Former Planning Commission Member Receives Land Conservation Award
Anne Caldwell To Be Honored At Autumn Reception
For the eleventh year, the Clarke County Conservation Easement Authority has named the recipient of its Wingate Mackay-Smith Clarke County Land Conservation Award: former Planning Commission member Anne Caldwell. The award is presented annually to individuals, groups, or organizations that have made significant contributions to the preservation and protection of open spaces in Clarke County.
“Anne has been truly committed to land conservation for as long as I’ve known her,” said Randy Buckley, chairman of the Clarke County Conservation Easement Authority. “She does her homework, she shares her insights, and she’s always an ambassador for conservation and easements, especially during her time spent in Clarke County. That’s why Anne is a perfect recipient for the Easement Authority’s eleventh Wingate Mackay-Smith Land Conservation Award. We still benefit from her contributions to Clarke County’s planning process.”
Recently retired to Harpswell, Maine, Caldwell and her husband, Peter Elzer, moved to Clarke County with their three children in 1995, purchasing River View Farm, a 120-acre farm in the eastern section of the county. (The couple purchased the farm in two separate land parcels within two years.)
Caldwell explains she researched the Mid Atlantic region during her relocation search from Connecticut. After reading the comprehensive plan for Clarke County and learning of the county’s land-use philosophy, she told her husband, “We’ve got to live here.” Soon after their purchase, they protected River View Farm by placing it in conservation easement through the Virginia Outdoors Foundation, before the Clarke County Conservation Easement Authority was established.
While living in Clarke County, Caldwell served from 2002 until 2022 on various boards and commissions, including the Planning Commission, Board of Zoning Appeals, Berryville Area Development Authority, Historic Preservation Commission, and Board of Septic and Well Appeals.
“It’s an amazing county and I worked with a wonderful group of people,” Caldwell recalls. “So unique. The values of the county and the philosophy about land use permeated everything. The people on the county’s boards were representative of the county as a whole. No political issues were brought up that had national significance. Of course, there were different views, but none of that mattered.”
As for conservation easements, Caldwell explains: “Easements are one of the few ways to preserve precious pieces of land, especially in Clarke, where the pressure is enormous.” She advises conservation-minded landowners to investigate how an easement may work for them and “don’t be put off by the erroneous information that circulates about easements.”
Given Maine’s wintry weather, Caldwell plans to return to Clarke County and officially receive her award at the Conservation Easement Authority’s annual reception in the fall.“Easements are one of the few ways to preserve precious pieces of land, especially in Clarke, where the development pressure is enormous.”
