The other night as I drove home, I paid attention to each bridge crossing. There were 18 concrete slab bridges. A majority of our roadways are repetitive monolithic creatures with little character or interest of their own. This reminded me of a statistic I once heard about how the drive to somewhere can be a valuable part of the tourist experience. Most people probably don’t travel out of their way to visit a historic bridge, but crossing one is a memorable part of the journey. And if you live near one, it probably is a part of what defines ‘home’ for you.
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.
What is needed to make Loudoun an even better community in the future?
The answers to this question and two follow-up questions posed during the Envision Loudoun “Listening and Learning” round of public input have been tallied and categorized by theme. More than 1,400 people provided over 5,000 comments through 6 live meetings, online participation and phone input. 8 primary themes and many other sub-themes have emerged.
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.
Petition of Support for a Roundabout at Rt. 50 and Lenah Road
We are happy to be hosting this petition, created by Aldie Heritage Association, in support of a smart and needed local transportation improvement. We hope you’ll sign on! Take Action >>
Good News! Subcommittee Tables HB 1470
HB 1470, which would significantly cut Virginia’s successful land conservation incentive, was tabled in subcommittee on Wednesday, January 18.
Envision Loudoun Comment Deadline Approaching
The deadline is Wednesday, January 11, 2017. The comments gathered as part of Envision Loudoun will guide the 2018 update of the County Comprehensive Plan. The plan represents the community’s vision for the future and is the most important document regarding land use, transportation and resource utilization.
General Assembly eyes further cuts to land conservation
The Virginia General Assembly will kick off on January 11, 2017, and with a budget shortfall weighing heavily on the minds of our legislators, a lot of cuts are being discussed. Of particular concern is HB 1470, which would substantially reduce the tax incentives for land conservation. This text was is a modified version of an email alert we sent out on December 20, 2016.
Trail Blazing
Pedestrian and bicycle trail systems can improve our health, increase property value, provide sustainable transportation choices and even strengthen a community’s economy — especially in an urban area.
Something not everyone may know about PEC is that we’ve been working to increase public access to parks, historic sites and a number of different trail networks. This type of work helps provide more options for people in the region to enjoy the beautiful outdoors and connect with the land. Trails in urban settings can also provide a more sustainable and healthy way of traveling in and around neighborhoods. These benefits are why we have raised funds for the extension of the Warrenton Branch Greenway in Fauquier County and partnered with James Madison’s Montpelier and Grelen Market to facilitate the creation of the Montpelier-Grelen trail, to name a few.
Protecting Thumb Run
What’s good for wildlife is often good for water quality,” said Celia Vuocolo, PEC’s wildlife habitat and stewardship specialist, as she spoke to guests at the fifth Annual Thumb Run Open House.
This sentiment was reinforced at the event, held on November 13 at the Orlean Fire Hall, by speakers Amy Johnson of Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute’s Virginia Working Landscapes Program, Janet Davis of Hill House Farm and Nursery and Dr. Tania Cubitt of Performance Horse Nutrition LLC, whose presentations focused on grassland bird conservation, landscaping for wildlife and healthy horse pastures, respectively. While the presentation topics varied, the underlying theme was the same — land stewardship supports clean water.
Post-election thoughts
Coming out of the election there is a lot of concern, particularly within the environmental community, about the direction that federal policy will go over the next four years. What parts of campaign rhetoric will become reality? On that subject, only time will tell.
Here at The Piedmont Environmental Council we have historically tried not to rely on federal policies, but rather the direct actions of residents, landowners, and businesses in the Piedmont region. It’s a bi-partisan approach, and something we have found people of all political stripes can rally around.
In that vein, here are some post-election thoughts from The Piedmont Environmental Council’s President, Chris Miller: