The Piedmont View

Our quarterly membership newsletter.

More than $1 Million Worth of Solar Installed

Posted on September 21, 2017August 26, 2020 by Bri West

The benefits of solar power are multi- fold: it provides peak power close to the demand, energy security, cost savings, local employment opportunities and emission reductions. These benefits are why, for the last three years, we’ve partnered on a Solarize Piedmont campaign with friends at the Local Energy Alliance Program and the Northern Virginia Regional Commission.

Now that the 2017 Solarize Piedmont campaign has come to a close (it ran from mid-March through April), we wanted to share the results from these past three years: — Signed Contracts: 41– Dollar Value of Systems: $1,260,005 — Installed Capacity: 395 kW — Locations: Albemarle, Charlottesville, Culpeper, Fauquier, Greene, Loudoun, Orange & Rappahannock…

Planting by Example

Posted on June 15, 2017October 22, 2020 by Paula Combs

If you happen to walk by our office in Old Town Warrenton, you may notice some changes around the building — a little more green, some dashes of color and new trees to boot. And along with it being aesthetically pleasing, it is sustainable.

It has been a year and a half since we finished the renovation of our headquarters office. Soon after we moved back in and unpacked, planning for the restoration of the grounds began.

Remington Walks

Posted on June 15, 2017July 8, 2021 by Paula Combs

Walkable locales with recreation options are, simply put, nicer places to live and visit, and they increase quality of life. That is why we have partnered with the Town of Remington and various community groups to develop a plan for future walking routes, trails, sidewalks, parks and bikeways in Remington.

On the Ground — Summer 2017

Posted on June 15, 2017July 1, 2021 by PEC

Updates from the around the PEC region, organized by county. Albemarle: Utility Scale Photovoltaic Power Generation Sites in Albemarle. Clarke: Zoning, Planning and Conservation Updates. Culpeper: Waterloo Bridge Update and Brandy Station Battlefield. Fauquier: Blackthorne Inn and Walker Drive Proposals. Greene: Mountain Heritage Event A Success. Loudoun: How and Where Should Loudoun Grow? Madison: Robinson River Flows Free. Orange: Tree Planting Along the Rapidan. Rappahannock: Got Buffers?

President’s Letter – Summer 2017

Posted on June 15, 2017August 20, 2020 by Chris Miller

Some may not know that PEC is also the fiscal sponsor for the Coalition for Smarter Growth, an organization that focuses on planning and policies that support the best possible solutions for the greater Washington D.C. area. Earlier this month, CSG celebrated their 20th anniversary….

Matchmaker, Matchmaker

Posted on March 15, 2017August 20, 2020 by Paula Combs

If you can connect and have a good relationship, farmer to landowner, this can be an amazing, beautiful and productive thing. It really can work,” says Katharine Wilson, manager of the new Berrey Hill Farm in Madison County.

When speaking with Katharine and Holly, it’s immediately apparent the right people have come together to form a partnership. They both seem equally as passionate about protecting the health and ecology of the land and building community through healthy food.

Waterloo Bridge — Still Closed. Still Waiting for Repair

Posted on March 15, 2017October 16, 2020 by Julie Bolthouse

The other night as I drove home, I paid attention to each bridge crossing. There were 18 concrete slab bridges. A majority of our roadways are repetitive monolithic creatures with little character or interest of their own. This reminded me of a statistic I once heard about how the drive to somewhere can be a valuable part of the tourist experience. Most people probably don’t travel out of their way to visit a historic bridge, but crossing one is a memorable part of the journey. And if you live near one, it probably is a part of what defines ‘home’ for you.

On the Ground — Spring 2017

Posted on March 1, 2017October 22, 2020 by PEC

Updates from the around the PEC region, organized by county. Here’s the blurb from Culpeper, which actually applies to residents in multiple counties: The Culpeper Soil and Water District recently secured funding from the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality for a Septic System Repair and Replacement Fund that’s available to residents of Culpeper, Greene, Orange, Madison, and Rappahannock Counties. Failing septic systems can affect both ground and surface water quality. The funds cover 50 percent of approved costs and are only available for a two-year term…

Trail Blazing

Posted on December 19, 2016October 27, 2020 by Paula Combs

Pedestrian and bicycle trail systems can improve our health, increase property value, provide sustainable transportation choices and even strengthen a community’s economy — especially in an urban area.

Something not everyone may know about PEC is that we’ve been working to increase public access to parks, historic sites and a number of different trail networks. This type of work helps provide more options for people in the region to enjoy the beautiful outdoors and connect with the land. Trails in urban settings can also provide a more sustainable and healthy way of traveling in and around neighborhoods. These benefits are why we have raised funds for the extension of the Warrenton Branch Greenway in Fauquier County and partnered with James Madison’s Montpelier and Grelen Market to facilitate the creation of the Montpelier-Grelen trail, to name a few.

Protecting Thumb Run

Posted on December 19, 2016July 1, 2021 by Paula Combs

What’s good for wildlife is often good for water quality,” said Celia Vuocolo, PEC’s wildlife habitat and stewardship specialist, as she spoke to guests at the fifth Annual Thumb Run Open House.

This sentiment was reinforced at the event, held on November 13 at the Orlean Fire Hall, by speakers Amy Johnson of Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute’s Virginia Working Landscapes Program, Janet Davis of Hill House Farm and Nursery and Dr. Tania Cubitt of Performance Horse Nutrition LLC, whose presentations focused on grassland bird conservation, landscaping for wildlife and healthy horse pastures, respectively. While the presentation topics varied, the underlying theme was the same — land stewardship supports clean water.