It was fantastic to have such an engaged crowd at our recent Conservation Funding Workshop and Social at Powers Farm & Brewery in Midland!
Land Conservation
PEC has helped landowners permanently protect over 430,000 acres of rural or natural land. Conservation Easements help ensure that the Virginia Piedmont is always characterized by its open spaces, healthy environment, and cultural resources.
Press Release: Financial incentives available to farmers for haying practices that support nesting birds
Media Contacts:
October Greenfield, VGBI Co-Coordinator, [email protected]; 540-347-2334, x7051
Lauria McShane, VGBI Assistant; [email protected]; 540-347-2334, x7056
PIEDMONT, SHENANDOAH VALLEY, BLUE RIDGE, Va. (Oct. 14, 2025) – The Virginia Grassland Bird Initiative is pleased to announce the opening of its incentives program for landowners and farmers! Now through Nov 30, farmers in the 16 counties across the northern Virginia Piedmont, Blue Ridge, and Shenandoah Valley regions can apply for financial incentives to implement practices that help support nesting grassland birds during the 2026 haying season.
Entering its fifth year, the Virginia Grassland Bird Initiative is a collaborative effort of The Piedmont Environmental Council, Smithsonian’s Virginia Working Landscapes, Quail Forever, American Farmland Trust, and Shenandoah Valley Conservancy working together with landowners and farmers to restore grassland habitat using “regenerative” agricultural practices tested by farmers and researchers alike, proving to benefit both birds and agricultural operations. Funded by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, VGBI provides tools and technical assistance and pays farmers up to $35 per acre in exchange for: 1) delaying the first cut of hay until July 1 or later; and/or 2) rotating livestock out of select fields between April 15 and July 1 or later. Farmers can learn more about the program and apply at: vagrasslandbirds.org/incentives/.
VGBI was formed in response to the 53% decline in the 60 species of native grassland birds that have adopted hayfields and pasturelands as surrogate habitat as native grasslands have suffered more intense impact by humans than any other land-based ecosystem in North America. Since 2021, 57 farmers have formally enrolled over 3,600 acres of land into the financial incentives program, while another 37 have participated voluntarily, without the financial incentives, adding another 3,700 acres of land supporting nesting grassland birds.
“Delayed haying until at least July 1 is a game change for birds, because it allows them to fledge at least one successful clutch of young. But it also lets producers strategically spread out labor requirements during the hay cutting season, and the higher fiber, more mature hay resulting from delayed haying is good for feeding dry cows, horses, and retired animals, as well as for mushroom hay and bedding,” said Lauria McShane, PEC’s VGBI assistant.
Rotating livestock out of certain fields in early spring is called summer pasture stockpiling, and it “bridges the summer dormancy gap by providing standing forage in late summer without the risk and expense of planting summer annuals. Stockpiling also allows fields to rest for fall or winter stockpiling with the goal of reducing the days that hay is fed and, therefore, reducing annual feed cost,” McShane said.
On Francis McGuigan’s farm in Greene County, “the results were dramatic,” he said, pointing out a flock of at least 30 goldfinches perched atop vegetation enjoying seedheads from the field on a recent check-in with McShane that’s part of the incentives program. He said that in the past, he’d only see a couple of goldfinches fly over the field in any given year. “Not only did the bird population increase, but so did the insect, small mammal and amphibian populations. We saw and heard the results all summer. I’m proud that my small farm is supporting ecosystem expansion and resilience through VGBI’s summer pasture stockpiling program,” McGuigan said.
In Albemarle County, Michelle McKenzie enrolled Bellair Farm in both the delayed haying and summer pasture stockpiling programs in 2024. The increase in grassland birds has been so significant that McKenzie has hosted bird walks with the Virginia Society of Ornithology’s Piedmont Bird Club. “I would absolutely recommend this program to others. Interacting with the VGBI staff has also provided networking opportunities and discussions about other programs that we’re getting involved in,” McKenzie said. Those include four kestrel boxes and a barn owl box, which McShan monitors in spring and summer.
Monte Vista Farm in Greene County had 295 enrolled in VGBI’s delayed haying incentive program this summer, while another 40 acres on the outskirts of the hayfields have been converted into pollinator fields. “Happily, the new owners of Monte Vista Farm have the property primarily for wildlife habitat, and they’re already committed to delayed haying for the entire property going forward,” McShane said.
Producers can meet Virginia’s grassland birds and learn more about best management practices for birds, native plantings for quail, nesting boxes for American kestrel, streamside plantings for wildlife and water quality, and more at: https://www.vagrasslandbirds.org/resources/
Downloadable high-resolution images for media:
- Cattle entering a stockpiled field to graze. Credit John Teel.
- Members of the VGBI team sharing the Meet Your Grassland Birds guide. Credit Hugh Kenny, PEC.
- A peek at a page inside the Meet Your Grassland Birds guide. Credit Hugh Kenny, PEC
- A bobolink nest in a grassland field. Credit Bernadette Ridgely
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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.
A Great Day at Eldon Farms: Annual Gathering Recap
his year’s annual gathering on June 8 – Inspiring Conservation – was a particularly special event at a truly magnificent property that is a shining example of how conservation and thoughtful land stewardship can align to support the community, agriculture and biodiversity.
Conservation Benefits Everyone
The car in front of me swerved to miss something in the road. I slowed, watching a small creature make its slow, plodding way across the asphalt. As I got closer, I realized it was a tiny baby opossum. Three other babies had already been struck in the road, with no mother in sight.
Plantings for the Piedmont: A Team Effort
It was a brisk morning in late January as I stood with a Fauquier County landowner. We leaned against a fence at the end of the site visit, discussing the coming tree planting projects at her property, when she said, “I want you to know that we’re a team. Whether it’s today as we’re standing here, tomorrow, or the next day, we’re in this together.”
Broad Run Bridge Expansion Proposal Threatens Chapman-Beverley Mill
Chapman-Beverley Mill Historic Site. Photo credit: Virginia.org
Sign the Change.org petition urging VDOT to reconsider its proposal to replace and significantly widen the I-66 bridge at Broad Run, which would put the historic Chapman-Beverley Mill at risk of significant, irreversible damage!
A proposal from the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) would replace and significantly widen the I-66 bridge at Broad Run, leading to potentially disastrous implications for historic Chapman-Beverley Mill, as well as the Broad Run-Little Georgetown Rural Historic District and the surrounding area.
We are urging community members and those who share our concerns about this issue to attend VDOT’s upcoming public hearing on Thursday, May 29, 2025 and/or submit written comments to voice your opinion and commitment to protect these precious historical landmarks and conservation lands from the unnecessary and costly development of VDOT’s proposal.
Scroll down for hearing info and location, as well as how to submit written comments.
Background
In summer 2023, VDOT approached PEC about its proposed replacement of the bridge “superstructure” for the portion of Interstate 66 that crosses over Broad Run, directly in front of the Chapman-Beverley Mill. (A superstructure is the elevated portion of the bridge where cars drive. Here is another example of a superstructure project in Virginia, and here is more general information about superstructures).
However, in January 2025, VDOT sent us this letter, notifying us that it had decided to pursue a full bridge replacement for reasons it points to as being the expected lifespan of the substructure, the cost of a new bridge relative to the superstructure placement and the fatigue stress caused by the existing design.
VDOT’s new proposal would significantly widen the shoulders on both sides of the bridge by 30 feet, supposedly intended as pull-off areas for trucks and breakdowns.
PEC and other consulting parties, including the Bull Run Mountains Conservancy, Prince William County, Fauquier County Board of Supervisors, and the Buckland Preservation Society, have all raised concerns that this new proposal extends too close to the historical Chapman-Beverley Mill and the surrounding Broad Run/Little Georgetown Rural Historic District. Collectively, we are requesting more information about why such a wide shoulder is necessary.
Public and privately conserved land appears in green.
The Fauquier Board also recently passed this resolution asking VDOT to hold a public hearing on this important project.
That hearing will take place on Thursday, May 29 in Marshall, VA.
VDOT Public Hearing Info
When: Thursday, May 29, 5 – 7 p.m. (Inclement weather date: June 5, 2025)
Where: Marshall Community Center, 4133-A Rectortown Road, Marshall, VA 20115
What you can do:
1. Speak at the public hearing if you can, and/or
2. Submit written comments to VDOT by June 9:
• Print and fill out the comment form and mail it (mailing address listed on the form). You can also drop off the comment letter at the public hearing.
• Email comments to Mr. Kevin Barnholt, Project Manager, Virginia Department of Transportation at [email protected]. Please reference “Interstate 66 Bridge Over Broad Run Comment” in the subject line.
With multiple groups raising concerns and the potential loss of irreplaceable historical landmarks, it’s clear that additional discussions are needed to ensure that this thoroughfare is protected from further harm, both now and in the future.
PEC position: Just the existing bridge structure should be repaired, as originally planned, and the bridge should not be fully replaced and certainly not widened.
Sign the Change.org petition urging VDOT to reconsider its proposal to replace and significantly widen the I-66 bridge at Broad Run, which would put the historic Chapman-Beverley Mill at risk of significant, irreversible damage!
Talking Points
We urge those who share our concerns to attend the upcoming public hearing on May 29 and/or
submit comments to VDOT by June 9, 2025 to express your opposition to VDOT’s new proposal to replace and significantly widen the bridge, which would have potentially disastrous implications for the Chapman-Beverley Mill.
Below are key points you should know about the proposed bridge expansion. In addition, we have provided a link to download more talking points for use when providing input, which include additional details on VDOT’s proposal and our concerns about the potential impacts to the Chapman-Beverley Mill, Broad Run-Little Georgetown Rural Historic District and the surrounding area.
Here’s what you need to know:
- Under the original 2023 proposal, all work would have occurred within the existing footprint, and VDOT stated there would not be a significant increase in the bridge’s width. The new plan, which calls for full replacement of the bridge and its support structure, is costly and unnecessary, and would have much more drastic implications. Specifically:
- Such a replacement will require new pilings and new foundations to be installed, which may require blasting or other excavation impacts. Foundation work near the fragile Chapman-Beverley Mill structure would create vibrations that could put the Mill at risk of significant, irreversible damage.
- Widening I-66 by 60 feet directly in front of the mill will put the mill at risk.
- In addition, new shoulders and approaches would be required, all of which will increase the proposed impacts of the new bridge.
- VDOT hasn’t addressed the impact on the mill of the construction process and the finished product, as well as vibrations from traffic that will be closer to the Mill once the wider bridge is complete.
- Because the VDOT bridge project is federally-funded and has a potential impact on historic properties listed on the National Register of Historic Places, it invokes Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act. Section 106 requires VDOT to identify and assess effects on historic properties, consider alternatives to avoid or mitigate any adverse effects, and designate affected stakeholders as consulting parties to provide public input and recommendations on the project.
- VDOT has made a Determination of “No Adverse Effect” and sought agreement from the Virginia Department of Historic Resources (DHR). This determination of no adverse effect is the result of the Section 106 hearing.
- PEC asked DHR not to concur with VDOT’s determination and to request that the bridge replacement proposal’s impacts be reevaluated and that lower impact, more cost effective alternatives be pursued. In response, DHR sent this letter to VDOT outlining its concerns about the potential negative impacts of the bridge replacement and related work on the Chapman-Beverley Mill.
- Although VDOT sent this letter in response to DHR’s letter and questions, its response does not sufficiently address concerns about the long-term impacts of the wider bridge on the mill or ongoing long-term maintenance requirements and costs as well as other matters.
- Furthermore, shoulders on bridges are not preferred locations for vehicles to pull off. The bridge replacement and expansion opens the door to a wider I-66 and for the shoulders to eventually become travel lanes in the future, which would put traffic even closer to the historic Chapman-Beverley Mill.
View/download additional talking points on the Broad Run/Chapman-Beverley Mill bridge expansion by clicking below.
Conserving a Crown Jewel in Culpeper County
Western View Plantation in Culpeper County gets its name from the panoramic vista of the Blue Ridge Mountains and Shenandoah National Park seen from its pastures and fields. This 700-acre working farm exemplifies the kind of agricultural operation that sustains a thriving rural economy.
Thanks to the efforts of many — including a farming family dedicated to conserving farmland for the continuation of our local food systems — PEC used $1.6 million of state and federal funding to purchase an Agricultural Land Easement that now permanently protects the excellent soils and streams that run through Western View.
PEC’s Big Year in Conservation
Last year, within The Piedmont Environmental Council’s nine-county region, landowners partnered with conservation organizations like ours to conserve 5,446 acres of lands and forever protect the many public benefits they provide the region.
Expanding a Piece of Heaven
As the warm sunlight stretches through the bare tree branches at The Piedmont Environmental Council’s Warrenton office, Hans and Anne Wachtmeister huddle in the yard for a picture. With a smiling face, Hans holds up a sign that reads, “This property is forever protected with a conservation easement.”
A Conservation Win in Loudoun County
The conservation of Beaver Dam Farm also marked an important milestone in protecting water quality, as conservation of the farm’s nearly half-mile of frontage along Beaverdam Creek provided the last link in a continuous 5-mile corridor of protected lands along the waterway. Beaverdam Creek is a major tributary of Goose Creek, a designated Virginia Scenic River and public drinking water source for Loudoun and Fairfax counties.