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Keep the Valley North line out of Clarke County.

Unlink Clarke is a nonprofit of residents, farmers, landowners and conservation advocates working to stop a 765-kilovolt transmission line from cutting a 200-foot corridor through our farmland, groundwater and historic landscape.

Join the list What is being proposed

What is being proposed

The Valley North project would build roughly 260 miles of new 765-kilovolt transmission lines from West Virginia to Maryland. Preliminary routes could bring it through Clarke County, requiring a new 200-foot-wide corridor and towers reaching 150 to 175 feet — to move power through a community that would receive no benefit from the project.

Clarke County has spent decades protecting its rural character, agricultural economy and natural resources. More than a quarter of the county's land is under conservation easement. The county's karst geology also raises serious questions about what construction would do to groundwater, private wells and sinkhole risk.

The Clarke County Board of Supervisors has unanimously adopted two resolutions strongly opposing construction of the Valley North project within the county.

260
miles of new 765-kilovolt transmission line proposed between West Virginia and Maryland
200
feet — the width of the corridor that would be cleared and kept clear through the county
175
feet — the height of the tallest proposed towers, roughly twice a mature oak
25%
more than a quarter of Clarke County's land is already protected by conservation easements

What a 175-foot tower stands next to

Proposed tower · 175 ft Mature oak · ~80 ft Grain silo · ~60 ft Farmhouse · ~30 ft

What we are fighting for

Water and environment

Protecting groundwater, private wells, natural landscapes and the land residents rely on from the effects of the proposed line.

Farmland and agriculture

Protecting working farms, conservation easements and agricultural land from a corridor that could permanently change how that land is used.

Character and way of life

Preserving the historic communities, natural beauty and rural character that residents have spent generations protecting.

What the route would cross

Working farms, conservation land, private wells and historic properties across Clarke County.

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A serious, well-resourced effort

Unlink Clarke has retained Torridon Law, with former Virginia Attorney General Richard Cullen serving as lead counsel in the effort to keep the transmission line out of Clarke County. Cullen brings more than four decades of legal and public-service experience, including service as Virginia attorney general, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and chief legal adviser to Governor Glenn Youngkin.

Clarke County should not be forced to sacrifice its farms, historic landscape and way of life for a massive transmission line that provides our community no benefit.
Tom Yannucci, chair of Unlink Clarke

News and press releases

Statements from Unlink Clarke and coverage of the proposed route.

Members of the press: contact unlinkclarke@gmail.com for interviews, property visits, photography and filming.

Get involved

This route is not final. The more residents who are organized, informed and on the record, the stronger the case for keeping it out of Clarke County.

Join the email list

Updates roughly every two weeks on the route, hearings, comment periods and how to take part.

Other ways to help

  • Talk to your neighbors and send them here.
  • Attend Board of Supervisors meetings and public hearings.
  • Follow and share Unlink Clarke on Facebook and Instagram.
  • Volunteer to host a reporter, photographer or film crew on your property.
  • Write to your elected officials about the proposed route.

Questions: unlinkclarke@gmail.com

Breaking news

Statement from Tom Yannucci, Chair of Unlink Clarke

On behalf of Unlink Clarke, I am delighted to announce that Clarke County has been “Unlinked.” Today, Valley Link has removed from consideration two proposed lengthy and invasive routes that would have caused irreparable harm to Clarke County’s heritage and its future. Unlink Clarke is a non-profit entity that has standing to represent the interest of private citizens who are opposed to the routes published by Valley Link in the summer.

Clarke’s Board of Supervisors is the best. We thank Chair David Weiss, Vice Chair Terri Catlett, and Supervisors Douglas Shaffer, Doug Lawrence, and Bev McKay for standing united and fighting on behalf of their constituents. From the very beginning the Board understood how much was at stake and its opposition was always clear and unambiguous. We also thank county staff for their work supporting this effort, especially County Administrator Chris Boies.

I also want to thank my co-directors of Unlink Clarke: Mark Jacobsen, Joe Henderson, George Ohrstrom, Alison Teetor, Dave Morris, Jeff Weiss, Mary Shockey, Celeste Borel, Jerry Buckley, and Zelicia Read. These individuals spent innumerable hours and incurred significant personal expenses to ensure that we could substantiate the merits of our case and retain the best legal talent available.

To that end, we retained Richard Cullen and Torridon Law to provide the legal expertise needed to present a compelling case. Richard is highly respected as both a private practitioner and public servant. And we readily consented to the County’s separate retention of Richard which insured a uniform and streamlined legal strategy.

Finally, when we formed Unlink Clarke we pledged we would never play neighbor against neighbor or county against county. I am pleased to report that we have been true to that pledge throughout all of our efforts.

Let’s keep Clarke County a special place!

Read the press release