Loudoun Offers $150,000 In Year-Round Conservation Assistance

LOUDOUN COUNTY, VA — Loudoun County is now accepting applications on a year-round basis for its Conservation Easement Assistance Program, a grant program designed to help protect historic, cultural and environmental resources by providing financial assistance to Loudoun County landowners who want to place their land under conservation easement. A conservation easement is a voluntary, legal agreement that permanently limits uses of the land in order to protect its conservation values.

A total of $150,000 in funding will be available annually and distributed to qualified applicants on a first-come, first-served basis, according to the Loudoun County government. If application requests exceed the available funding for the year, applicants can apply again early in the following calendar year, the county said.

The program provides up to $15,000, or half of the upfront costs of placing land under conservation easement. These costs may include stewardship, attorney’s services, land appraisal and survey fees, and processing and document fees. Funding will be provided to qualified land trusts who are working with Loudoun landowners.

Landowners interested in learning more about placing their land under a conservation easement should contact a land trust to begin the process, according to the county. If the land trust agrees, the land trust will apply on behalf of the landowner.

Landowners must have a household income of 115 percent of the area median income, which is currently $139,495, or lower. The land to be placed under conservation easement must be at least 50 percent located in Loudoun County and meet several requirements, including:

• The property must be capable of being subdivided.
• The proposed use of the property as permanent open space should conform with the policies in Loudoun County’s Comprehensive Plan.
• The property must not currently be under conservation easement or otherwise restricted from development, except parcels under the Land Use Assessment program or enrolled in the Agricultural and Forestal District program.

Landowners should consult a land trust to see if their land is eligible for a conservation easement, the county said. Since easements are generally granted in perpetuity, an outside party must be responsible for the monitoring and maintenance of the easement. If the land is eligible and the land trust agrees, the land trust will apply on the landowners' behalf and will hold the easement for current and future property owners.