After several years of negotiations, Stafford County officials voted yesterday to buy and preserve about 1,720 acres of an environmentally sensitive peninsula near the Potomac River.

The $19 million agreement for the property, known as Crow's Nest, also gives the county a two-year option to buy an additional 1,200 acres for $16.2 million. All of the $19 million will be provided by the state in the form of grants and low-interest loans.

The agreement comes after the Stafford Board of Supervisors voted last year to condemn the property, owned by K&M Properties of McLean. The peninsula in northern Stafford is home to one of the largest heron rookeries -- about 600 pairs -- in the Chesapeake Bay watershed. It is also densely populated by hardwood trees, some of them 4 feet in diameter.

Stafford officials said the future use of Crow's Nest will be consistent with Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation nature preserves and will include public access for self-guided nature trails, wildlife observation posts, canoe launches, fishing and other similar passive activities.

"We have worked extremely hard over the last several years to find some way to preserve this unique piece of land," Supervisors Chairman Jack Cavalier said in a statement.

K&M had wanted to build nearly 700 homes and before that more homes under an early 1970s rezoning that would have permitted up to 8,000 homes. But the developer was rebuffed by county officials and the Virginia Supreme Court.

The asking price has varied and was as high as $65 million at one time, according to county officials, who offered the developer $33.2 million in September 2006. Negotiations intensified after Stafford filed for condemnation of the property that November.

In addition to environmental concerns, preservation advocates say Crow's Nest has historical significance. Captain John Smith visited the Potomac Indians in the area in 1608. In addition, Pocahontas is believed to have been taken hostage five years later when she was visiting the Patawomeke (Potomac) village at Indian Point, just across from Crow's Nest.

Researchers say Crow's Nest was later named for a ship that harbored in deep waters near the peninsula, which is bordered by the Accokeek and Potomac creeks near where they feed into the Potomac.

"Crow's Nest is truly one of Stafford's greatest treasures," said Supervisor Paul Milde, who has long pushed to preserve the peninsula in his district. "I hope that Crow's Nest will be an enduring element of this board's legacy for future generations in Stafford."
Contact Kiran Krishnamurthy at (540) 371-4792 or kkrishnamurthy@timesdispatch.com.