Volunteers Needed: Help Reduce Wildlife/Auto Accidents

Loudoun County is the number one county in Virginia in terms of vehicle /wildlife accidents with 308 police reported incidents in 2022. Fauquier and Prince William ranked second and tenth, respectively, in the State. Most police reported incidents are with deer and the cost of deer crashes has been increasing steadily. The average Virginia deer-related claim in 2018 was $3,956, according to AAA Insurance.

Wildlife Corridor Action Plan
In 2020, several organizations including The Piedmont Environmental Council (PEC), The Nature Conservancy of Virginia, The Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation, William and Mary, and The Virginia Tech Transportation Institute formed the Virginia Safe Wildlife Corridors Collaborative and helped to pass landmark legislation to identify and protect wildlife corridors in Virginia. The legislation requires collaboration between state agencies to create a statewide  Wildlife Corridor Action Plan (WCAP).

The first WCAP, published in 2023, identified wildlife corridors and existing or planned threats to wildlife movement. It also recommended priority areas for wildlife corridor projects and driver safety.

As an outgrowth of the Statewide WCAP the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources (DWR) and the William & Mary Institute for Integrative Conservation initiated a project specifically to address the escalating issue of wildlife-vehicle collisions in Loudoun County. Ten priority areas for mitigation were identified based on reported wildlife collision accidents, proximity to existing road structures suitable for wildlife crossings, and proximity to large high-quality habitat corridors.

Not surprisingly spots along Route 7 in and near the Blue Ridge Mountains dominate the list. Route 7 near Purcellville is number 1, near Bluemont is number 2, near Roundhill is number 7; and west of Roundhill is number 9.

Citizen Science Volunteers 
The Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources in partnership with  Virginia Master Naturalists  and  Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy , is recruiting citizen science volunteers to regularly survey major roadways in and around these hot spots. The collected data is used to help establish wildlife crossings, reducing wildlife-vehicle collisions and enhancing both human and wildlife safety.

The project involves wildlife-road monitoring conducted by pairs of volunteers. One volunteer drives a survey route, while the other notes wildlife observations on or near roadways using a smartphone app. The monitoring process is designed to be easy and safe, with volunteers staying inside their vehicles and avoiding walking alongside busy roads.

To become a volunteer or learn more about this project, email Jordan Green at  Jordan.Green@dwr.virginia.gov.

State and Federal Regulators May be Able to Override Loudoun County Restrictions on Transmission Lines

Loudoun and Prince William County citizens have become increasingly vocal with concerns about the proliferation of data centers and associated high energy transmission lines.

According to a recent article in Loudoun Now, a proposed Federal designation may give both State and Federal regulators power to override local authority to regulate the location of the transmission lines.

Virginia is within the Department of Energy’s (DOE) Mid-Atlantic region which includes West Virginia, Kentucky, Delaware, New Jersey, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Maryland. A DOE study released in October 2023 designated the Mid-Atlantic Region as a National Interest Electric Transmission Corridor(NIETC) because it is experiencing consistently high electrical energy prices. The study concludes that additional transmission lines bringing cost-effective generation to the area would help lower those prices.

Because of this NIETC designation, the 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 SCC were to deny a proposed transmission route through Western Loudoun, an applicant could still apply to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to override the SCC decision.
According to the January 18th Loudoun Now article, Florida based NextEra Energy has applied for and received approval to build a 130-mile 500 kV transmission line, known as the MidAtlantic Resiliency Link, that would cross Loudoun County.

NextEra must still receive approval of the route from the State Corporation Commission before it can begin construction on the line. According to a Dec. 11 press release NextEra has pledged to work with the Loudoun County to build the project.

“The study aims to identify a route that meets the technical specifications and economic needs of the project while avoiding or minimizing impacts on landowners, local communities and the natural environment,” NextEra representatives told Loudoun Now in an email.

According to the DOE, the initial window for public comment and recommendations on NIETC designation will remain open until 5 p.m. ET on February 2, 2024. Submissions can be made by emailing NIETC@hq.doe.gov. The public will also have an opportunity to submit information in response to DOE’s preliminary list of potential NIETC designations, which it expects to release in Spring 2024. The DOE will then review all community and stakeholder input before moving on to phase three.

Clarke County Prohibits New Solar Farms 

The Clarke County Board of Supervisors has made a decision in the solar panel/farmland controversy.
They are going to preserve farmland and prohibit new solar panel farms.

According to a recent article in the Winchester Star the Clarke County Board of Supervisors unanimously voted to amend the zoning ordinance to effectively prohibit future solar farms for fear that they take away land needed for agricultural farms.

A solar farm is a large installation of panels that generate electricity from light and heat emitted by the sun. The electricity is then sent to a regional power grid for distribution to homes and businesses.

Under the terms of the zoning amendment, new solar farms must be sited adjacent to one of two large electrical substations already in the county. All solar farm equipment must be installed within a mile of a substation, and one cannot be located near any other substation that eventually might be built, the amendment shows.

The amendment does not restrict so-called “behind the meter” solar equipment installations that generate electricity mainly for properties on which they’re located.

Board of Supervisor’s Chair David Weiss said “large-scale solar doesn’t preserve and protect” agricultural land. Rather, “it degrades and destroys” the land. Solar equipment can cause soil contamination, Weiss maintained.
Hecate Energy has already established a solar farm off Lord Fairfax Highway (U.S. 340) between White Post and Double Tollgate near the substation there. The facility has received permission from the County for a second phase of development which hasn’t yet started, according to Planning Director Brandon Stidham. The zoning amendment does not affect this solar farm. 

Bob Stieg, CEO of The Clermont Foundation, suggested that Clarke County officials examine “agrivoltaics”, which involves mounting solar panels atop tall posts above farmland. It enables farming and power production to exist side-by-side because animals can graze and/or farmers can access crops grown under the equipment. Clermont Farm has been exploring “agrivoltaics” with help from Virginia Tech and Virginia Cooperative Extension, Stieg said.

The Board of Supervisors expressed skepticism. “You’ve got two things competing for sunlight” — agriculture and solar panels, Supervisor McKay said. Panels would have to be at least 25 feet above the ground, he estimated, for animals and crops to get needed amounts of sunlight Crews would need bucket trucks to reach the panels when repairs are necessary, added McKay. The trucks would hurt the soil as they trek across it, he reasoned.

The Supervisors did not rule out eventually amending the zoning ordinance again to accommodate any new technology they believe would not ultimately harm land.

 February 15 to 22 – Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy Birdhouse Auction 

More than 30 local artists and nature lovers have turned rain barrels, half-barrel planters and bluebird houses into works of art to be auctioned off to benefit Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy. The auction runs from noon on February 15 to 10:00pm on February 22.

All items can be viewed on the auction site and will be shown on social media as well. (You will need to create a free account on the auction website to be able to bid on items and can register as early as February 1.)
The rain barrels can be used indoors decoratively or, with a simple modification, to collect rainwater from downspouts to water your nearby garden areas during dry weather.

The half-barrel planters, when planted with native perennials, provide not only an item of interest in your yard, but food and shelter for native pollinators. Each planter comes with a brochure of suggested native plants for sun or shade.

Some birdhouses are suitable for an outdoor setting and others are for decorative indoor display. In addition to being a lovely addition to your yard, the outdoor boxes provide nesting sites for cavity-dwelling birds including Eastern Bluebirds.

Loudoun Wildlife is grateful to Catoctin Creek Distillery for generously donating barrels and Watermark Woods for contributing the birdhouses.  We also want to acknowledge the many artists and businesses that have donated items and services.

In addition to art, the auction boasts something for everyone including a variety of experiences such as: a one week stay in St Thomas; forest bathing with Kim Strader; spring yard clean-up by Northern Virginia Property Services; and, an hour garden consultation with Julie Borneman.

Click here for more information.