On September 1st 2026, new and long-time partners of the Upper and Middle James Riparian Consortium (Consortium) gathered at The Highland Center in Monterey, Virginia for our fall meeting. We had time for networking and small group-discussions, and partner-presentations on local projects, land protection opportunities, and “Buffers and Birds!”

James River Buffer Program (JRBP) and other riparian landowners were invited to join Cory Conger, Chesapeake Bay Foundation, on a pre-meeting tour of a nearby private buffer to learn from the project and connect with fellow landowners. In the afternoon, meeting attendees had the option to join Sammy Vest with Trout Unlimited and Alston Horn with the Chesapeake Bay foundation for a visit to the buffer project, with conversation geared toward practitioners and those focused on buffer establishment on a larger scale.

More about our site visits in Highland County!

September 1st: Sammy Vest, Trout Unlimited and Alston Horn, Chesapeake Bay Foundation led practitioners on a tour of a private buffer in Monterey. The project involved multiple partners including Chesapeake Bay Foundation, Trout Unlimited, Mountain Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD), and Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), with funding from various sources including NRCS’s Regional Conservation Partnership Program. The team implemented riparian forest buffers, exclusion fencing, and cattle crossing solutions across approximately twenty-four acres, with CBF providing three years of maintenance as part of the James River Buffer Program. Two acres of the project will be a designated pollinator habitat, with extensive invasive species removal done prior to planting to ensure that the species can thrive.

The group walked the buffer and discussed bank stabilization and planting considerations, evidence of natives within the site’s natural regeneration, weed suppression through coconut fiber mats, and the diversity of tree seedling and live-stake selection – 21 different native species!

September 2nd: The day following the Consortium Meeting, Sammy Vest with Trout Unlimited led partners from the James River Association and Watershed Restore LLC on a tour of buffer projects across Highland County.

Thank you to our meeting presenters & tour-leads for sharing your time and expertise with us! 

• Cory Conger, Chesapeake Bay Foundation
• Sammy Vest, Trout Unlimited
• Alston Horn, Chesapeake Bay Foundation
• Tyler Fisk, The Nature Conservancy
• Moriah Owens, Golden-winged Warbler program (Natural Resources Conservation Service) 
• Caty McVicker, Quail Forever

Thank you to staff at The Highland Center for providing our meeting space and welcoming us to Highland County!

RSVP for Virginia’s Buffer Summit!

We hope to see you October 14th, 2026 at Hungry Mother State Park in Marion, Va – RSVP!

Learn more on our Annual Buffer Summit webpage.