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.

Blue Ridge Conservation Alliance

Posted on April 3, 2020November 29, 2021 by Bri West

The Blue Ridge Conservation Alliance (BRCA) is a regional conservation partnership, a network of partners working to protect the natural, scenic, and historic values of the Blue Ridge from Front Royal, Va., to the Potomac River at Harpers Ferry, W.Va.

The Piedmont Environmental Council is a proud BRCA steering committee member. Together, with other members, we collaborate on strategies to conserve land, restore and protect habitat, and to preserve the historic character along the Appalachian Trail corridor, the Potomac and Shenandoah Rivers, and the surrounding landscape.

Reconnecting To Our Premier Outdoor Destination

Posted on March 31, 2020October 22, 2020 by Peter Krebs

The Charlottesville-Albemarle Regional Planning Organization is applying for a VDOT SmartScale grant in the 2020 cycle to build a shared-use path along Route 20, connecting Charlottesville sidewalks and bike lanes to the entrance of Piedmont Virginia Community College and the Saunders-Monticello Trail and beyond. In doing so, the project will link Charlottesville and Albemarle communities together and integrate the area’s most popular trail into the regional network and bring numerous economic, environmental and health benefits. The $2.5M grant request will be submitted this summer.

Week Ahead for March 30, 2020 (Alb/Cville/Greene)

Posted on March 30, 2020September 11, 2020 by Marco Sanchez

We are in the third week of the COVID-19 response waiting for more information and staying at home as much as we can. I want to update you on what’s happening in local government this week. Many localities are beginning to adjust. I hope you and your family are safe. I want to hear from you. Please tell me what’s going on in your area. Please reach out.

Loudoun Land Use Update – March 30, 2020

Posted on March 30, 2020July 1, 2021 by Gem Bingol

On Wednesday, March 25th, the Loudoun County Board of Supervisors held a special meeting to adopt a 60-day Emergency Ordinance (click to download) that will guide the Board’s actions during the previously adopted local State of Emergency. …

Clarke Land Use Update – April 2, 2020

Posted on March 30, 2020August 25, 2020 by Bri West

The Clarke Board of Supervisors adopted a local emergency declaration on March 18. It is mostly to deal with the COVID-19 disaster and related impacts.

Madison Land Use Update – March 27, 2020

Posted on March 27, 2020July 1, 2021 by Chris Hawk

Madison County declared a local state of emergency on March 13. According to the Madison Department of Planning and Zoning, the March 26 Budget Work Session was conducted via teleconference. The upcoming Planning Commission meeting on April 1 is tentatively scheduled to continue as planned. The status of subsequent county meetings will be determined after the April 1 Planning Commission meeting.

Orange Land Use Update – March 27, 2020

Posted on March 27, 2020July 1, 2021 by Chris Hawk

The Orange County Board of Supervisors “passed an emergency ordinance allowing meetings of the Board of Supervisors, the Planning Commission, and other County boards, commissions, authorities, or public bodies to be conducted electronically. This action ensures the continuity of operations for Orange County…” and “guidance on how meetings will be handled will be included as each meeting is announced”, according to Interim County Administrator, Brenda Garton.

Join the Piedmont Mobility Alliance

Posted on March 26, 2020September 1, 2021 by Peter Krebs

We believe that everyone in our community should have multimodal access to education, employment, and recreational opportunities. Access to these opportunities must be safe, comfortable, convenient, and free from physical and systemic barriers for individuals of all ages, abilities, and racial and ethnic backgrounds. Meeting this essential standard makes our community healthier, more sustainable, and more just. This new alliance will be dedicated to improving mobility and promoting active lifestyles and everyday access to the outdoors.

Learn more about the alliance!

Culpeper Land Use Update – March 25, 2020

Posted on March 25, 2020July 1, 2021 by Chris Hawk

Culpeper County has decided to cancel nonessential meetings through April 7th, with some publicly available streaming for essential meetings. To continue following essential meetings, refer to the Culpeper County Board Docs website and the Board of Supervisors’ potential meeting schedule, which was approved during the March 24th virtual meeting.

Fauquier Land Use Update – March 25, 2020

Posted on March 25, 2020June 27, 2022 by Julie Bolthouse

The COVID 19 pandemic and social distancing required may have turned our world upside down, but it has not completely stopped. Here at PEC, we are working remotely and continue to try and provide you with connection to your community during these trying times. This includes connecting you to the important decisions being made at the state and local level.