As far as weeks ahead go, this is very much a transitional one. A new month as well as a new quarter-year begins, but we have four leftover September days to go before we get there. Very calm weeks in Fluvanna, Louisa, and Nelson counties. Read on to learn more!
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.
Briefing Paper: Resources for Climate Action Planning in Albemarle County
This climate action planning brief was prepared for The Piedmont Environmental Council Albemarle County board and represents insights provided by a variety of resource specialists. The goal of the paper is to provide context for climate change in Albemarle County, as well as to establish a common vocabulary and highlight specific strategic areas, such as forest and farms, with potential to inspire successful adaptation strategies.
Take Action: Dominion Energy requesting a significant profit increase
PEC joins with our partner organizations across the state in opposition to Dominion Energy’s request to increase their guaranteed profit from 9.2% to 10.8%.
Week Ahead for September 20, 2021: CRHA to brief Council on redevelopment mechanisms; Albemarle to hold meeting on Rio Corridor Plan
There was a lot of activity last week, and this week is no different. The city’s public housing agency will check in with Council about how redevelopment projects are being structured. Albemarle County will check in with the public about a corridor plan for future development on Rio Road. There are regional meetings about transit, transportation, housing, and the Rivanna River. Read on to learn the details.
On the Ground Updates – September 2021
A series of short updates from around the PEC region – Albemarle & Charlottesville, Clarke, Culpeper, Fauquier, Greene, Loudoun, Madison, Orange & Rappahannock.
President’s Letter – Fall 2021
The past few months have laid bare before us some of the dramatic effects of the changing climate conditions in which we live. The intense storm events, devastating floods and hot, extended summers that continue to impact our community make it clear we need to plan for the future. The pressing question is how each of our communities, individually and collectively, do that, accounting for the changes already underway and taking steps to reduce, mitigate and adapt to their impacts. As PEC works with local and regional partners, we continue to integrate the changing climate into our long-range planning and are helping ensure that our communities and growth areas are prepared with strategies to respond.
A Voice for Historic Villages
Over the last year, the future of two of Loudoun’s historic villages, Aldie and St. Louis, have been linked in uncertainty. In an attempt to protect St. Louis’ fragile water sources and remaining historic features from an impending development, the Loudoun Board of Supervisors proposed a multi-faceted real estate transaction that would, essentially, move the developer from St. Louis to county-owned land in Aldie that the developer wanted to build upon. The result was upheaval in both places as residents objected to the Aldie development and the linkage that threatened each community’s unique qualities.
PEC Study Seeks to Aid Local Meat Processors and Farmers
Aided by Virginia’s northern Piedmont climate, pasture conditions, and open space, raising beef cattle has become one of the region’s dominant agricultural land uses. Cattle farming contributes enormously to the local economy, quality of life and vitality of all the region’s communities, and the growing retail market for beef may even represent one of the best models for sustaining the success of the area’s small farms. Over the past year, that market has been simultaneously enhanced and challenged by pandemic-related supply problems.
The Trouble with Wilderness Crossing
When it comes to policies and decisions that impact communities and quality of life for their residents, the most important voices are those of community residents themselves. And since 1972, The Piedmont Environmental Council has worked hard to be your eyes and ears on the ground and to encourage your voice in protecting the places and natural resources you care about.
Video: Fish Surveys with Virginia DWR
PEC teamed up with the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources to monitor the health of aquatic communities at two of our habitat restoration sights in Rappahannock County: Bolton Branch and Piney River!