James City County invites citizens to share their thoughts about the heritage and cultural features they love in James City County by participating in the Natural and Cultural Assets Map Survey. The survey represents a critical opportunity for citizens to review six draft maps developed as part of the Natural and Cultural Assets planning effort: natural habitats, agriculture, forestry, water resources, cultural resources, and recreation. Following review of the draft maps, citizens can identify and comment on important heritage and cultural resource areas that should be added to the maps. Examples of these features include scenic views, favorite birding spots, walking or biking areas, parks, historic sites, or places that support agriculture.
The online survey is available at https://jamescitycountyva.gov/NCASurvey, and paper surveys are available at the James City County Library and the James City County Recreation Center through March 7. To complete either survey, citizens can add a pin to the map to identify the resource and then answer a few short questions to describe what the resource is and why it is important.
In support of the 2035 Strategic Plan and 2045 Comprehensive Plan, the Natural and Cultural Assets planning effort began in fall 2021 to map and plan for the County’s natural and cultural assets. Natural assets include large intact and high-quality landscapes such as forests, marshes and bays or good agricultural soils. Cultural assets include landscape features that depend on or are supported by their surroundings such as the views from Historic Jamestown and the lands that surround the site. Mapping these areas can help efforts to plan appropriately for them, ranging from private landowner decisions about managing or developing their property to County decisions about where to plan infrastructure projects or prioritize conservation and restoration efforts.
Visit https://jamescitycountyva.gov/3856/Natural-Cultural-Assets-Plan for more information, or contact the James City County Community Development Department at 757-253-6671 or community.development@jamescitycountyva.gov for assistance.
This Week in James City County - Natural and Cultural Assets Podcast Episode
Contact:
Tammy Rosario, Assistant Director of Community Development
757-253-6685; planning@jamescitycountyva.gov