Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy is always actively involved in a variety of advocacy campaigns. In addition to working on the frontlines, Loudoun Wildlife works behind the scenes. Below are some of our active campaigns.
Loudoun Wildlife staff and volunteers also represent wildlife, healthy habitats, and green infrastructure on a variety of advisory boards and coalitions. In 2021, Loudoun County formed the county’s first Environmental Commission, and Loudoun Wildlife’s Executive Director, Michael Myers, serves as the Chair of the Natural Resources Committee.
Route 15 N Widening Project
The Board of Supervisors has initiated the process for a Comprehensive Plan Amendment (CPAM) to widen Route 15 north of Montressor Road to the Maryland State Line. One component of this project includes potential bypass options of the village of Lucketts.
In March 2020, Loudoun Wildlife purchased the 87-acre globally rare wetland now known as JK Black Oak Wildlife Sanctuary. The potential western bypass option would go through our property and negatively impact the sensitive environmental resources of our property.
This item is currently scheduled to be heard at the November 30, 2021 Planning Commission public hearing. This item will subsequently be forwarded to the Board of Supervisors for action, likely in early 2022. Your voice is needed to speak up to protect the unique natural assets that make JK Black Oak Wildlife Sanctuary a globally rare wetland.
We want to thank the members of the public who spoke up and overwhelming responded to protect JK Black Oak Wildlife Sanctuary during a survey in June 2021. Read the full survey results here.
On October 14, 2021, the Loudoun County Planning Commission voted to recommend denial of Bles Park Enhancements 5-2-2 (two commissioners absent), because the current proposal did not do enough to balance the protection of natural resources and the needs for active recreation and greater park amenities. This item is being forwarded to a future Board of Supervisors public hearing, likely December 15, 2021.
Loudoun Wildlife thanks our members who spoke up at the Planning Commission public hearing, and now is the time to voice your concerns to the Board of Supervisors. Together, we can keep the pressure on to ensure more modifications are made to adequately protect the exemplary wildlife habitat found at Bles Park.
Here are updates and position statements from Loudoun Wildlife:
Upon the adoption of the 2019 Comprehensive Plan, Loudoun County embarked upon the necessary process of updating the Zoning Ordinance to comply with the new policies of the Comprehensive Plan. Loudoun County’s Zoning Ordinance Committee advisory board is currently providing stakeholder feedback on potential changes to the Zoning Ordinance. As with the Comprehensive Plan process, Loudoun Wildlife is collaborating with nonprofit partners of the Loudoun County Preservation and Conservation Coalition to provide public input throughout this process. Due to Covid-19, the Zoning Ordinance Rewrite process has been delayed.
More information on this process, and input from Loudoun Wildlife and other members of the Loudoun Coalition, can be found on the Loudoun Coalition’s Zoning Committee webpage, including detailed progress reports here.
The Zoning Ordinance Rewrite process is currently expected to enter a 90-day public comment period in Spring 2022. This will be one of many opportunities for the public to provide input on draft text of the proposed new Zoning Ordinance.
Save Our Watersheds
Much of Loudoun’s drinking water comes from Goose Creek and the Potomac River. As Loudoun grows, it is essential that we preserve the forests, wetlands and meadows that serve as filters for our watersheds.
These natural resources not only protect our drinking supply, they provide valuable habitat for resident and migratory species, filter and retain storm water, increase resilience against storms and drought, and give residents and visitors a beautiful place to play.
The Goose Creek is home to many birds, fish, mollusks, reptiles, amphibians and insects including state-threatened species such as the wood turtle and loggerhead shrike.
A threatened species is one that is likely to become an endangered species within the foreseeable future throughout all or a significant portion of its range.
Luckily, there are measures we can take to protect both the quality of our water supply and the wildlife that shares the streams, forests, meadows and wetlands that make up our watersheds. We can advocate for policies in our new comprehensive plan that will:
Promote conservation easements, property development rights and County land acquisition to preserve land along our stream corridors.
Ensure ecologically valuable lands and waters are identified, monitored and maintained or restored.
Require green building practices such as limiting the amount of impervious surface that is created during development and redevelopment.
Imagining what Loudoun will look like decades down the road, one thing is clear: we must preserve our natural assets throughout the county. For all the benefits they provide, we can’t afford to lose them.
Transition Area Alliance’s Message to County: Value Land As an Asset, Not a Commodity
Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy supports the Transition Area Alliance (TAA), a group of concerned Loudoun County residents dedicated to protecting open space and quality of life in Loudoun’s Transition Policy Area (TPA). The TPA provides a buffer between the high-density suburban areas to the east and north, and rural areas to the west. It is also home to three drinking water reservoirs, and a rich diversity of species and habitat.
As Loudoun County government drafts its new comprehensive plan, which will guide land use for years to come, the Transition Area Alliance advocates for policies that will protect the TPA from over development. Read TAA’s position paper.
