The Piedmont Environmental Council (PEC) is pleased to congratulate Albemarle County for receiving the Resilient Virginia Community of the Year Honorable Mention in the American Planning Association Virginia Awards Program. The Resilient Virginia Community of the Year category recognizes a community’s commitment to building resilience through responsible planning practice and innovation on real-world solutions to buffer their community from adverse effects stemming from a variety of potential forces.
Press Center
Please address general press inquiries to Cindy Sabato at csabato@pecva.org or 540-347-2334 x7021 — or to the point of contact listed in a specific press release. You can also get in touch with PEC on twitter: @piedmontenviron.
With parcel transfer complete, Town of Gordonsville expands community park
PEC has transferred two properties it owned in Gordonsville to the Town of Gordonsville for the expansion of Verling Park, moving forward a community-wide effort to improve the 70-year-old park into the redevelopment phase.
PEC supports legal challenge to Orange County Wilderness Crossing rezoning
On May 24, 2023, the American Battlefield Trust, Central Virginia Battlefields Trust, Inc., Friends of Wilderness Battlefield, Inc., and a number of Orange County and Spotsylvania County residents filed a legal challenge to the recent approval by the Orange County Board of Supervisors of the rezoning of 2,600 acres in the county, known as Wilderness Crossing, at the gateway to the Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania National Military Park. The lawsuit cites several violations of state constitutional and statutory law and county zoning ordinance, including procedural errors, lack of required submittals and findings, and failure to comply with the Virginia Freedom of Information Act, among other errors.
Community Groups Organize Annual Bike to Work Week Celebration; Area Residents Invited to Take Part
This year, a coalition of nonprofits, local governments, and volunteers is organizing Charlottesville’s annual Bike to Work Week, from May 15-19. All in the Charlottesville/Albemarle area are invited to bike throughout the week, whether it’s to work, to school, or just for fun.
Loudoun Buy Fresh Buy Local guide arriving in mailboxes soon
With the spring growing season upon the Virginia Piedmont, The Piedmont Environmental Council is pleased to announce the release of its 2023-2024 Buy Fresh Buy Local Loudoun County guide, offering a one-stop source connecting consumers to fresh fruit, vegetables, dairy, meat and more, by way of local farmers and farmers markets.
Charlottesville and surrounding areas Buy Fresh Buy Local guides arriving in mailboxes soon
With the spring growing season upon the Virginia Piedmont, The Piedmont Environmental Council is pleased to announce the release of its 2023-2024 Buy Fresh Buy Local Charlottesville area guide, offering a one-stop source connecting consumers to fresh fruit, vegetables, dairy, meat and more, by way of local farmers and farmers markets.
Northern Piedmont Buy Fresh Buy Local guide arriving in mailboxes now
With the spring growing season upon the Virginia Piedmont, The Piedmont Environmental Council is pleased to announce the release of its 2023-2024 Buy Fresh Buy Local Northern Piedmont guide, offering a one-stop source connecting consumers to fresh fruit, vegetables, dairy, meat and more, by way of local farmers and farmers markets.
Sen. Emmett W. Hanger, Jr. announces 1 million acres conserved since Virginia’s Land Preservation Tax Credit went into effect, highlights importance of land conservation moving forward
Virginia’s Land Preservation Tax Credit (LPTC) has led to the permanent protection of over 1 million acres of land in Virginia, Senator Emmett W. Hanger, Jr. announced today in Harrisonburg at the Virginia Land and Greenways Conference sponsored by Virginia’s United Land Trusts.
Piedmont Environmental Council Statement on Department of Environmental Quality Variance Withdrawal
The Virginia Department of Environmental Equality’s withdrawal of its proposed variance that would have allowed data centers to circumvent Virginia’s air pollution control regulations limiting the use of heavily polluting, industrial sized, emergency diesel generators is a step in the right direction, and although we’d like to think it’s an indication that DEQ recognizes its waiver would be harmful to human health and the environment, the DEQ notice unfortunately makes it clear that the agency has done the right thing for the wrong reason.
Nine-county land conservation totals 6,651 acres in 2022
Last year, landowners partnered with The Piedmont Environmental Council (PEC) and other land trusts and conservation agencies to permanently protect 6,651 acres of land in Albemarle, Clarke, Culpeper, Fauquier, Greene, Loudoun, Orange and Rappahannock counties.