • Shenandoah
  • Warren County

Our Work

  • Land Use and Transportation
  • Conservation and Agriculture
  • Clean Water
  • Strong Communities
  • Regional Issues
Charity Navigator Four-Star Rating.

© 2025 · Alliance for the Shenandoah Valley

  • Home
  • About
  • Donate
  • News
  • Contact Us
  • Privacy Policy