Please discard the earlier email, apologies

January 12, 2022


** Take Action Before January 18 to Save Natural Habitat in Loudoun County’s Bles Park
------------------------------------------------------------
Wood Ducks, ©Jim Emery Photography

Take Action Before January 18 to Save Natural Habitat in Loudoun County’s Bles Park

Please help ASNV and Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy in urging the Loudoun County Board of Supervisors to halt or modify plans for Bles Park that would damage sensitive wetlands and destroy important forest and pollinator habitat. We sent comments to the Planning Commission in June and to the Board of Supervisors in November and January 11. Although the Planning Commission recommended some changes to mitigate some of the plan’s harmful effects, the Board of Supervisors is proposing to act on the original plans, possibly as early as January 18.

Natural resource advocates have started a Change.Org petition opposing the plans. Advocates have noted that the plan could increase impervious surface in the park by 30 times and increase structures in flood plains by 5 times. We urge you to sign the petition, which you can find here ([link removed]) .

If you can, please also write the Loudoun County Board of Supervisors ([email protected] (mailto:[email protected]?subject=Protect%20Habitat%20in%20Bles%20Park&body=I%20oppose%3A%0A%0A-the%20boardwalk%20and%20trail%20in%20sensitive%20wetlands%20in%20Area%20%E2%80%9CF%E2%80%9D%0A-the%20tennis%20and%20pickleball%20courts%20in%20the%20early%20successional%20forest%20in%20Area%20%E2%80%9C11%E2%80%9D%0A-the%20open%20lawn%20in%20the%20floodplain%20in%20Area%20%E2%80%9C12%E2%80%9D%0A-the%20maintenance%20facility%20and%20parking%20in%20forested%20floodplain%20in%20Areas%20%E2%80%9C13%E2%80%9D%20and%20%E2%80%9C2%E2%80%9D%0A-the%20gravel%20driveway%20and%20parking%20adjacent%20to%20wetlands%20in%20Areas%20%E2%80%9C14%E2%80%9D%20and%20%E2%80%9C2%E2%80%9D%0A-the%20proposed%20kayak%20launch%20site%2C%20which%20should%20be%20relocated%20as%20Loudoun%20Wildlife%20has%20proposed) ) before January 18. Tell them you oppose:
* the boardwalk and trail in sensitive wetlands in Area “F”
* the tennis and pickleball courts in the early successional forest in Area “11”
* the open lawn in the floodplain in Area “12”
* the maintenance facility and parking in forested floodplain in Areas “13” and “2”
* the gravel driveway and parking adjacent to wetlands in Areas “14” and “2”
* the proposed kayak launch site, which should be relocated as Loudoun Wildlife has proposed

For more details, you can see Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy’s website (Loudoun Wildlife ([link removed]) ) and ASNV’s June, November and January letters. ([link removed])

-Audubon Society of Northern Virginia
[link removed]
[link removed]
[link removed]

============================================================

This email was sent to [email protected] (mailto:[email protected])
why did I get this? ([link removed]) unsubscribe from this list ([link removed]) update subscription preferences ([link removed])
Audubon Society of Northern Virginia . 11100 Wildlife Center Drive . Ste. 100 . Reston, VA 20190 . USA