For Immediate Release

For More Information
Robert Lazaro, Director of Communications, Piedmont Environmental Council
cell: (571) 225-0198

2,087 Acres Conserved in Loudoun County for 2007

(Warrenton, VA - January 24, 2008) In 2007, residents of the Piedmont
protected 23,021 acres of open space through the use of conservation
easements. In Loudoun County, 2,087 acres were preserved in 2007 bringing
the grand total to more than 42,000 acres of privately conserved land in the
County.

The movement to protect privately-held rural land from development has been
experiencing tremendous momentum in Virginia's Piedmont region, with
landowners conserving an average of 23,714 acres every year for the last
five years. The total for 2007 brings the number of acres conserved in the
nine counties served by the Piedmont Environmental Council (PEC) to 293,364
acres, an area that is larger than Shenandoah National Park

"We're immensely pleased at what communities in the Piedmont have been able
to accomplish to provide a legacy of conserved open space for our children
and future generations," says Chris Miller, President of PEC. "When it
comes to conservation, this is one of the most successful regions in the
entire country."

The Piedmont region continues to lead the state of Virginia, which is among
the top five states in the nation for protecting land through private
conservation easements. The nine counties of Virginia's Piedmont-including
Loudoun, Clarke, Fauquier, Culpeper, Rappahannock, Madison, Orange, Greene,
and Albemarle-have conserved more land than almost any state in the nation.

PEC's Director of Land Conservation, Heather Richards says, "The tremendous
number of conservation success stories over the last few years in Loudoun
County reflect an incredible awareness among Loudoun's residents about the
importance of their landscape and its resources. Conserving green spaces
does more than just protecting pretty views. It protects drinking water and
air quality, reduces traffic, keeps taxes down and preserves family farms.
These benefits are explicitly recognized in Loudoun County's Comprehensive
Plan."

Bob Lee, the Executive Director of the Virginia Outdoors Foundation (VOF),
said, "Calendar year 2007 witnessed the second highest annual acreage in new
Virginia Outdoors Foundation (VOF) easements at 60,175 acres. VOF staff
worked in collaboration with PEC staff to realize significant land
conservation in each of the nine counties in the PEC service region. This
year also represents 35 years of cooperative land conservation between VOF
and PEC."

According to a 2003 study that was done by the American Farmland Trust in
Culpeper County, farms and other open lands use only $0.32 in local services
for every dollar of taxes paid, while homes require $1.22 for every dollar
paid. Land placed under permanent easement also lowers the value used by
the state to determine local ability to pay, which results in increased
funding from the Commonwealth for schools and other county services.

Easements also support two major industries of the Piedmont: agriculture and
tourism. Like other landowners, farmers can gain needed capital by
voluntarily conserving their land and earning a substantial state tax credit
which they may either use or sell on the open market. Farmers also benefit
from reduced appraisal values on their land, which lightens their tax
burden. In Albemarle, Clarke, Rappahannock and Fauquier counties, working
farms also have the option of receiving money from publicly supported
Purchase of Development Rights programs.

Protecting rural lands is a key component to ensuring a safe and adequate
public drinking water supply in Loudoun County, as the Goose Creek watershed
in Loudoun and Fauquier counties supplies drinking water to residents and
businesses in eastern Loudoun. Rural land conservation is also critical to
preserving a sufficient supply of the land and water that is needed for
farming. Protecting the integrity of the rural landscape also preserves
essential historic resources, provides vital habitat for wildlife, and
safeguards the scenic views and recreation opportunities found in the
Piedmont. "At PEC, we are committed to working with residents to sustain
Loudoun County's high quality of life. Conservation easements help us to
take care of many of the things that people care about the most, ensuring
that Loudoun County remains an unparalleled place to live, work, play, and
visit," said Michael Kane, PEC's Land Conservation Officer for Loudoun
County.

For information about land conservation in Loudoun you can contact Michael
Kane at (703) 371-4373 or via email mkane@pecva.org.