Public Works

Fredericksburg Watershed Property Management 

Fredericksburg owns approximately 4,200 acres of riverfront land outside of the City limits along the Rappahannock and Rapidan.

In April of 2006, Fredericksburg City Council approved a conservation easement with The Nature Conservancy, the Virginia Outdoors Foundation, and the Virginia Board of Game and Inland Fisheries calling for no new development on this land, but allowing for low-impact recreational use.

The Nature Conservancy paid the City $1.6 million, which was used to endow a full-time watershed manager position. Lee Sillitoe, the City’s Watershed Property Manager, oversees the conservation easement and works with various state and local government and law enforcement agencies, as well as other watershed stakeholders such as Friends of the Rappahannock (http://www.riverfriends.org), on issues that involve the property.

Use of the City's Watershed Property - Click here to see a list of activities that are prohibited.

What are a few of the duties and responsibilities of the Watershed Property Manager? 

The Watershed Property Manager is available to citizens and adjacent river property owners for phone calls and messages regarding complaints and concerns about the property. This full time law enforcement position is responsible for inspecting/monitoring conditions along the rivers, and correcting conditions that will have adverse impact to the ecosystems associated with the river environments.  The Watershed Manager coordinates with various local and state law enforcement authorities in conducting enforcement of ATV, motorcycle and other motorized vehicle violations, tree cutting and land disturbance violations, and any other violations that may occur on the property.
Contact Lee by e-mail or cell phone: 540-847-1162.