On May 24, 2023, the American Battlefield Trust, Central Virginia Battlefields Trust, Inc., Friends of Wilderness Battlefield, Inc., and a number of Orange County and Spotsylvania County residents filed a legal challenge to the recent approval by the Orange County Board of Supervisors of the rezoning of 2,600 acres in the county, known as Wilderness Crossing, at the gateway to the Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania National Military Park. The lawsuit cites several violations of state constitutional and statutory law and county zoning ordinance, including procedural errors, lack of required submittals and findings, and failure to comply with the Virginia Freedom of Information Act, among other errors.
Cindy Sabato
Conserving a Piece of Heaven
From the wrap-around porch at Hans and Anne Wachtmeister’s Fauquier County home, I feel as if I’m standing atop a mountain looking across heaven. And it’s one of seven Fauquier County properties permanently protected with a conservation easement last year.
Ridgeline: A community collaborative performance event
Early in October, as part our 50th anniversary celebration this year, ET Projects’ newest collaborative performance event, Ridgeline, brought community and creativity together through performance, experiential art, and environmental activism in two extraordinary nights at the Oak Spring Garden Foundation’s Rokeby Airstrip in Upperville.
New Fifeville Trail Grand Opening set for November 5
Community leaders and residents of Charlottesville will now celebrate the formal opening of the new Fifeville Trail with a 10 a.m. ribbon-cutting ceremony on Saturday, Nov. 5, rain or shine.
Town Hall Meeting Will Provide New Information Surrounding Proposed Warrenton Amazon Data Center
On Wednesday, Oct. 26, Citizens for Fauquier County, The Piedmont Environmental Council and Protect Fauquier will host a town hall event to explore the myths and realities of Amazon’s proposed Blackwell Road data center in Warrenton.
Taking on State Law in Defense of Family Farms
It’s reasonable that Mike and Tina Roebuck want to hold on to the 112-acre Madison County farm that’s been in the Roebuck family for nearly 150 years. But a clause in a Virginia state law contained an unreasonable requirement that nearly cost the Roebucks the farm, quite literally. And when PEC heard about their predicament, our state policy team went to work.
Piedmont Environmental Council and Albemarle County Team Up to Share Latest Information on Expected Local Risks from Climate Change
In partnership with Albemarle County, The Piedmont Environmental Council (PEC) has developed a series of tools to help residents learn more about the local risks associated with climate change.
PEC to hold Family Day at the Community Farm at Roundabout Meadows, June 18
On June 18, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., The Piedmont Environmental Council invites community members to a free, fun-filled Family Day at PEC’s Community Farm at Roundabout Meadows, located at 39990 Howswers Branch Drive in Aldie.
Madison County plans May 15 event to announce and present newly digitized Madison County land condemnation records related to creation of Shenandoah National Park
In partnership with James Madison University, and with funding from the Madison County Historical Society, The Piedmont Environmental Council (PEC) has completed the digitization of thousands of legal documents related to the Commonwealth’s 1930s-era condemnation of private lands in Madison County for the creation of Shenandoah National Park (SNP).
Renowned author and environmentalist Terry Tempest Williams to speak at Piedmont Environmental Council 50th anniversary celebration, May 21
On Saturday, May 21, at 2:45 p.m., internationally renowned author, environmentalist and activist Terry Tempest Williams will share her perspective on conservation, restoration and generational change in her keynote address, “The Open Space of Democracy,” as part of The Piedmont Environmental Council’s annual meeting celebrating the organization’s 50th anniversary.