Current Campaigns

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.

Dominion Energy Transmission Lines Along Broad Run

To meet heightened energy demand coming from the increase of data centers in the county, Dominion Energy has started the process of building major transmission lines, substations, and infrastructure linkages. The first segment of this mult-year, multi-project expansion includes a new high voltage transmission line along Broad Run between Northstar Blvd and Loudoun County Parkway (and beyond).

Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy has grave concerns about this proposal, and we do not support the proposed location of these infrastructure improvements that would further fragment habitat within the Broad Run riparian buffer and floodplain creating more challenges to wildlife and the ecosystem as a whole. View Loudoun Wildlife’s recommendations and additional information on the project.

How to get involved?

Dominion will be hosting an Open House to further discuss the project on September 8, 2022, from 5:00pm to 8:00pm at John Champe High School, 41535 Sacred Mountain St, Aldie, VA 20105.
Comments regarding the project will be accepted via GeoVoice. Further information on the project, and access to comment, can be found here.
Once Dominion Energy submits their application to the Virginia State Corporation Commission (SCC) there will be multiple public comment periods, and we will provide updates as that schedule is known. Dominion Energy is expected to file the current application on October 25, 2022.

Zoning Ordinance Rewrite

Loudoun County has changed a lot since the current 1993 zoning ordinance was approved, and staff needs to hear feedback from residents to ensure a balanced zoning ordinance will match the current vision of Loudoun County.

The completion of the 2019 Comprehensive Plan was the first step initiating a major update with the Zoning Ordinance Rewrite, which is nearing its final stages in 2022. 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, but it is vital that members of the public also submit comments and feedback.

As of July 2022, staff is making revisions after the initial public comment period and preparing to submit another draft for review by the Planning Commission. The Planning Commission will host two public hearings, the first on August 30th, 2022, that will be followed by subsequent work sessions. Once the Planning Commission has completed their work, the Zoning Ordinance will be forwarded to a Board of Supervisors public hearing and subsequent business meeting for action; currently tentatively scheduled for late January/early February.

Loudoun Wildlife wishes to thank everyone who submitted public comments on behalf of protecting wildlife during the initial public comment period, and we will continue to post updates on the next opportunities to make your voice heard.

Upcoming public comment periods:

Planning Commission public hearing, August 30
Planning Commission public hearing, October TBD
Board of Supervisors public hearing, TBD late January/early February

For more information on the Zoning Ordinance Rewrite:

Visit Loudoun Coalition’s Zoning Committee webpage. Here you will find more detailed information on this process, including in-depth input and analysis from members of the Loudoun Coalition.
View Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy’s recommendations for revisions to the most current draft text.
Go to https://www.loudoun.gov/zoningordinancerewrite to stay up-to-date on the Rewrite process, and find out when the next draft text is released.

Route 15 N Widening Project

At the Board of Supervisors July 5, 2022 business meeting, the Supervisors approved a Comprehensive Plan Amendment (CPAM) to widen Route 15 from north of Montressor Road to the Maryland state line. One of the proposed improvements is the construction of a western bypass around 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.

While the bypass alignment has been voted on in conjunction with the Comprehensive Plan Amendment itself, the final location and alignment of the bypass will be further evaluated and determined during the roadway design process.

Despite the Board of Supervisors’ CPAM decision, your voice will still be needed in the future to speak up to protect the unique natural assets that are at a high risk of local extinction at JK Black Oak Wildlife Sanctuary. Loudoun Wildlife will continue to monitor the progress on the Rt. 15 N widening project, and we will post updates as other opportunities for public input become available.

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.

Additional information on the Rt. 15 widening:

Loudoun Wildlife’s comments to the Board of Supervisors.
Loudoun Wildlife’s comments on the potential bypass options.
Loudoun County Staff Report for Planning Commission Public Hearing on November 30.
Loudoun County’s CPAM project website.
Loudoun County’s statement regarding the bypass alignment.
Full results of the JK Black Oak survey.

Dominion Energy Transmission Lines Along Broad Run

Zoning Ordinance Rewrite

Route 15 N Widening Project

Our Work

Advocacy News