Friends Signs Declaration by the Loudoun Transmission Line Alliance

Friends of the Blue Ridge Mountains joins numerous environmental/conservation organizations including the Waterford Foundation Inc., Catoctin Creek Scenic River Advisory Committee, Between the Hills Conservancy, Loudoun County Heritage Commission, and Old Dominion Land Conservancy to sign a Declaration prepared by the Loudoun Transmission Line Alliance (LTLA).

The declaration expresses concern about the route through rural Western Loudoun County of the proposed 500 kV transmission line, known as the MidAtlantic Resiliency Link (MARL)

The declaration reads in part:

“We, the undersigned stakeholders, representing business, preservation, agricultural, environmental, and community organizations in Loudoun County, Virginia, call upon NextEra Energy to avoid building a new power corridor through rural Loudoun County, in view of the negative impact of such construction on the agricultural community, local economy, heritage and natural resources, and residents of the region. We strenuously oppose construction of new “greenfield” lines in rural areas of the County. All new transmission lines should be located within existing power corridors …” 

In addition, Friends has established its own “MARL Work Group”. The FBRM Work Group will focus on the portion of the MARL that is proposed to cross the Blue Ridge.

Please volunteer to be part of our MARL Work Group.

The greater the involvement of our members the stronger our impact will be. For information on volunteering please contact Larry Malone, FBRM Executive Director, 703/709-1066 or LPM.REDC@gmail.com

One element of our response to the MARL construction that the FBRM Board is considering is to urge a requirement that for every tree destroyed during construction, at least two new trees must be planted. Trees are a CO₂ sink and an efficient, affordable tool for reducing green house gases. On the other hand, generating and transmitting energy over the MARL to Northern Virginia’s data centers adds tremendously to greenhouse gases. A modest investment in planting new trees is the minimum that should be required of the energy and data industries to offset their contribution to climate change.  LPM

6,000+ Acres in Conservation Easements
in 2023

According to the Piedmont Environmental Council (PEC) more than 6,315 acres were conserved last year, in the nine-county area of Albemarle, Clarke, Culpeper, Fauquier, Greene, Loudoun, Madison, Orange and Rappahannock. 
The conserved acres represent 52 new conservation easements and brings the total of conserved areas within the region to 446,096. The easements are made through partnership of landowners with not only the PEC, but also the Virginia Outdoors Foundation, Albemarle Conservation Easement Authority, Clarke County Conservation Easement Authority, Land Trust of Virginia and other land trusts and conservation agencies.

Mike Kane, PEC Land Conservation Director, said that long term, PEC would like to see one million acres conserved, a milestone which is achievable through continued strong partnership with landowners and preservation allies using a combination of public and private conservation tools.

Landowners in Loudoun County entered into 16 permanent conservation easements totaling 2,286 acres in 2023, according to PEC. This included 1,687 acres of prime agricultural soil. It brought to 70,152 acres the total amount of land subject to conservation easements in the county.

In Clarke County, the 60-acre Newfound Farm, owned by Dennis and Lissette Pippy, was an important conservation target for its 2,640 linear feet of frontage along the Opequon Creek, which serves as a public drinking water source, and for its “very high conservation value” forested areas, as classified by the Virginia Department of Forestry.
The Clarke County Easement Authority was able to secure the easement with a combined $150,000 from the Virginia Office of Farmland Preservation and the Virginia Land Conservation Fund, while a $7,350 gift from PEC’s Clarke County Conservation Fund filled a funding gap left by a higher-than-expected appraisal. LPM

April 13 Spring Native Plant Sale at Morven Park

Native plants add beauty and interest to your garden year-round and provide an important habitat for wildlife.

Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy is hosting a Native Plant Sale at Loudoun County’s Morven Park on Saturday April 13^th.

The sale will feature spring-blooming flowers, vines, trees, shrubs and ferns from four local native plant nurseries: Hill House Farm & Nursery, Nature By Design, Seven Bends Nursery and Watermark Woods.

The sale takes place in the visitor parking lot (access via the main entrance on Old Waterford Road) and will be staffed by volunteers knowledgeable about native plants who can advise you on selecting natives for your garden. LPM

Learn more: https://loudounwildlife.org/event/spring-native-plant-sale/

April 20th and 21st
Leesburg Flower and Garden Festival 

The 2024 Leesburg Flower & Garden Festival, presented by Loudoun Medical Group, will be held Saturday, April 20th 10am–6pm and Sunday, April 21st 10am–5pm.

The festival is open to the public, FREE, and the celebration goes on rain or shine.

The award-winning Leesburg Flower & Garden Festival has become an annual rite of spring for the Washington DC Metropolitan area.  Transforming the streets of historic Downtown Leesburg, the festival showcases beautiful flowers, plants, and landscaping along with the best of gardening and outdoor living products and services.

The rooftop beer and wine garden, landscape display contest, three stages of entertainment, delicious festival food, mean there is something for everyone.

The Garden Patch children’s area is back in 2024.  It will be located on Town Green.

Visit Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy’s booth for hands-on activities for kids of all ages, see what bear scat really looks like and quiz yourself on different wildlife tracks and signs.  The Conservancy will also be selling t-shirts, mugs and other LWC merchandise.

The Wildlife Conservancy is also looking for volunteers to help staff it’s both. For more information contact Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy. LPM

Loudoun County Delays PDR Program 

According to Loudoun Now (3/14/2024) the Loudoun County Board of Supervisors (BOS) has eliminated funding for 2 of the 3 positions associated with a proposed Purchase Development Rights (PDR) program.

PDR is a voluntary program in which a landowner sells the development rights of a parcel of land to a public agency, land trust or unit of government. A conservation easement is recorded that permanently limits development. While the right to develop or subdivide that land is permanently restricted, the landowner retains all other rights and responsibilities associated with that land and can use or sell it for purposes allowed in the easement.

The intent of a PDR program is to permanently protect working farm and forest land, open space, or aesthetically pleasing landscapes from development, while retaining private ownership and management.

In 2020 the Loudoun BOS authorized the initial stages of a PDR program for Loudoun. For the 2024 County budget, the Department of Planning and Zoning requested funding for three positions associated with the program. One of the positions would also help manage the 300+ conservation easements for which the County is currently responsible.

Supervisor Matthew F. Letourneau (R-Dulles), who does not support the PDR program, made a motion to remove two of the three positions. His motion passed 5-4 with Supervisors Caleb A. Kershner (R-Catoctin), Laura A. TeKrony (D-Little River), Michael R. Turner (D-Ashburn), and BOS Chair Phyllis J. Randall (D-At Large) opposing the motion. LPM

Rural Landowner Manual

The Virginia Piedmont Heritage Area Association has released a resource guide for rural Landowners.
 In a first of its kind collaboration, eight local conservation groups have come together to produce a Rural Landowner Manual: A Resource Guide for the Northern Piedmont. The publication includes a list of experts, programs, and opportunities to assist landowners, as well as advice for how to navigate the complexities of rural property stewardship. LPM

Click Here to Download