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.
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.
Culpeper Land Use Update – March 25, 2020
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
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.
Week Ahead for March 23, 2020 (Alb/Cville/Greene)
Hello everyone. I hope you are doing well and are prepared for a long period of time when things are different. Most if not all government meetings have been canceled for the time being, though the Greene County Board of Supervisors meeting is still scheduled for tonight. And while Albemarle and Charlottesville do not have any scheduled meetings this week, I’m told that the Charlottesville-Albemarle Convention and Visitors Bureau did meet today via conference call…
PEC and COVID-19
Like all of you, we are monitoring the rapidly evolving COVID-19 response and guidance at the local, state and federal level. I am sure it is impacting your daily lives and future plans. As well, it is impacting PEC operations and our upcoming events.
So Many Bills, So Little Time
It is March, a time when most people eagerly await the end of winter and embrace the first signs of spring. For me, the spring also marks the end of long days and nights spent walking the halls and occupying committee rooms in Richmond. The 2020 Virginia General Assembly session concluded on March 12, and by the time you read this, we will all be awaiting Governor Northam’s response to the legislation and budget passed by both houses.
The Relentless Pursuit
In the 16 years I’ve been working for The Piedmont Environmental Council, I have had the privilege and opportunity to help many landowners protect the wonderful natural, cultural, and scenic resources of our Piedmont region. During that time, I’ve never been accused of finding a property unworthy of protection.
On the Ground – Spring 2020
Updates from around the PEC region, organized by county. Albemarle: Morven East and City Comp Plan. Clarke: Planning & Water Quality. Culpeper: Clevengers Corner, History and the Hazel River. Fauquier: Sanctuary at Barrel Oak & Community Planning Initiatives. Greene: Streetscaping and Community Mobility. Loudoun: Land Use Planning. Madison: Criglersville School & Zoning Ordinance Changes. Orange: New County Administrator, Gordonsville Park. Rappahannock: “Beaver Believers” make a splash at local event.
Fronting the Costs: Fencing at Mountain Hollow Farm
Eight generations of cattle farming had taken its toll on the streams at Dean and Carina Elgin’s Mountain Hollow Farm in northern Fauquier County. Historically, “all the cattle had access to the creek. That was our watering system. And that was the norm in that day,” Dean Elgin said. But by 2015, the Elgins wanted to repair the streambank erosion and reduce the water pollution caused by the foot traffic and waste generated by 200 cattle moving in and out of the water repeatedly. But there was a problem.
The Rapidan River-Clark Mountain Rural Historic District
The Rapidan River-Clark Mountain Rural Historic District is a nearly 40,000-acre historic landscape in Orange County and parts of Madison and Culpeper Counties that has been determined eligible for listing on the Virginia Landmarks Register and the National Register of Historic Places.