Last Chance Landscape

Where is the Last Chance Landscape?

Last year, the national nonprofit Scenic America designated 28 miles of the Blue Ridge Parkway in Roanoke County as a "Last Chance Landscape." Located in the heart of southwest Virginia, this "Last Chance Landscape" in Roanoke County encompasses a 28 mile-long section of the Blue Ridge Parkway between Milepost 108.3 and 136.4. This Parkway section of Roanoke County lies east of the Town of Vinton and the City of Roanoke.

What is the foremost threat to the Last Chance Landscape?

This 28-mile section of valley and mountainsides, once characterized by largely pristine rural and agricultural landscapes, is rapidly being transformed by sprawling suburban residential and commercial development. Between 1982 and 1992, the County lost 8,550 acres in farmland. The "Last Chance" designation represents a call to action to preserve this threatened landscape.

The Scenery Viewshed Plan identifies 53 overlook and roadside view areas along the 28 mile-long section of Parkway that traverses Roanoke County. Of those 53 view areas, 35 are being proposed for viewshed conservation treatment in this plan. Viewshed conservation strategies include: landscape buffer tree plantings, conservation easements, and land purchases. Conservation easements and land purchases will only occur on a voluntary willing seller basis.

Visitors are very loyal to the Southwest Virginia section of Parkway that includes Roanoke, Franklin, Patrick, Floyd, Carroll and Grayson Counties. The average visitor to the Southwest Virginia section of Parkway has visited for over 20 years, 2.25 times per year for 1.96 days at a time and spent $149 per day per visitor. Roadside and overlook views were ranked as most important by about 50% of visitors to Southwest Virginia. While most visitors have said they do not want to see a decline in the scenic quality of views, some 25% to 50% said they would decrease their frequency of visits each year depending on the level of scenic quality decline that occurs. Although visitor expenditures may not actually decrease with small changes in view quality, the growth in future expenditures will slow if Parkway view quality decreases substantially. (Kask, et. al., Blue Ridge Parkway Scenic Experience Project-Southwest Virginia, 2002)

In Southwest Virginia, visitors listed single houses and residential subdivisions as their greatest scenic quality impact concern. In the Roanoke County area, the Blue Ridge Parkway staff has added commercial developments to that list of concerns. Viewing scenery along the Blue Ridge Parkway is an integral part of the visitor's experience, with some 50% to 95% of visitors stating this as their primary reason for coming to the Parkway. Scenery is a product that is consumed by Parkway visitors, and in the process they spend millions of dollars in adjacent communities for goods and services. (Brothers and Chen, 1995-96 Economic Impact of Travel to the Blue Ridge Parkway VA and NC, 1997)

While the above survey data relates to the six-county area as a whole, it certainly can be interpreted to be indicative of the Roanoke County area and Parkway visitor's experience of changes to scenery on adjacent lands. Roanoke County is the focus of this effort for three reasons. First, the Roanoke metro area serves as a major Parkway gateway community. Secondly, it is the largest urban area along the Parkway, and third, the Roanoke County area contains some of the most imperiled views along the Parkway in Virginia. The rate and degree of change to view areas in Roanoke County and visitor's sensitivity to scenic quality has prompted the development of a "Conservation Plan" for views in this section of Parkway.

Action Taken by FRIENDS!

Phase I: Last Chance Landscape Viewshed Restoration Plan

The Blue Ridge Parkway identified four sites along the 28-mile section that they consider critical. The four sites were determined to require a landscape viewshed restoration plan to be planted as a viewshed buffer to the commercial development. The Blue Ridge Parkway asked FRIENDS to restore the view to these sites.
There are four view areas that have changed dramatically due to adjacent residential development. Landscape buffer plantings are proposed to screen these developed areas from the view of Parkway visitors. FRIENDS of the Blue Ridge Parkway has taken on the Viewshed Restoration Plan design of all sites.

The four viewshed sites are located on the Parkway at:

1. Milepost 113.5, parkway right for 1,300 linear feet
2. Milepost 113.7, parkway left for 500 linear feet
3. Milepost 121, parkway right for 600 linear feet
4. Milepost 125, parkway left for 1,300 linear feet

Two of the sites (#1 and 2) were in close proximity to each other -- consequently they were combined together into one large site.

FRIENDS of the Blue Ridge Parkway established a Viewshed Steering Committee comprised of five partner groups: Roanoke County, Western Virginia Land Trust, developers, the Blue Ridge Parkway and FRIENDS. The purpose of the steering committee was for each group to work together to formulate the Last Chance Landscape Viewshed Improvement Plan that includes:

• Developing the Viewshed Retoration Plan for all sites
• Raise the funds for the Viewshed Restoration Plan

FRIENDS working with the community-based Steering Committee unveiled the plan last March to the community. FRIENDS members rose to the occasion -- and funded the Viewshed Restoration Plan for all sites produced by Hill Studio.

The major corporate supporters were:

• American Electric Power
• Roanoke Valley Home Builders Association
• County of Roanoke, VA

Phase I: Last Chance Landscape Viewshed Restoration Plan has been completed and funded! FRIENDS thanks both our general membership and corporate members for their overwhelming support of funding Phase I of the Last Chance Landscape Viewshed Project!

Viewshed Restoration Plan for the Last Chance Landscape Implementation -- the greatest challenge for FRIENDS

Phase II: Implementing the Viewshed Restoration Plan

FRIENDS of the Blue Ridge Parkway is responsible for implementation of Viewshed Restoration Plan -- the three buffer plantings to change the "Last Chance Landscape" back into a scenic drive, empowering community involvement with the plantings. Each of the plantings need to be funded and implemented over the next three years. Implementing the Viewshed Planting Plan The first planting is scheduled for Fall 2004.

A FRIENDS Community-Based Steering Committee is being established to assist with implementing each of the plantings. There are two specific children initatives: the Childre's Acorn and Seeding Planting Programs. FRIENDS involves children, students, businesses and community volunteers in each planting. The Steering Committee volunteers will recruit the volunteers and coordinate the event each fall.

To apply to serve on the Steering Committee call 800-228-7275 or in the Roanoke area, call 540-772-2992 and request an application.

The Viewshed Landscape Plan cost $11,300 and was funded by FRIENDS membership and an in-kind donation from Hill Studio. The implementation of the three viewshed plantings requires $78,937 -- FRIENDS has raised $19,560 to date for the first planting in the fall of 2004 at milepost 121 in Roanoke County, VA. We have the funds to plant the first fall planting -- thanks to you! The tentative date is October 23rd -- call FRIENDS office at 540-772-2992 in September to verify the date. FRIENDS needs $59,377 to implement the next two plantings!

We can only accomplish this with your help!