Your Clarke County; Understanding the past, present, and future through the comprehensive plan

Story and photographs by Jennifer M. Lee

Whether you have lived here all your life, moved recently into a town neighborhood with your young family, grew up here at some pivotal point in life, or in any way found yourself knowing Clarke County in a more than passing way, you know that it is a unique place. 

This year, Clarke Monthly will take a deep look at the county — its geography, people, economy — with the Clarke County Comprehensive Plan as our reference and guide on its history and vision for sustainable future. Clarke County adopted its initial comprehensive plan in June 1974, and it has been updated over the years, most recently in 2022. Code of Virginia requires that every county have a comprehensive plan and that planning commissions review their plans at least once every five years in order to determine whether it is advisable to make changes.

The ”Comp Plan” shouldn’t be confused with the zoning ordinance. From the county’s website: The Clarke County Comprehensive Plan maps the future of land use in the county. This long-range Plan captures the county’s vision, projects the necessary resources to make this vision happen, and provides strategies and recommendations to make the vision a successful reality.” The zoning ordinance contains the laws and regulations governing the use of land in the unincorporated areas of the County. It does not apply to properties located in the towns of Berryville and Boyce.

With 15,466 people estimated to live in the county in 2023, Clarke is the 97th most populated jurisdiction of 95 counties and 38 independent cities (such as Winchester, Richmond, Harrisonburg) in Virginia. Comprising 178 square miles (114,103 acres), it is the 42nd smallest of all counties and independent cities in land area. Arlington is the smallest county by land area with 26 square miles; Pittsylvania in south-central Virginia is the largest at 969 square miles. In comparison, neighboring Loudoun County comprises 515 square miles with 338,916 people; Frederick is 413 square miles with 80,377 people; Warren is 213 square miles with 38,142 people.

Statistics don’t define a place, but they do help us understand the changing needs and character of it. So do the people. Clarke County has been home to Native Americans inhabiting the river banks and mountain land over 10,000 years ago. Immigrants from Germany, Ireland, Scotland, Denmark, and England came here 400 years ago. Clarke County was formed in 1836, and the first census in 1840 showed 55 percent of the population to be African American with the vast majority being enslaved at that time. According to 1860 census data, Clarke County had the largest percentage of land in farms and ranked second in wheat production in the Shenandoah Valley, with wheat being the largest cash crop until the early 1900s, when it was replaced by apple production. In the late 20th century, an increasing number of people moved to the county to construct or buy new homes, prompting the county to enact new land use regulations in 1980 to limit residential growth in rural areas and focus new housing in the Berryville area.

Compared to our neighbors to the east (Loudoun County) and west (Frederick County), Clarke County has experienced relatively low population growth, with an increase of 16 percent between 2000 and 2020, while Loudoun’s population increased 119 percent and Winchester and Frederick County grew by 40 percent in that time. According to the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2019 American Community Survey Estimates, nearly 70 percent of Clarke County residents worked outside the county, with Loudoun and Fairfax counties being the primary workplace locations (Virginia Employment Commission).

An agricultural county

The Comprehensive Plan states that agriculture is still one of the county’s main sources of income, although statistics from the Virginia Employment Commission show that less than 5 percent of jobs are in agriculture, forestry, fishing, or hunting in contrast to 19 percent in public administration and 17 in manufacturing.

Seventy-three percent of the County is zoned Agricultural Open Conservation (west of the Shenandoah) and 23 Forestal Open Conservation (east of the Shenandoah), with a hefty 77 percent of all county land in 20+ acre lots. Urban Residential (parcels in Berryville and Boyce) comprise one percent of county land, Suburban Residential (parcels less than 6 acres) comprise 6.7, Rural Residential (parcels between 6 and 20 acres) comprise 9, and Commercial (towns, highway, neighborhood) comprises less than one percent. The remaining 6 percent is comprised of government-owned parcels, roads, and the Shenandoah River.

For many years, state agencies and land trusts worked with county property owners to voluntarily place land in conservation easement, and the county created the Conservation Easement Authority in 2002 to oversee its own easement program. This program limits future development on parcels of agricultural, natural resource, and historic value. An impressive 24 percent of all county land is now in permanent 
conservation easement.

What does rural mean

There was a time when rural meant primarily working lands, with small towns serving as the commercial center for the surrounding countryside. People went into town to get what they needed. Many rural towns also had some level of industry and warehousing close to railroad depots. 

The automobile changed that. There were roadhouses, dance halls, tack shops, and all manner of businesses in the countryside that had nothing to do with working lands. Nowadays, rural areas try to retain areas of prime soils for agriculture, even if properties in those areas are not currently farming. The idea is, once they are gone for other uses there is no getting them back.

“Rural” today is also a census designation based on population density. Rural zoning designations often reflect local desire to subdivide only into large lots as a way to retain “rural character,” reduce the need for schools and high-speed roads in far flung places, and provide environmental benefits like groundwater recharge and wildlife habitat. Today, rural is a decision — it both enables traditional agriculture economies and determines what kind of housing can be built and the types of businesses can be operated within certain zones.

Our county remains rural because that’s the way we like it. What will the future bring? With open-mindedness, community participation, and foresight, it can be steered to reflect the wants and needs of the people and the land we live on. The county’s comprehensive plan is a detailed, thoughtful, and highly informative document. It states: “The purpose of this plan is to guide land-use decisions, both public and private, as they relate to the specific goals of the County.” As such, county residents have the privilege — duty, even — to understand the plan. It is a 133-page document. We hope to distill it into bites you can chew on and digest. We encourage you to check out the plan in its entirety here: https://www.clarkecounty.gov/government/
planning-zoning.

Sources: 

2022 Clarke County Comprehensive Plan

US Census Bureau’s 2023 Population Estimates Program, https://www.virginia-demographics.com/counties_by_population

By Brenda Waugh

In today’s fast-paced, tech-dependent world, creating effective, collaborative teams is challenging for organizations of all sizes. For small businesses and nonprofits, the task is even more daunting. Many of these organizations struggle with interpersonal conflicts and diverging goals, which can prevent them from reaching their full potential. However, many local businesses and nonprofits are succeeding by embracing restorative justice practices to rebuild trust, resolve disputes, and foster a more collaborative team. 

I have worked with small businesses, nonprofits, and family-owned businesses, where I witnessed firsthand the power of restorative justice dialogue and restorative justice principles in transforming team dynamics. Over the years, I have developed a comprehensive approach to help teams work through interpersonal conflicts and move toward more effective collaboration by informing the processes with restorative justice and a transformative mediation model. The work usually results in positive impacts on the team and the resolution of 
presenting disputes.  

Resolving Conflict Through Restorative Justice 

The first step in working with a team is often addressing the interpersonal disputes hindering progress. Whether it’s a breakdown in communication, longstanding resentments, or competing interests, these tensions can make it difficult for people to work together productively. 

I have used restorative justice principles to guide the mediation process in these cases. The focus is not on assigning blame or telling people what to do; instead, the goal is to facilitate dialogue and help each party hear the other’s perspective. Restorative justice doesn’t provide a framework to decide who is “right” or “wrong.” Instead, we work to create a space for everyone to be heard, fostering mutual understanding and finding a way forward. 

In many cases, this takes the form of a talking circle, a core practice of restorative justice. Everyone involved in the dispute gathers in a talking circle, and each person can speak without interruption. A facilitator leads the circle, but the goal is for the group to work through the issues together, not for the facilitator to direct the conversation. This structure helps ensure that all voices are heard, even from those who might otherwise stay silent in a more 
traditional meeting. 

From Conflict to Collaboration 

Once the immediate disputes are addressed and a new foundation of trust has been established, the group can move forward with team building and strategic planning. I work with teams to redefine their mission, align their goals, and create a fundamental framework to build upon. The goal is to move from resolving old conflicts to building new energy and momentum for 
the organization. 

Restorative justice practices are often as helpful in this phase as in addressing disputes. The tools that helped the team rebuild trust can now be applied to create a space where all members can actively participate in developing goals, strategies, and a shared vision for the future. 

In some cases, I help the team develop these skills to continue using restorative practices by incorporating them into their bylaws, policies, and procedures. This allows teams to self-facilitate conversations, resolve disputes independently, and maintain long-term healthy communication. Empowering teams with these tools creates a sustainable culture of trust and collaboration, ensuring the organization can thrive. 

Conclusion 

Creating strong, collaborative teams is essential to the success of small businesses and nonprofits. Restorative justice practices, such as restorative justice-based dialogue and talking circles, effectively address conflicts and build stronger, more cohesive teams. Organizations can overcome interpersonal challenges by fostering trust, improving communication, aligning goals, and moving toward a brighter, more collaborative future. 

This approach is not just a model for resolving conflict—it’s a path to creating a healthier, more sustainable organizational culture. 

Brenda Waugh is a lawyer/mediator with Waugh Law & Mediation, serving clients in the Blue Ridge region of Virginia and Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia.

By Doug Pifer

Starting in December, I look forward to seeing black ducks on the spring-fed pond beside the Fresh Walter Institute on Turner Road in Jefferson County. Sometimes they are on the downstream side of the culvert, at other times they’re swimming near a bed of watercress in the upper pond. The other day eight of them jumped warily out of the water and flew to the middle 
of the pond. 

Black ducks aren’t really black, but a color somewhere between black and brown that the old nature guides used to call “fuscous.” In flight their all-dark wings are relieved by a violet-blue “speculum” of iridescent feathers on the topsides of the wings. The feathers lining the undersides of the wings are dazzling white, visible when the duck flies overhead. And unlike most ducks, male and female black ducks look similar. 

I admire the understated beauty of black ducks. Years ago, as an art exhibitor at the Ward Foundation’s annual waterfowl festival in Easton, Maryland, I entered a decoy painting contest. Given an unpainted, life-sized wooden decoy with glass eyes, all contestants were supposed to paint it to depict a black duck.

 I started with a base coat of flat black acrylic paint. I painted the duck’s head a dull shade of tan and added fine streaks of dark brown, a dark line through the eye, and a wider dark stripe along the top of the head. Then I carefully outlined all the black body feathers with fine tan lines. Many artists painted the violet speculum on the wings. I didn’t, because on a swimming bird that part of the wing is often hidden by the flank feathers. I painted the bill yellow mixed with olive green, with black trim on the nostrils and on the tip of the bill. My admittedly over-simplified entry took no prize, but I thoroughly enjoyed the exercise. I believe every artist sees things differently.

My favorite piece of art featuring the black duck is the design of the 1940–1941 Federal Duck Stamp. Duck stamps back then were reproduced in black and white. The artist, Francis Lee Jaques, portrayed the pair of ducks flying over some reeds, just as a duck hunter might see them. His lovely rendering of their white wing linings and elegantly shaped bodies say “black duck” like nothing else I’ve seen.

 Sometimes called black mallards, black ducks spend the winter here, following the rivers and tributaries inland from the Chesapeake Bay. Most of them spend the winter just off the Atlantic Coast southward to North Carolina, roosting in flocks on open water and feeding in bays and estuaries.  They breed in northern forests and muskeg bogs in boreal Quebec and northern Ontario, and southward into Maine and other New England States. There, they nest on the ground, sometimes far from water. Their winter diet is largely vegetarian but in summer the ducklings and adult ducks consume considerable pond life, chiefly aquatic insects, mussels, and crayfish. Because of their shyness and a tendency to gather in flocks far offshore of large bodies of water, black ducks are a challenging quarry for duck hunters,

During the 1980s and 90s black ducks suffered a major population decline. Biologists list several causes, including pesticide use that caused their eggshells to soften and break, and the draining of marshes for mosquito control. Many ducks also die of lead poisoning after they ingest lead pellets while feeding in marshes and wetlands shot over by hunters. Federal restrictions on lead shot have helped alleviate 
this problem.

Also, the loss of suitable breeding and wintering habitat caused black ducks to move into areas that contained the more common mallards.  Closer association with a similar duck species resulted in increased hybridization between black ducks and mallards. Black duck-mallard crosses are among the more frequent hybrids that birdwatchers see. A black duck with touches of iridescent green on its head, or white edging on the violet wing speculum feathers, is likely to be a mallard-black duck cross. 

Since 2000, black duck numbers have begun to increase, although they aren’t yet up to their pre-1970s numbers. We can thank duck hunters for that. Funds collected through taxes on shotgun ammunition and component parts, and through purchasing of the mandatory Federal Duck Stamp, have financed government programs to greatly improve and restore black duck habitat.

It was the perfect day to paddle the Shenandoah River in Page County. It was  a fine August day, with the Old Town Canoe carrying a blanket, lunch, and cold beer. We watched the fish jumping and the birds working their way up and down the river. At one point, we heard the faint strains of music. “Someone’s having a party,“ I said “Sounds like a good one,” my 
companion said. 

As we made our way down river, the music grew louder. We heard shouts of joy and laughter. As we rounded a bend, we saw a hundred or more people in the water. There were people in rubber ducks, small rafts, kayaks, and all manner of water toys — clinging near the bank as a band blasted some of the most energetic music I’ve ever heard on the water. We had wandered into Doah Fest. It was an amazing scene. So what could we do but paddle in and listen? We took out and explored the scene on land. There were kids with painted faces playing, shirtless men rocking to the music, and a lot of romance going on. 

We might have stayed well into the evening, but we had to make the final shuttle of the day. When we got on the bus, we saw other partiers with their deflated watercraft, one of which was a giant turtle. There was a general chatter of excitement as the party continued the several miles back to our starting point.

It was an awesome time. But in many ways, it was just another day on the Shenandoah. As long as there have been weekends, people have flocked to the river to paddle, fish, and pass the time away. That’s our river.

The Shenandoah River means many things to different people. The Valley, once the American bread basket, is still largely agricultural. It’s also been a place of industry. Some of those industries have left lasting impacts, including high levels of mercury that linger today in some parts of the river. And the river hasn’t been immune to the impact of its largest economic force, farming.

Runoff from farm fields, particularly fertilizer, continues to impact the river through annual algae blooms. Still, things have improved a lot as farming practices have changed over the years. There was a time when seeing cattle in the river was a common sight. Now, says Shenandoah Riverkeeper Mark Frondorf, the number of farms that allow cattle into the river is down to the single digits.

Hundreds of farmers have implemented practices that both protect the river and improve their economic prospects. One of the most notable has been working with local agencies and nonprofits to install miles of forest buffers along the river and its tributaries to filter runoff. Farmers have also become much more targeted in their application of fertilizers and other inputs, as advancements in soil science help guide decisions about what the soil can actually absorb and use. There is much to applaud as well as more progress to be made.

The Shenandoah is the drinking water supply for several towns in the Valley, including Berryville and other Clarke County communities. And the demand for water is growing every year, including from counties miles from the river. Upgrades in wastewater treatment have helped the river. The water coming from the Berryville plant, for example, is cleaner than the pre-treated water going into the drinking-water intake. You could drink it!

Despite the progress, the river is facing new challenges. Changes in precipitation patterns mean that summers bring long periods of drought punctuated by deluge. The amount of annual rainfall hasn’t changed drastically, but when and how it comes sure has. The annual droughts strain local water supplies, already stressed in some counties due to exploding residential growth. Rapid conversion from farmland to impervious surfaces like parking lots, poorly planned solar fields, and warehouses in some counties have made stormwater management a looming threat to progress. Data centers suck up water and overload infrastructure.

Clarke County has done a lot right. We have water recharge areas, a successful land conservation program, and sound planning. Still, we’re not immune to what goes on upstream or the growing demand from outlying counties. There are a lot questions.

Are we adequately planning for future water needs? Should we be acting now to plan for removing PFAS from water supplies? What can we do about the Commonwealth’s refusal to regulate PFAS-contaminated biosolids applied to farm fields? Should we improve the way we alert recreational users of the Shenandoah when E. coli readings are high? What can we expect from the Commonwealth (to which many have opined, “not much)?

The river is part of our culture and heritage. How can we face new challenges while continuing the improvements 
on older ones?

We look forward to grappling with these questions with articles over the next year. Have a concern? Email editor@clarkeva.com.

— David Lillard