Potomac Riverfront Among Protected Land
STERLING, Va. (August 2, 2023)—JK Land Holdings (JKLH) recently completed the conservation easement process with Old Dominion Land Conservancy for four more properties in Loudoun County, protecting 745 acres of land, including wetlands, Potomac River frontage, prime farmlands, scenic and historic areas, and forests.
“As a business owner and resident, I am happy that we can bring balance to our region—both in terms of growth and protecting the natural environments that make our county special,” explained Chuck Kuhn, CEO, of JKLH. “By placing this land into conversation easement, these properties will be protected into perpetuity and ensure our region has more green space and habitats for plants and wildlife.”
Two of the four properties—Toll House Property on Berlin Turnpike in Lovettsville and Lost Corner on Lost Corner Road in Leesburg—total more than 248 acres and have parts running along the scenic Potomac. The Toll House Rd property includes two islands and has 1,930 feet of shoreline. The other two properties conserved were one on Charles Town Pike in Hillsboro with 198 acres and the other on Poor House Road in Round Hill with nearly 300 acres. These properties consist of farmland, wetlands, and mature woodlands, and some have historic structures. Before being purchased by JKLH, all four properties were sold for development.
Conservation easements are a strategy for protecting land, water, plants, and animals as well as preserving cultural and historic sites. They are a private legal agreement between a landowner and a land trust that permanently protects land and its conservation values and remains with the property regardless of whether the land gets sold. JKLH’s decisions are shaped by guiding principles—the JKLH Creed—focused on balancing the needs of the community, incorporating smart development, and respecting the environment. As part of its environmental focus, JKLH puts approximately 44 acres into conservation easement for every acre it develops commercially.
Kuhn added: “Conservation easements are a key way that we can achieve a balance between business and preservation. We hope that this remains a viable option into the future as zoning rules are revisited.”
Owned by Chuck and Stacy Kuhn, JKLH has already conserved more than 22,000 acres of land—land greater than the size of Manhattan–including 128-acre Loudoun riverfront property that was donated to NOVA Parks; 135-acre Westpark golf course in Leesburg that is being transformed into a park; 87-acre JK Black Oak Wildlife Sanctuary; 150-acres in Purcellville used to start the JK Community Farm, a charitable effort that alleviates hunger by growing chemical-free crops and livestock and donating them to local foodbanks; and 42 acres in St. Louis, one of Loudoun’s first African American townships, to protect it from development.
The Kuhns and their companies have won numerous awards, including being recognized by the Washington Business Journal as a Top Corporate Philanthropist and the Old Dominion Land Conservancy for their conservation efforts.
About JK Land Holdings
JK Land Holdings, LLC seeks land acquisitions that can be sold, leased, developed, placed into a conservation easement, or utilized by sister companies JK Moving Services and CapRelo. Over the past decade, JKLH has redeployed more than 22,000 acres of its purchases into a conservation easement, ensuring vulnerable vistas and habitats are preserved and protected for future generations. www.jklandholdings.net
