Natural & Cultural Assets Plan

• Read the adopted plan (PDF) or Calameo
• View the asset and risk maps: Quick or High Resolution
• Watch presentations on the project: 
  • Draft Plan - September 27, 2022 Board of Supervisors meeting
  • Overview of the Project - June 29, 2022 Open House

This plan is the result of community priorities established during the recent update of the County’s Comprehensive Plan.  Prioritizing the protection of natural lands and open spaces was the most highly ranked and supported objective across all three rounds of community engagement during Engage 2045.  

The Natural and Cultural Assets Plan implements the 2045 Comprehensive Plan’s environment action, ENV 3.1., and fulfills an operational initiative in the 2035 Strategic Plan.  

What are natural and cultural assets?

They are trees and forests, waterways, wetlands, agricultural soils and natural areas such as parks and trails or areas of cultural significance to residents such as scenic or historic areas. It includes large blocks of intact habitats connected by corridors to form a network. The more connected the landscape, the more resilient it is and the more pathways there are for people, pollinators or plants.

Connections Count: When landscapes are connected, wildlife can move across the landscape, ensuring their ability to obtain food, find open shelter, and maintain a diverse gene pool for healthy populations. Pollinators - which help sustain our food supplies and flowers - also need habitat to carry out these critical functions. These connections not only benefit wildlife; people also need a connected landscape to allow for a recreation, adventure, and alternate transportation - how does walking to work on a nature trail sound? Connected landscapes help maintain the character of our community by weaving together our natural and cultural assets and by creating a cohesive experience between them. 

Why do we need to map and manage natural and cultural assets?

Natural and cultural assets include intact forests, tree canopy, wetlands, springs, parks and rivers, or agricultural soils that provide clean water, air quality, wildlife habitat and food. These natural assets create healthy communities and sustain the local economy; tourists and residents alike benefit from a sustainable and attractive community.

However, if we don't know where our natural and cultural assets are located, we can lose them over time. By identifying, ranking, and mapping these critical resources, they become a part of our natural system, and their health is intrinsically tied to that of our community.

Why develop a Natural and Cultural Assets Plan?

Communities can use natural and cultural asset plans for many purposes, such as protecting current and future water supplies, protecting or expanding economies, creating healthy communities, protecting wildlife and biodiversity, providing or identifying new outdoor recreation options, highlighting land conservation priorities, and informing transportation projects, comprehensive plan goals or zoning decisions.   

How will this plan help James City County?

• The greener a community, the healthier the people.
• Areas with more green spaces are able to better attract top companies and well paid jobs.
• Counties can save funds in the long run by making better, smarter investments in water, trees, trails, food systems and parks, and reducing demand for public services and infrastructure.
• Hazards, such as flooding, can be abated or avoided with better planning, thereby saving lives and lessening risks and costs.
• Greener communities are safer communities; less crime occurs in green areas than in areas without green spaces.
• The greener the community, the better the air quality, even at the neighborhood level.
• A connected landscape is healthier, more diverse and more resilient.

How was the plan created?

The work to model and map the County was led by a team from GIC Inc., a Virginia-based non-profit that also coordinated the mapping and engagement process with County staff. Both a Board of Supervisors appointed citizen advisory committee and a staff technical advisory committee provided data and insights, reviewed maps, elicited feedback from the community, and edited the plan's strategies. For more information on the committee's work, visit the Committee page. For more information on on how the public contributed, visit the Share Your Ideas page. 

Will this plan restrict my property rights?

This plan is not intended to impose new regulations and it is not a land acquisition project. Just like the County Comprehensive Plan, this plan will look at the entire County landscape. Any project ideas that results will still need to follow the usual procedures for any new development or changes to public property. Ideas from this plan may be used to inform future updates of the Comprehensive Plan or plans for future zoning or redevelopment. 

For more information about the project, contact Tammy Rosario, Assistant Director of Community Development, via email or at 757-253-6671.