Strong Communities

PEC believes that the work of protecting natural resources and the work of building better communities are integral to each other. 

PEC Donates Land to National Park

PEC Donates Land to National Park

Shenandoah National Park just grew a little bigger and a little more beautiful. This past May, We donated a 17.2-acre property of ours in Rappahannock County to the National Park Service. A forested and vacant parcel on a mountain slope south of Sperryville, Virginia, the land is within the legislative boundary of Shenandoah National Park.

“The property is surrounded by the park on three of its four sides, so it’s a key puzzle piece,” says Carolyn Sedgwick, PEC’s Rappahannock County land conservation officer, who oversaw the donation from PEC to the National Park Service. “This great public-private partnership with the National Park Service has resulted in the expansion of one of the most important wildlife corridors on the east coast.”

The donated acreage is by an area in the national park designated as federal wilderness — the highest conservation designation for federal land — making it an important and strategic area to conserve.

A Trail of History

A Trail of History

Walking downhill through the open meadow, one gets a sense of liberty that comes when exploring this tranquil, rural place. At the bottom of the hill, there’s an historic log structure, which provides a glimpse into the property’s past. Once the pathway leads into the forest, you begin ascending the mountain to find spectacular views of the Blue Ridge. 

A Great Day at Chapman DeMary Trail

We were excited to team up with The Nature Generation this summer on an educational/volunteer event at the Chapman DeMary Trail in Loudoun County.

19 students and educators from Indonesia were guided through water monitoring efforts by experts from The Piedmont Environmental Council, Loudoun Valley High School and Loudoun Watershed Watch.

Talking Taxes and Growth

Talking Taxes and Growth

Over the past year, there has been a heated discussion of issues tied to growth and taxes in Fauquier County, both in the local papers and in casual conversation. In these discussions a host of terms are often used without definition. So here’s a short list of some taxes and concepts that every resident of Fauquier County should know when talking growth and taxes:

Email Alert: Loudoun Residents Weigh In, Wildwood Farm Rezoning Next

Email Alert: Loudoun Residents Weigh In, Wildwood Farm Rezoning Next

Some good news and another call to action!

Last Wednesday, on a 6-3 vote, the Loudoun Board of Supervisors voted to deny the McIntosh rezoning request to increase density in the Transition Area next to Willowsford. Voting against the rezoning were Janet Clarke, Matt Letourneau, Ralph Buona, Geary Higgins, Shawn Williams and Scott York.

A big ‘thank you’ to everyone who took the time to write. Several of the Board members mentioned the letters from citizens as having an impact.

Now on to the next proposal….