PEC and partners from the Wilderness Battlefield Coalition held a community town hall on October 25, 2022 at the Locust Grove Middle School to share information about the proposed Wilderness Crossing rezoning and development in Orange County, VA.
Orange County
PEC’s Orange County office supports our land use and land conservation activities in the County. PEC is dedicated to promoting healthy communities and the preservation of Orange’s rural character, environment and historic resources.
Wilderness Crossing Town Hall on Oct. 25
As reported in my last email, the Wilderness Crossing proposal continues to wind its way through the rezoning application process in Orange County.
Virginia’s Former Gold Mines with Priority Level for Reclamation – PEC Web Map
In 2022, The Piedmont Environmental Council was proud to partner with volunteers from UVA’s Clark Scholars program on a project to analyze the reclamation status of former gold mine sites throughout the Commonwealth. Using data pulled from the Virginia Department of Energy’s Mineral Mining online mapping interface, the student’s research enabled PEC to create a new WebMap that visually displays former mine sites “OLAC ranking,” a measure of prioritization for reclamation based on potential or assessed contamination.
Return of the Grassland Birds
The new Virginia (formerly Piedmont) Grassland Bird Initiative (VGBI) is showing promising signs of returning those birds to the Virginia landscape. With grant funding, the program pays farmers to adopt bird-friendly best management practices.
On the Ground Updates – September 2022
A series of short updates from around the PEC region – Albemarle & Charlottesville, Clarke, Culpeper, Fauquier, Greene, Loudoun, Madison, Orange & Rappahannock.
Wilderness Crossing is Back
I’ve been monitoring the project for several months, as it has slowly made its way through the county application process. Now, the developer is finally holding a community briefing, and I want to make sure the word gets out.
PEC Accepting Annual Photo Contest Submissions Through Sept. 30
Now through September 30, professional and amateur photographers alike are invited to submit their best images of the beautiful Virginia Piedmont in The Piedmont Environmental Council’s 11th Annual Photo Contest. All image submissions must be taken within Albemarle, Clarke, Culpeper, Fauquier, Greene, Loudoun, Madison, Orange, and Rappahannock counties.
Terry Tempest Williams at PEC’s Annual Meeting (Highlights)
It was a tremendous honor to host author Terry Tempest Williams at our annual meeting in May. The event, a celebration of PEC’s 50th anniversary, was held at the beautiful Mistwood property in Orange County. A special shout out to Sheldon and Rita Clark for graciously hosting us!
On the Ground Updates – June 2022
A series of short updates from around the PEC region – Albemarle & Charlottesville, Clarke, Culpeper, Fauquier, Greene, Loudoun, Madison, Orange & Rappahannock.
On the Ground Updates – March 2022
A series of short updates from around the PEC region – Albemarle & Charlottesville, Clarke, Culpeper, Fauquier, Greene, Loudoun, Madison, Orange & Rappahannock.