A walking history guide to the Blue Ridge Mountains of Northern Greene and Western Madison County, Virginia.
Marco Sanchez
A Closer Look at TransAction Plan Projects in Loudoun
The draft NVTA TransAction Plan is a wish list of over 350 projects being considered for funding.
Though we strongly oppose the new Potomac River Bridge project (24) and the Bi-County Parkway (226), there are many good projects on the list that deserve consideration and support. Not surprisingly, these are the kinds of projects that the public has demonstrated support for through the Envision Loudoun process. I’ve listed out some of these projects in the tables below.
Charlottesville Area Community Foundation Invests in Regional Bike and Pedestrian Trail System
The Charlottesville Area Community Foundation is pleased to announce the recipient of its third round of Strengthening Systems grants. Piedmont Environmental Council and the Thomas Jefferson Planning District Commission received a two-year grant of $179,804 to complete plans and generate active community support for a regional bike and pedestrian trail network and begin implementation.
Two Paths for Loudoun. Weigh In!
Dear Supporter,
Loudoun County is continuing the process of updating its Comprehensive Plan, which guides all future growth and development in the County.
After sitting through the Envision Loudoun public workshops and participating in the Comprehensive Plan Stakeholder Committee, I see two possible paths taking shape.
Our Thoughts on the Walker Drive Proposal
The nebulous Walker Drive development at the gateway to downtown Warrenton will be voted on by the Town Council on Tuesday, June 11th, at 7 p.m.
Despite its lack of detail (which resulted in the Planning Commission recommending denial back in February), it looks to be marching towards approval by the Warrenton Town Council. In fact, several Council members telegraphed their ‘yes’ votes in a FauquierNow article earlier this spring.
Choices facing Loudoun
Remember taking civics or government in high school? Sometimes, it may feel fairly irrelevant to your day to day life… But then you think about traffic, taxes, school boundary changes, parks and recreation, social services, where you work or shop, the water you drink or the natural resources you care about. All of these are heavily impacted by decisions made by local government.
Greene’s Mountain Heritage: An Open House at Cecil Mission
On April 22, 2017, the Piedmont Environmental Council hosted our sixth annual mountain heritage celebration at the Cecil Mission Chapel near Stanardsville. At least 100 people attended throughout the day – visitors learned about the rich culture and traditions of the families that once called these mountains home and some even walked the trails through Shenandoah National Park to see some of these former home sites in person.
Albemarle’s Mountain Heritage: An Open House at Mount Fair
On September 29, 2018 PEC held its 7th annual mountain heritage day at historic Mount Fair Farm in western Albemarle County. The property’s owners, John and Dudley Macfarlane, generously opened up their property to the public so that the entire community could take a trip back in time to learn about the mountain culture of Virginia’s Blue Ridge. Over the course of the day, more than 300 visitors joined us.
A Burn at the Piedmont Memorial Overlook
As part of our ongoing habitat restoration project at our Piedmont Memorial Overlook property near Sky Meadows State Park, the Virginia Department of Forestry helped us conduct a prescribed burn on 5 acres of our native warm season grass meadow. Prescribed fire reduces fuels, suppresses some woody species, recycles nutrients and stimulates plant growth– all of which improves habitat for wildlife.
Proposed 2017 General Assembly Budget – Affect on Conservation Programs
Virginia operates on a biennial budget of which, we are in the second year. The Governor introduced his amendments to the budget in December. While our focus was on changes to the conservation grant programs and the Land Preservation Tax Credit, we were also concerned by the lack of funding provided for Agricultural Best Management Programs (Ag BMPs). That introduced budget became the foundation for the House and Senate Budget bills. Below is a brief description of the differences between the two budget bills.