What's Really Threatening Clarke County (And Why We Need You Now)

The serene rural landscape of Clarke County

If you've driven the back roads of Clarke County lately, past the stone walls and black board fences, the horse pastures and the working farms with the Blue Ridge rising behind them, you know what's at stake here. This isn't an abstract "rural character" we're trying to protect. It's Boyce Elementary's soccer field. It's the farm your neighbor's family has worked for four generations. It's the view from Long Branch. And right now, it's under direct threat from a project most of us only heard about because a piece of mail that looked like junk almost got tossed.

That project is called Valley Link North, and it's a proposed 765kV transmission line that Dominion Energy and its partners want to run through Clarke County. The Clarke County Preservation Society exists because of it. Our mission is simple: educate our neighbors on what this line would actually mean, and advocate for the farmland, history, and scenery that make this county worth protecting.

What Valley Link North Actually Is

A 765kV line isn't like the distribution lines running to your house. It's one of the largest transmission structures built, towers big enough that a mature white oak looks small standing next to one. The stated justification is "enhanced reliability" and "regional economic growth." The more honest explanation is that it's being driven by rising power demand from data centers, and the counties along the route, including ours, are being asked to carry the infrastructure while getting little to none of the benefit.

Here's what we know so far:

It won't lower your power bill. The substations planned along this route aren't built to serve general local distribution. This line is designed to move large amounts of power through Clarke County, not to it.

It will hit property values. Research on 765kV lines shows nearby property values drop somewhere between 17.9% and 44.9%, depending on proximity and land use. For a county built on farmland and generational property, that's not a small number.

It cuts through working farms. New corridors mean new restrictions on field layouts, fencing, equipment access, and livestock management, right in the middle of Agricultural and Forestal Districts that families have spent decades protecting.

It threatens historic and natural resources. The proposed routing crosses near the Chapel Rural Historic District along Senseny and Salem Church Roads, karst topography that feeds our groundwater, streams that drain into the Chesapeake Bay watershed, and habitat for pollinators and protected wildlife (Berryville is a registered Bee City, for what it's worth).

It raises real safety and health questions. Segments of the proposed line come close to Boyce Elementary, D.G. Cooley, and the soccer fields at Chet Hobert Park. OSHA guidance says you shouldn't come within 45 feet of a 765kV line without protection, yet the U.S. has no established safety setback for homes or schools. China and Russia, by comparison, require EMF exposure limits that translate to setbacks of 700 to 1,000 feet.

What We're Doing About It

We're not a big organization with a big budget. We're neighbors who decided that if this is going to happen anywhere near Clarke County, people deserve to know exactly what it means before it's too late to weigh in. So we've been showing up. At the farmers market, at fire stations, at the Ruritan building, wherever people already gather, so you don't have to go looking for information; we bring it to you.

We help people understand their comment cards, connect with elderly or out-of-town neighbors who might otherwise miss the deadline, and make sure the county and our elected officials hear from as many residents as possible, not just the loudest ones.

What You Can Do This Week

File your comment card by August 14. This is the single most important thing you can do. Focus on specific, local impacts: property values, viewshed, farm operations, water and soil, wildlife habitat, and health concerns. Note anything nearby that matters: historic homes, cemeteries, scenic byways, schools, day cares, or protected species. Mail it to Valley Link Transmission, LLC c/o WSP, 6641 W. Broad Street, Suite 405, Richmond, VA 23230, or submit it online, and keep a copy for your records.

Come find us. We'll be at the Berryville Farmers Market on July 18 and July 25 (9am to noon), the Ruritan Meeting Building on July 21 (1 to 3pm) and July 28 (6 to 8pm), Long Branch Historic House on July 22 and August 5 (5 to 7pm), the Boyce Fire Station on August 4 (4 to 7pm), and we'll have a booth at the Clarke County Fair, August 9 through 16. Bring your questions, look at the maps, get your paperwork.

Talk to your neighbors. That first mailing looked like junk mail to a lot of people. Make sure everyone on your road knows what's actually being proposed, especially anyone elderly or out of town who might miss the deadline.

Contact your representatives. Tell Clarke County (info@clarkecounty.gov, 540-955-5100), Delegate Delores Oates (DelDOates@house.virginia.gov, 804-698-1031), and Senator Timmy French (senatorfrench@senate.virginia.gov, 540-325-8767) that you expect them to protect rural character, property rights, agriculture, and conservation priorities in this county.

If you farm or own land in the path, consider a Notice of No Trespass and start a conversation with the county about a conservation easement. Agricultural producers can also fill out USDA's questionnaire at usda.gov/lawfare.

The Bottom Line

Clarke County didn't ask for a 765kV line to fuel data center demand somewhere else. We're not opposed to progress. We're opposed to being asked to shoulder the cost of it, in falling property values, disrupted farms, and unanswered health questions, while the benefits land somewhere else entirely. The more of us who show up, file comment cards, and speak up together, the harder this is to push through quietly. We'd rather Valley Link Transmission understand now that Clarke County is not an easy path.

Come find us at any of the dates above, or reach out with questions. We'd love to see you there.