Last fall, PEC learned some important new information related to the gold mining legacy at the proposed site of the Wilderness Crossing residential development: of the five formally-named gold mines located on the property, none 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.
Week Ahead for January 3, 2022: New faces join elected bodies to face new challenges in a new year
And just like that we’re back for another year in local and regional government. A new year brings new faces but work that’s already underway will now resume after a very brief break. This week is a fairly quiet one, except for City Council who get right to work with two major rezoning applications. Everyone else will begin 2022 a bit more subdued with only eleven meetings in this installment. This won’t last.
Planning for the Future
We have accomplished a lot together over the 50 years of PEC’s history. With 2022 on the horizon, we have begun work on an updated strategic plan to guide our efforts in the coming years. What will the Piedmont look like in 2030, 2050 and beyond?
Wilderness Crossing: New Residential Development or Potential Superfund Site?
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.”
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.