New Board Member for Friends

Friends of the Blue Ridge Mountains is pleased to welcome our newest Board member — Jaeda Pelletier. Jaeda is a rising Junior at Loudoun Valley High School.
Jaeda is serving as a temporary Board member over the next two years as part of a learning experience through CAS (Creativity, Activity, and Service), a core element of the International Baccalaureate program that will be introduced at Loudoun Valley High School this fall.

The CAS program replaces the Capstone program. CAS encourages Juniors and Seniors to engage in activities related to creativity, physical activity, and community service, with the aim of promoting personal growth and a sense of social responsibility.

Her role on the Friends Board will be akin to that of an intern in an organization who is there for a time but is not an employee.

Jaeda will have the opportunity to observe how a nonprofit Board functions and to participate on various Board committees. We are particularly looking forward to her helping us strengthen and broaden our communications through social media.

Jaeda is a member of both the Cross-Country team and Track Team.

We are looking forward to working with you, Jaeda!

Friends of the Blue Ridge Mountains Votes
to Support Prime Soils ZOAM

The Board of Friends of the Blue Ridge Mountains voted to join numerous other conservation / environmental organizations in urging the Loudoun County Board of Supervisors to adopt Zoning Ordinance Amendment (ZOAM) 2020-0002: Prime Agricultural Soils and Cluster Subdivision Regulations. 

According to a report prepared by the planning staff for the Board of Supervisors the intent of ZOAM 2020-0002 is to “protect and preserve agriculturally productive Prime Farmland Soils and to implement the clustered rural residential development policies of the 2019 General Plan (GP)”. The ZOAM is also intended “to retain the financial incentives for landowners to preserve Prime Farmland Soils and other environmental features by placing their land in conservation easements.”

Two of the most significant provisions of the ZOAM deal with preserving open space and prime agricultural soils.

• The ZOAM retains the requirement that a minimum of 70 percent of the Originating Tract be outside of the area used for Residential Cluster Lots (RCLs). This area is intended to preserve the majority of the land within the Originating Tract for rural economy and agricultural uses, as well as open space and the preservation of sensitive environmental features, to include those features regulated by the Floodplain Overlay District, the Mountainside Development Overlay District, the Limestone Overlay District, and areas of steep slopes in the Zoning Ordinance.

• The ZOAM adds a new requirement for a Preservation Farm Lot (PFL) to preserve a minimum of 70 percent of the Prime Farmland Soils on an Originating Tract when there are at least five acres of Prime Farmland Soils. This is a new requirement that implements the County’s policies to preserve and protect prime farmland and agricultural soils, recognizing their importance to the overall health of the rural economy. These lots are also proposed to be within Permanent Open Space Easements

Dept. of Energy Designates Transmission
Line Corridor in Loudoun

On May 8th the U.S. Department of Energy released a list of potential “priority” corridors for the construction of new or expanded transmission lines. According to the Loudoun Times Mirror (5-9-2024). “One possible corridor includes existing transmission rights-of-way across Loudoun County along with a new path through western Loudoun.”

The corridors are designated by the Department of Energy as National Interest Electric Transmission Corridors, or NIETCs.

The designation is significant for several reasons. One, it permits federal financing, including direct loans for the construction of transmission lines within the corridors.  In addition, because of the NIETC designation, both State and Federal regulators will have the authority to override local government regulations regarding the location of the transmission lines. With the NIETC designation, the Virginia State Corporation Commission (SCC) will have the authority to override Loudoun’s carefully developed zoning regulations, historic designations, and conservation easements restricting the placement of transmission lines.

Furthermore, if the Va. SCC were to deny a proposed transmission route through Western Loudoun, the applicant could still apply to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to override the SCC decision.

NextEra, a Florida based energy company has applied for NIETC designation for the construction of a 500 KV transmission line – known as the MidAtlantic Resiliency Link (MARL). According to the Loudoun Times Mirror NextEra’s line “would connect the proposed Woodside substation outside Winchester near the West Virginia border, travel through western Loudoun, and end at the proposed Aspen substation outside Leesburg near Cochran Mill Road. The line would span 130 miles across Virginia, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, and Maryland.”

NextEra has not released specifics about the proposed route and has not yet filed an application with the State Corporation Commission.

A 500 KV transmission line requires massive towers and significant land clearing for both construction and maintenance (see accompanying photo).

There is considerable public concern about the impact of the line on the Blue Ridge Mountains and the local environment. Friends of the Blue Ridge Mountains has joined numerous other environmental and conservation organizations in Loudoun County in the formation of the Loudoun Transmission Line Alliance (LTLA).

The objective of the LTLA is to minimize the impacts on the environment, culture, and economy of the new transmission lines.  To minimize the damage, the LTLA’s position is that all transmission lines should be built within existing power corridors as opposed to constructing new corridors.

The Loudoun County Board of Supervisors (BOS) has adopted the same position. At the April 16th business meeting, the Loudoun BOS unanimously adopted a resolution encouraging the use of existing transmission line corridors for the new Mid Atlantic Resiliency Link (MARL).

Because of the NIETC designation the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) will have the authority to override any restrictions or conditions Loudoun County, or the Commonwealth of Virginia may wish to place on the location of the transmission lines.

There is a 45-day public comment period on the NIETC designation. Comments may be submitted through June 24 by emailing NIETC@hq.doe.gov.

Friends has formed an internal MARL Working Group and will be developing a policy position regarding the NIETC designation over the next several weeks. If you would like to work with our MARL Working Group, please contact FBRM’s Executive Director, Larry Malone, at 703/709-1066. 

Clarke County Supports Loudoun Funding for Interchange Improvement 

On Tuesday April 16^th the Clarke County Board of Supervisors adopted a resolution in support of Loudoun County applying through the SMART SCALE program for funds to improve the Va. 7/Route 601 (Blue Ridge Mountain Road/Raven Rocks Road) intersection and surrounding area.

According to an article in the Winchester Star by Mickey Powell, Clarke County had applied for the Smart Scale funding for the project. However, VDOT has rejected the County’s funding request. According to the Winchester Star article, Clarke County officials don’t know why the funding was rejected but suspect the estimated $2 million cost toward just planning improvements was a factor.

SMART SCALE is a program of the Virginia Commonwealth Transportation Board to help it identify the highest priority transportation projects that generate the greatest benefit for taxpayers.

SMART SCALE stands for System for the Management and Allocation of Resources for Transportation, and the key factors used in evaluating a project’s merits: improvements to Safety, Congestion reduction, Accessibility, Land use, Economic development, and the Environment.

Localities, public transit operators, and metropolitan planning organizations submit projects to be scored through the SMART SCALE process. Projects are objectively scored according to key factors. After the projects are scored, the Commonwealth Transportation Board (CTB) selects which projects are included in the Six-Year Improvement Program. Once the projects are in the program, they are fully funded through construction.

According to the Virginia Transportation Board the SMART Scale program is the only one of its kind in the country.
Va. 7 is the major commuting route between Winchester and Washington. Having both hilly and level stretches, the highway has many short sight distances and is prone to speeding drivers. Adding to those problems, officials say, is the limited ability of the Clarke County Sheriff’s Office and Virginia State Police to regularly patrol the highway because of their limited resources.

The Route 601 intersection is in Loudoun, but just a few feet east of the Clarke line. Heavy traffic and speeding make it hard for Appalachian Trail hikers in Clarke to cross Va. 7 near the intersection. And drivers have trouble making left turns to and from 601, which sees backups — especially on weekends — because of customer traffic around the Bear Chase Brewing Company site.

Loudoun County, which also has recognized that improvements to the intersection are necessary, supported Clarke County’s application.

According to the wording of the April 16^th resolution adopted by the Clarke BOS “both counties have worked collaboratively” on designing improvements to the intersection.

Update – Loudoun County
Tree Canopy Study

The Loudoun Couty Department of General Services has awarded a contract to PlanIT Geo to conduct the County Wide Tree Canopy Study.

The objective of the baseline study is to better understand current tree resources and to inform future planning. A tree canopy study maps the locations of existing tree cover, compares it to historical data, and identifies areas for possible future planting.

In addition to the typical tasks associated with a tree canopy study, the County contract requires PlanIT Geo to include a tree equity analysis. According to the project status report the staff submitted to the Transportation and Land Use Committee “Trees can serve to mitigate heat and air pollution as well as promoting physical activity and reducing stress. This analysis will help to inform decisions about where and how further action might be taken and become an Environmental Justice project.”

PlanIT Geo is an urban forestry consulting firm that has done work with other jurisdictions in the region including Charlottesville, Washington, DC, and the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments.

The Department of General Services expects the report to be completed in about six months – approximately early November 2024. When the results are complete, they will be publicly available through an online dashboard.

This is an update to a story that Friends of the Blue Ridge Mountainsoriginally reported in the January 18, 2024, edition of Happenings Around the Blue Ridge. Friends will continue to follow the progress of this study and report to our readers. LPM

June 8 – Loudoun Appalachian Trail Festival

The annual Loudoun Appalachian Trail Festival is set for Saturday, June 8 in Hillsboro. Once again, Friends of the Blue Ridge Mountains is a festival sponsor.

Loudoun’s three officially designated Appalachian Trail Communities offer a daylong celebration of the 2,198-mile Trail, featuring four bands, dozens of vendors, an art show, “Trail Talks,” kid’s activities, food, locally crafted beers, and wines, and more.

The Festival kicks off at 11 a.m. on the grounds of Hillsboro’s Old Stone School with performances on The Gap Stage until 8:30 p.m. A special Eat, Drink & Be Literary! featuring North Carolina Trail Artist Mike Wurman will kick of the Festival on Friday night.

Last year’s festival, held for the first time in Hillsboro, was a great success, said longtime AT Fest organizer Jody Brady. “With Hillsboro and Bluemont becoming Appalachian Trail Communities last year, joining Round Hill, we decided to collaborate to form the non-profit Loudoun Appalachian Trail Alliance to foster education and support for the Trail—and its hikers. With the support of our sponsors, the annual Festival is a great way to do just that.”

This year’s event features dozens of vendors offering hiking and outdoor gear, goods, and crafts as well as non-profit educational and advocacy organizations—and plenty of fun activities for kids, including a climbing wall and pony rides, along with music, food, and drink.

In addition to artist Mike Wurman’s Friday night talk, artwork from a variety of Trail artists will be on display and for sale during the festival. A silent auction of donated items and artwork is also slated.

The Friday night Eat, Drink & Be Literary featuring artist Mike Wurman starts at 7 p.m. at Hillsboro’s Old Stone School, with doors opening at 6. For tickets and information, visit OldStoneSchool.org.

Performers on Saturday are Short Hill Mountain Boys at 11:30, Justin Trawick & The Common Good at 1:30 p.m., Frank Soilvan & Jillian Lea at 3;30 p.m. and Shannon Bielski & Moonlight Drive at 5:30 p.m. More information about the festival, including the lineup of Trail Talk speakers, the Appalachian Trail Art Show and Silent Auction, can be found at LoudounAT.org.

Friends of the Blue Ridge Mountains will have a booth at the festival. Please come by and say hi!

The Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy is looking for 20 volunteers to work at JK Black Oak Wildlife Sanctuary on Saturday June 1^st. Volunteers must be at least 16 years old. Registration is required.

The wildlife sanctuary is a beautiful 89-acre wildlife preserve located in Lucketts.  Loudoun Wildlife purchased the property in 2020 to preserve this globally rare wetland, which is home to a wonderful diversity of unique species.

Due to its environmentally sensitive habitat and rare species, JK Black Oak is not open for general public access.
Please note: The work requires physical activity, which may be strenuous, such as digging and sawing in weedy, overgrown areas. Please be aware that poison ivy and ticks may be present. Long sleeves and pants, gardening gloves and insect repellant are recommended.

Questions: Contact Volunteer Coordinator Kim Strader at kstrader@loudounwildlife.org.

People You Should Know

This one in a series of occasional articles highlighting the people whose decisions and activities directly impact the way in which we enjoy, use, celebrate and protect our wonderful Blue Ridge Mountains.

Abigail Zurfluh — Historic Preservation Director, Waterford Foundation Inc.

What happens if several months into your first professional job after college you are thrown into the middle of an exceedingly complex, technical, and emotional public policy issue?

If you are Abigail Zurfluh, Historic Preservation Director, Waterford Foundation you handle the situation with aplomb.

With her brand-new Bachelor of Arts degree in Historic Preservation and Geography from the University of Mary Washington University in hand, Abigail started working for the Waterford Foundation in August 2023. By December of ‘23 the controversy over the route of the 500 kV transmission line, known as the MidAtlantic Resiliency Link (MARL), was beginning to boil. Where exactly would the line cross Loudoun County? How close to historic Waterford would the line come and most importantly what would the massive towers and the associated route clearing necessary to support 500kV lines do to the local economy, agriculture, communities, and preservation/conservation efforts.

While virtually all of the environmental / conservation organizations in Western Loudoun, including Friends of the Blue Ridge Mountains have become active in efforts to minimize the impacts of the MARL on the environment and the economy, the Waterford Foundation, and the Piedmont Environmental Council (PEC), have taken the lead in organizing the efforts. Abigail has been the point person for the Waterford Foundation.

In early 2024 the Waterford Foundation hosted a series of community meetings to acquaint people with the MARL issues and to help organize and focus the concerns into productive action. One result of these meetings has been the formation of the Loudoun Transmission Line Alliance (LTLA). 

The Waterford Foundation and Abigail remain exceedingly active in the LTLA and are providing much of the staff support.

The LTLA’s position is that all transmission lines should be built within existing power corridors. It has prepared a formal declaration of this position which has been signed by many conservation / environmental / community organizations including Friends of the Blue Ridge Mountains. The declaration calls upon NextEra Energy – the company that will build the MARL – “…. to avoid building a new power corridor through rural Loudoun County in view of the negative impacts of such construction on the agricultural community, local economy, heritage and natural resources, and residents of the region.”

The Waterford Foundation is maintaining an email list for those who would like to stay informed about the MARL issues and efforts to minimize the negative impacts. In addition, one can pick up a “No New Lines in Loudoun” yard sign while supplies last at the Waterford Foundation Offices (40222 Fairfax Street, Waterford VA 20197) during office hours T-F 10am-2pm.

As important as it is, managing the Waterford Foundation’s effort regarding the MARL is not Abigail’s main job. As Historic Preservation Director she is responsible for managing the Foundation’s 11 historic buildings and 3 open spaces.

Abigail, who lives in Leesburg invests her spare time in Blue Ridge Mountain day hikes, building historic buildings in Sims and line dancing.