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.
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.
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!
Metal mining in Virginia risks public and environmental health
Gold mining historically occurred throughout Virginia in the gold-pyrite belt, including substantial operations across the PEC region in Orange, Culpeper and Fauquier counties. Now, half a century since metals were last mined commercially, the threat has resurfaced.
Your Support is Doubled for Giving Tuesday
Giving Tuesday is a global movement dedicated to giving back to organizations and causes you care about. Today on November 30, your donation will go twice as far thanks to the generosity of a longtime supporter who is offering a dollar-for-dollar match on any gifts we receive up to a total of $25,000! We hope you consider making a special one-time gift, becoming a new PEC member, or renewing your existing membership.
Week Ahead for November 29, 2021: Albemarle to consider stream health, addressing blighted properties
And thus begins the end of the year, with a strange month ahead of us. With the election a month in the past and the seating of new elected officials weeks away, there’s a sense that 2021 has grown a long beard. Yet, there are still lots of meetings to go and if you’re interested in getting involved or knowing more about what’s happening, there are plenty of opportunities in Albemarle County this week.
2021 Photo Contest Winners & Finalists
Announcing the winners of our 2021 Photo Contest!
Week Ahead for November 22, 2021: A slowdown for Thanksgiving, but Albemarle and Charlottesville both take up next year’s capital budget this week
The first major holiday of the season is upon us and this week is quite quiet accordingly. Still, there is business that will be conducted and this newsletter is a good source to know what is on the agendas of the handful of meetings ahead. There are no meetings scheduled in Fluvanna or Nelson counties this week. But both Albemarle and Charlottesville have important conversations about capital planning.