The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the City of Virginia Beach, Va., recently completed a land exchange that has allowed for road safety and other improvements along Sandbridge Road and at the Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge, according to Jared Brandwein, Refuge Manager.

 "The land exchange has allowed the City to realign Sandbridge Road to remedy safety issues and the Service to improve public access and other conditions at the Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge. It's the culmination of more than two years of working together with our counterparts at the City for the benefit of the residents of Virginia Beach and visitors to the Refuge," said Brandwein.

Virginia Beach Chief Operating Officer Charlie Meyer said, “This land exchange demonstrates how the federal and local governments can work together to achieve common goals that benefit our community. It has been a pleasure to work with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service on this innovative project.”

"The Sandbridge Safety Improvements Project is a great example of what can be accomplished through the collaborative efforts of the City of Virginia Beach and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service," said David Jarman, project manager for the City's Department of Public Works.  "The success of this project has been a direct result of the proactive approach taken by the City and the Service during the design phase."

The Service granted the City of Virginia Beach a drainage easement on 1.25 acres, a right-of-way totaling about one-half acre, and a one-third acre power line easement that allowed the City to straighten dangerous sections of Sandbridge Road.  

 The Service also granted ownership of just over one acre of refuge lands underlying two canals at the north end of the refuge adjacent to lots fronting Widgeon Lane. In addition, the Service conveyed to the City more than seven acres of bay bottom and canal-front lands from Sand Bend Road north to Bluegill Inlet along the easterly shore of the Back Bay.  City ownership of these areas will result in fewer land use restrictions on adjacent property owners.

The Service in exchange has received from the City a 1.24-acre portion of the Little Island Park parcel, located adjacent to the refuge at the end of Sandpiper Road. By owning this land, the Service will now be able to reconfigure the road entering the Refuge to improve access and public safety.