Shenandoah National Park is one of Virginia’s most beloved and visited outdoor spaces, attracting 1.7 million visitors in 2025. It’s also a global conservation priority for biodiversity protection and climate resiliency. For these reasons, The Piedmont Environmental Council has been strategically identifying and conserving privately-owned lands running along the park’s eastern edge with a project called the Shenandoah Borderlands Conservation Initiative.
Historic & Scenic Landscapes
The Piedmont’s beautiful vistas also present some of America’s most historic terrain.
Hilton Farm: A Key Piece of the Conservation Puzzle in the Rappahannock-Rapidan Watershed
You know that feeling when you’re putting together a puzzle and there’s that “Aha!” moment, when filling in one missing piece brings everything together? Hilton Farm in Orange County is an example of this phenomenon playing out in conservation form.
PEC statement on Prince William Digital Gateway latest legal win
The recent ruling by the Virginia Court of Appeals against the Prince William Digital Gateway, in favor of the citizen-backed lawsuits attempting to block it, is another example of the growing grassroots power of Virginians pushing back against uncontrolled data center development.
Take Action: Show Your Support for Virginia’s Great Outdoors Act
The House Finance Committee takes up the bill on Wednesday. Please take a moment to send in a letter!
Last week, we reached out to you about the urgent need for data center reform. Today, we have a historic opportunity to take that conversation a step further—by ensuring the booming data center industry contributes directly to the protection of the Virginia landscapes we love.
Our landscapes and natural resources anchor Virginia’s agriculture, tourism, and forestry industries, and the natural landscapes that shape our history, offer outdoor recreation opportunities, provide clean water and air, and support healthy ecosystems. However, programs in Virginia that protect our great outdoors are chronically underfunded.
For years, Virginia has lagged near the bottom of the nation in conservation funding, with only about 1% of the state budget dedicated to protecting our natural resources. The lack of sufficient long-term funding means the Commonwealth has not kept up with the demand for parks, trails, and open lands. Historic sites have gone unprotected. Farms and forest lands are at risk of development. And more assistance is needed for landowners who want to conserve their properties.
The Virginia Great Outdoors Act (HB641)
A full 70% of Virginians support increased public spending on conservation—now we just need the General Assembly to act. This landmark legislation would create a tax on data centers to support land conservation, generating at least $250 million annually in dedicated funding. This is a permanent investment in:
- State Parks & Public Lands: Addressing deferred maintenance and funding new parks;
- Working Lands: Protecting the farms and forests that drive our rural economies;
- Historic Preservation: Saving the sites that tell Virginia’s story, including creating a new Virginia Tribal Commitment Fund;
- Wildlife: Funding wildlife crossings and protecting critical habitat;
- Trails: Expanding the regional trail networks that connect our communities.
Please use our advocacy page to send a letter to your state legislators today and ask them to support this legislation.
Why Your Voice Matters Right Now
The clock is ticking. During their meeting Wednesday at 12 p.m. we expect the House Finance Committee to vote on whether to send their version of the bill (HB641) to the full House. Meanwhile, progress has stalled in the Senate; on Tuesday morning, the Senate Finance Resources Subcommittee voted to “carry over” the Senate version of the bill (SB393), delaying its consideration until next year.
Legislators need to know that their constituents prioritize clean air, clean water, and open space over unchecked development.
From the Piedmont’s open space, to the forests of Southwest Virginia and the coastlines of the Eastern Shore, everyone benefits from statewide efforts to protect more of Virginia’s lands and waters. People and communities are healthier when we have ample, easy access to the outdoors. Together, we have a chance to ensure that access for our children and grandchildren.
Please urge/encourage your legislator to help protect more of Virginia’s lands and waters by supporting this legislation. Thank you in advance for weighing in!
Sincerely,
Mike Kane
Director of Conservation
[email protected]
P.S. This effort is part of a broad coalition called Our Virginia Outdoors. Together, we are fighting to ensure that as Virginia grows, our natural heritage is preserved for generations to come.
Virginia General Assembly in Full Swing
Our advocacy team is already hard at work as the 2026 Virginia General Assembly gets underway in Richmond.
Broad Run Bridge Expansion Proposal Threatens Chapman-Beverley Mill
A proposal from the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) would replace and significantly widen the I-66 bridge at Broad Run, leading to potentially disastrous implications for historic Chapman-Beverley Mill, as well as the Broad Run-Little Georgetown Rural Historic District and the surrounding area.
Proposed Oak Hill State Park Hangs in the Balance
We need your support to make Oak Hill State Park a reality — please write and call your legislators today!
A Historic Opportunity: Help Make Oak Hill Virginia’s Newest State Park
We have a once-in-a-generation opportunity to create an expansive new state park in Loudoun County, a proposed park that will protect a National Historic Landmark and offer easy access to the outdoors for millions of visitors to and residents of Northern Virginia.
Video: Virginia’s Parks and Battlefields are at Risk
Virginia’s state and national parks, battlefields, and other historic and recreational sites are under threat from uncontrolled data center development. One notable example is Wilderness Battlefield, in Orange County, which was named one of America’s 11 Most Endangered Historic Places in 2024 by the National Trust for Historic Preservation.
The Next Chapter for Aldie Assemblage
The Piedmont Environmental Council this summer became the proud new owner of six acres in the Village of Aldie, known as the Aldie Assemblage.