Despite its proximity to Northern
Virginia, the Virginia portion of the Chesapeake Fringe of Megalopolis - Northern Neck, the Middle Peninsula, and the
Eastern Shore - is a very different area. The Chesapeake
Fringe has preserved
enough of its natural
environment to be able to take advantage of the "Four Fs" of farming, fishing, forestry, and fun (tourism, water recreation, and
vacation homes).
The importance of these activities can be seen, for example, in Accomack's rank as the third largest county in the state in agricultural production, as measured in terms of sales value; in Northern Neck's role as a vacation and retirement home area; in the numerous coastal towns dependent upon fishing an oystering; and in the rather high dependence of Northern Neck and the Middle Peninsula upon the forestry products industry.
The Chesapeake Fringe thus is still tied economically to its physical geographic qualities, including its scenic beauty. Encroachment upon the region by the three large, close urban concentrations of Richmond, Hampton Roads, and Northern Virginia appears inevitable.
The Chesapeake Fringe gained approximately 17,500 people between 1980 and 1988, giving it a population growth rate of 12 percent. Also during these years, the Middle Peninsula (Planning District No. 18), had the second highest net in-migration rate among the state's twenty-two planning districts. (RADCO, centered around Fredericksburg had the highest).
Landsat image from NASA Observatorium