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There鈥檚 a place along the Rappahannock River in the Northern Neck of Virginia, where wild rice grows, cicadas call, and the drums of the Rappahannock Tribe echo across the water. In this quiet current, a father fishes with his daughter, a photographer crouches behind a bird blind and tribal youth learn the traditions of their ancestors.
This location, known as Cat Point Creek, was once the ancestral capital of the Rappahannock people.
Tucked just a few forested acres back from the river and centrally located on the Cat Point Creek Unit of the Rappahannock River Valley National Wildlife Refuge, a wooden lodge formerly used for wedding receptions and proms has been refurbished into the tribe鈥檚 Indigenous Environmental and Conservation Education Center. Since the building鈥檚 transfer in ownership from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to the federally recognized tribal nation in 2023, the tribe has renovated the kitchen and restrooms and added ramps to improve accessibility. Meanwhile the Rappahannock River Valley National Wildlife Refuge has developed public access with a fishing pier, covered pavilion and children's wilderness playground.
Though the lodge may be retired from the days of DJs and dancefloors, a lone disco ball still glitters in the ceiling, marking this as a site of celebration.
We were tempted to throw the switch on that disco ball in summer 2025, as representatives from the Rappahannock Tribe, the Service, the Virginia Department of Historic Resources, and The Conservation Fund gathered to celebrate the transfer of 969 acres at Fones Cliffs back to the Rappahannock Tribe.
Another win for collaborative conservation
This land transfer is the latest effort to reconnect the tribe to their ancestral homelands. In April 2022, 465 acres, once the site of three major villages 鈥� Wecuppom, Matchopick and Pissacoak 鈥� were returned to the tribe. This most recent addition is adjacent to that property. It builds on the Service鈥檚 commitment to tribal co-management and supports the tribe鈥檚 reconnection with this sacred space.
As part of this land transfer, the Service holds a conservation easement conservation easement
A conservation easement is a voluntary legal agreement between a landowner and a government agency or qualified conservation organization that restricts the type and amount of development that may take place on a property in the future. Conservation easements aim to protect habitat for birds, fish and other wildlife by limiting residential, industrial or commercial development. Contracts may prohibit alteration of the natural topography, conversion of native grassland to cropland, drainage of wetland and establishment of game farms. Easement land remains in private ownership.
Learn more about conservation easement with the Rappahannock Tribe, permanently protecting the natural resources at Fones Cliffs. It is a sheltering site for the mid-Atlantic's largest population of bald eagles, and the National Audubon Society has identified the cliffs as a globally Important Bird Area for resident and migratory birds. Wetlands and marshes across the river are home to rare and threatened plant life, as well as several protected species of fish and waterfowl.
Invitees to the celebration experienced this stunning habitat firsthand through a boat tour led by staff from the Rappahannock River National Wildlife Refuge. Surrounded by buzzing dragonflies and bird song, the boats swept along the river. Ripples billowed in their wake, shushing through stalks of wild rice that framed the bank. In this wholly wild setting, Tribal leadership explained the significance of the day and why it was so important as a homecoming.
鈥淚n returning to these lands, we are fulfilling the dreams of our ancestors,鈥� said Rappahannock Chief Anne Richardson. 鈥淲e know why this land has been drawing us back for generations. The land demands that we come back together to rebuild those relationships and steward this magnificent place.鈥�
Protecting the past
Through co-stewardship, the Service commits not only to protecting the natural resources in partnership with the tribe, but also to preserving the cultural and historical value of this location.
In addition to the conservation easement provided by the Service, the Virginia Department of Historic Resources has established a historic preservation and open space easement, safeguarding the archeological, riparian riparian
Definition of riparian habitat or riparian areas.
Learn more about riparian and forest resources of this remarkable landscape. Archeological digs have already begun, yielding evidence of a small village on the cliffs.
By maintaining these locations for potential archeological study, future generations can connect with rich American history, and the memories held in the land. Whether it鈥檚 plants introduced for agriculture, clay pottery left behind, or archaeological evidence of homes long lost to time, each discovery unearths a deeper understanding of our shared history.
Stewards for the future
Rappahannock Tribal leadership said they intend to expand their 鈥淩eturn to the River鈥� program to include the newly acquired tract at Fones Cliffs. This initiative teaches leadership skills and passes down the traditional knowledge of the river to tribal youth.
The inspiration doesn鈥檛 stop there. Staff at Rappahannock River Valley National Wildlife Refuge are already working closely with the tribe to develop additional public educational and recreational opportunities on these lands, including hiking trails, interpretive signs and guided kayak tours.
鈥淭his kind of innovative and collaborative conservation is at the heart of the Service鈥檚 mission,鈥� said Sharon Marino, acting Regional Director for the Service鈥檚 Northeast Region. 鈥淐o-stewardship allows us to work with Tribes, in partnership with private landowners and state agencies to achieve shared conservation goals, prioritizing partnerships over regulation.鈥�
鈥淲e want to be your partner in conservation to protect the entire Chesapeake Bay and its watershed,鈥� concluded Chief Anne Richardson. 鈥淭he Tribe is thankful to all of the partners and visionaries that have helped us map this path forward to protect, restore, and to co-manage this beautiful land with the Rappahannock River Valley National Wildlife Refuge.鈥�
