Family Creates an 82-Acre Legacy of Conservation and Recreation

Thanks to the generosity of the Moulton family, 82 acres of land have been added to Moulton Park along the Shenandoah River in Jefferson County, West Virginia. The family sold the property at less than fair market value, also known as a bargain sale, to achieve a conservation and recreation outcome for the community.

The Moulton family donated the original three acres of Moulton Park to JCPRC in 1976 to ensure ongoing public access and recreation. Almost 50 years later, the family’s generosity continued, and the June 2023 bargain sale of their adjacent 82-acre farm has now expanded Moulton Park.

This generation of the family added conservation goals, stipulating that the land be managed for watershed protection, education, native species protection and soil and forest regeneration, in addition to the family’s legacy of creating recreation opportunities and public access.

Following a formal planning process, the new parkland will include hiking trails, camping facilities and parking infrastructure to alleviate congestion and related issues along the Shenandoah River, one of 150 major rivers that flow into the Chesapeake Bay.

“We worked with Chesapeake Conservancy to permanently protect our 82-acre farm in Jefferson County, West Virginia,” said Brucie Moulton. “We deeply appreciate the extensive knowledge, skills and experience the Conservancy brings to protecting the entire Chesapeake Bay watershed and are very grateful for their support and guidance. Four generations of our family have had the privilege of calling this beautiful piece of land home,” “We have all loved the place immensely and none of us could bear the idea of development, however profitable it might have been.”

Chesapeake Conservancy President and CEO Joel Dunn highlighted the significance of this gift: “The generosity of the Moulton family is truly a model example of how we, as a society, can achieve success in this era of conservation. Governments and nonprofits can’t do it alone. Our society needs the support of private philanthropists, such as the extraordinary Moulton family, as we race against time to adapt to climate change and [meet our goal to] protect 30 percent of the Chesapeake Bay watershed by 2030.”