This past week saw the passage of two Board of Supervisors initiatives to help protect and preserve the open spaces of Loudoun's rural countryside. They include the full passage of a conservation easement assistance program and a county study and assessment of implementing a transfer of development rights program, known as TDR. Both programs will help citizens and county leaders preserve more of Loudoun's open spaces.

Conservation easements are an effective tool that is used to protect rural lands. Once in place they essentially prohibit any current or future land owner from developing the property. The major issue with conservation easements however is the setup costs. These can be as high as $40,000 in many cases. This cost creates barriers for lower income land owners who wish to see their lands preserved but do not have the money to pay for the creation of the easement.

The newly adopted conservation easement assistance program, proposed earlier this year by Blue Ridge Supervisor Tony Buffington, is changing this! The program, passed last week by the Board of Supervisors with a vote of 8-1, set up a fund of $150,000 to assist lower income land owners with grants that will help defray the cost of putting their land into conservation easement. Each applicant can receive up to $15,000 toward the costs and they must have an annual household income of less than $117,200. This is an exciting step forward to preservation of rural Loudoun.

The TDR program initiative, led by Supervisor Geary Higgins and Supervisor Tony Buffington, is exciting and truly innovative. Successfully implemented in many counties, this program would allow a landowner in rural Loudoun to sell their rights to develop their land to a landowner in the east who would then be permitted to increase the density on their property. It is a win-win. This creates income for the "sending" land owner and the "receiving" land owner gets additional density to build more houses on the same piece of land – hence the development rights to build more houses have been "transferred". Last week the Board approved an in-depth study of how a TDR program could be implemented in Loudoun and staff is expected to report back early next year. We are excited to see this moving forward.

Lastly, it is important to note that both programs, one now implemented and the other under study, have broad support from the public and many members of the Board. They offer tools, options and flexible solutions to preservation. Ironically, both programs have been routinely opposed by the Loudoun County Planning Commission. This commission is in the final drafting stages of writing Loudoun's new Comprehensive Land Use Plan. They have said many times they want a plan which has tools, options and flexible solutions for development. It is unfortunate the Commission does not feel this way when it comes to conservation of our natural resources and open spaces.

I want to thank Supervisors Buffington and Higgins for the continued leadership in pressing for ways in which the County can encourage and support the protection of our rural heritage. Action speaks volumes.

If you wish to contact the Board and express your support for these programs, email them at: BOS@loudoun.gov