Our Region

PEC focuses on nine counties and one city in the northern Piedmont of Virginia: Albemarle, Charlottesville, Clarke, Culpeper, Fauquier, Greene, Loudoun, Madison, Orange, and Rappahannock.

We also team with local organizations to promote thriving communities and healthy natural resources in a much larger region, including the Shenandoah Valley, the central Piedmont, and the Journey Through Hallowed Ground Corridor. In addition, we are proud to serve as fiscal sponsor of the Coalition for Smarter Growth, an organization that focuses on land use and policy in the greater Washington D.C. area.

Your General Assembly Update

Your General Assembly Update

Posted on by Dan Holmes

The beginning of spring marks the end of the 2018 Virginia General Assembly session. Well, sort of. In the case of the budget, there was no resolution, which means the fate of conservation funding and the general path forward is still up in the air. To address this, the Governor has announced that a special session will convene on April 11.

One of the bigger issues taking up bandwidth this year was Medicaid expansion. The House’s budget bill included the expansion, while the Senate’s bill did not — this set up a showdown in the budget conference committee. Due to this and other differences, the conferees were unable to come to an agreement, meaning it will be some time before we know what programs will be affected.

Neighborly Effort to Protect the Piedmont

Neighborly Effort to Protect the Piedmont

Posted on by Paula Combs

“This beautiful and agricultural open land was here before we purchased Waverley and it’s my hopeful intention that it will look the same as it does today long after I’m gone,” remarked Charlotte Tieken, Somerset resident and owner of Waverley Farm.

The Piedmont Environmental Council worked with Ms. Tieken to put 669 acres of her property under conservation easement at the close of 2017.

Pollinator Garden Planted by Thornton River

Pollinator Garden Planted by Thornton River

Posted on by Bri West

PEC partnered with the Endangered Species Coalition (ESC), Cliff Miller Jr. and RappFLOW to install a pollinator garden next to a walking trail by the Thornton River in Sperryville, Va. Using native plants such as perennials, grasses and shrubs from Hill House Farm and Nursery, the garden was installed during a volunteer planting event this past fall.

On the Ground — Spring 2018 Update

On the Ground — Spring 2018 Update

Posted on by PEC

Updates from the around the PEC region, organized by county. Albemarle: Biscuit Run and courthouse relocation updates. Clarke: County updates and ordinances. Culpeper: Waterloo Bridge update. Fauquier: Data centers, development proposals & stormwater pollution solutions. Greene: White Run Reservoir. Loudoun: True North data center & Leesburg transportation. Madison: Septic system program. Orange: Subdivision ordinance. Rappahannock: Putting farms first.

Pipeline deals threaten conservation funding

Pipeline deals threaten conservation funding

Posted on by Marco Sanchez

Legislators are pointing to money that state and private entities will receive as mitigation for two gas pipeline projects, and the transmission line near Jamestown, as a justification for reducing overall state funding for conservation. Contact your legislators today and tell them to reject efforts to cut important conservation programs! This text was taken from an email alert sent out on February 21, 2018.

About the Greenways Project

About the Greenways Project

Posted on by Peter Krebs

The Piedmont Environmental Council (PEC) and the Thomas Jefferson Planning District Commission (TJPDC) are working with communities in the Charlottesville and Albemarle urban core to envision and implement a comprehensive network of connective bicycle and pedestrian trails and greenways. The project is supported by a Strengthening Systems grant from the Charlottesville Area Community Foundation.