Community Invited to Nominate Landscapes that Define Virginia
For Immediate Release
Gordonsville and Warrenton, VA. (May 13, 2026) – Scenic Virginia is proud to announce the launch of a call for nominations for Virginia’s Treasured Views. Treasured Views is a science-based, community-informed program designed to identify, assess, map and catalog the views that define Virginia’s landscapes and sense of place. The call for nominations opens today, May 13, and closes June 30.
“Virginia offers extraordinary landscapes that define our communities,” said Scenic Virginia President Julie Summs. “These treasured views tell our stories, shape our identity and connect us to places. Through our Treasured Views Program, Scenic Virginia is working to recognize and celebrate these magical places.”
Nominations can include scenic vistas, historic landscapes or everyday views that capture the essence of communities. Whether a mountain overlook, a working farm, a river corridor, or a beloved neighborhood view, nominations can help ensure views are documented, understood and considered in future planning decisions.
“We’re thrilled to contribute to Scenic Virginia’s effort to document Treasured Views,” said Piedmont Environmental Council Senior Advisor John McCarthy.“ This project aligns with the core values of The Piedmont Environmental Council to protect and restore the lands and waters of the Virginia Piedmont. By using state-of-the-art GIS technology to create an interactive map displaying all of these beloved places, we’re helping to ensure that Virginia’s defining landscapes are recognized and preserved for generations to come.”
Scenic Virginia will evaluate views using a combination of scenic quality, cultural significance, and community value. Selected landscapes will be added to Scenic Virginia’s growing Treasured Views Register, a powerful tool for conservation and advocacy across the Commonwealth.
By participating, you are helping build a statewide inventory of Virginia’s scenic assets, giving communities, planners, and decision-makers the information they need to protect the places that matter most.
From May 13 to June 30, submit your nominations here.
Media Contacts:
Scenic Virginia: Gillian (“Jill”) Grant, Program Director, [email protected]
Piedmont Environmental Council: Elizabeth Ransom, Media & PR Specialist, [email protected], #540-347-2334 x 7029
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Scenic Virginia’s mission is to preserve, protect, and enhance the scenic beauty and community character of the Commonwealth, with a particular focus on the preservation of our most significant viewsheds and on educating Virginians about the need to preserve these scenic resources through our Treasured Views program.
Treasured Views is a science-based, community-informed program designed to identify, assess, map, and catalog the views that define Virginia’s landscapes and sense of place. Developed over three years, the program draws on visual resource scholarship, original research, and established visual analysis practices, in collaboration with Virginia Tech, Virginia Commonwealth University, and William & Mary. The result is a repeatable methodology—now a nationally recognized model—that can be applied to diverse viewshed types across urban, rural, and natural settings.
The Piedmont Environmental Council (PEC) works to protect and restore the lands and waters of the Virginia Piedmont, while building stronger, more sustainable communities. Founded in 1972, PEC is a locally based, community-supported 501(c)3 nonprofit and accredited land trust. At the core of PEC’s approach is a focus on educating, engaging and empowering people to effect positive change in their communities.