In November 2021, PEC learned that of the five formally-named gold mine sites located on the proposed Wilderness Crossing residential development, none of them have been closed and cleaned up – a process called “reclamation.”
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.
Climate Scientist Katharine Hayhoe Shares Hope for the Holidays
Over 70 people, from Fairfax to Winchester, gathered at the Blue Valley Vineyard and Winery in Delaplane on Saturday, Dec. 18 to hear from Dr. Katharine Hayhoe, renowned climate scientist and author of the recently published book Saving Us.
Week Ahead for December 20, 2021: Charlottesville City Council’s final agenda of the year is full; ARB to review three-story storage building at key Crozet intersection
It seems this is the last week of 2021 that will have government meetings, but I’ll keep an eye on next week anyway. In my years of covering meetings, there’s only one time when a meeting with actual business was held in between Christmas and New Year’s Day. It pays to always be vigilant.
NEW Warrenton Branch Greenway Extension!
The Warrenton Branch Greenway is a paved pedestrian and bike trail used and loved by Fauquier County residents for decades. Earlier this fall, a new extension opened to nearly double the Greenway’s length to 2.2 miles!
2022 General Assembly Preview
The results of November’s general election means that Virginia will head into the 2022 General Assembly session with interesting challenges and opportunities across the levers of state government.
New Maddensville Historic Site
At the quiet, rural crossroads of Routes 610 and 724, barely beyond the threshold of Ebenezer Baptist Church in Culpeper, the once-booming area of Maddensville is arguably one of the most intriguing and historical locations in Culpeper County.
A Few Highlights From 2021
Despite the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic and a global economic slowdown, 2021 proved to be a year of new opportunity here at The Piedmont Environmental Council.
Week Ahead for December 13, 2021: Albemarle Supervisors to vote on 328-unit Rio Point; Charlottesville PC to consider Piedmont Housing proposals
You might think this would be a slow time for government meetings, but this week certainly is not. Next week will also be relatively busy. The only real slow week all year is between Christmas and New Year’s, and it’s so close. 2022 will be another transformative year in an era of them.
Your input needed on planning efforts in Albemarle and Charlottesville
Charlottesville and Albemarle are in the midst of major planning efforts, and both are thinking about their capital budgets, which is a big part of how those plans get implemented. At this time, the two localities seem to be heading in different directions when it comes to quality-of-life infrastructure.
Week Ahead for December 6, 2021: Council takes up affordable housing governance reform, statue disposition
December is not a normal month, with meetings showing up in unusual places to accommodate the holiday slowdown. This week and next will be the last with significant business before local and regional governments. After that, there will be a slowdown of at least two weeks. Perhaps that will allow me to catch up on all I still want to write about!