On March 11, 2021, the National Sporting Library & Museum held a public webinar with staff from PEC about the importance of using native plants in our landscapes.
Our Work
Safeguarding the landscapes, communities and heritage of the Piedmont by involving citizens in public policy and land conservation. Learn more about our work by browsing the subject areas below and find out how to get involved!
A Win for Goose Creek
The Loudoun Board of Supervisors voted to reject an intensive development proposal along Goose Creek, reversing a decision from earlier in the month. It’s a win for the public, the creek and drinking water protection!
Pen Druid Tree Planting
Part of a collective effort to get native trees and shrubs planted in riparian zones in headwater counties of the Rappahannock River Watershed.
Important Comp Plan Chapters Up for Discussion in Greene
I hope this finds you well and looking forward to a fast-approaching spring! As we move deeper into 2021, I am writing to highlight another opportunity to learn about and engage with the ongoing review of Greene County’s comprehensive plan.
As I wrote earlier this year, Greene County is currently undertaking a review of its comprehensive plan. The comprehensive plan is a critically important document that represents the community’s vision for its future and guides all decisions and regulations regarding growth and development.
On the Ground Updates – March 2020
A series of short updates from around the PEC region – Albemarle & Charlottesville, Clarke, Culpeper, Fauquier, Greene, Loudoun, Madison, Orange & Rappahannock.
The Long Road to Waterloo Bridge
When I saw “replacement” of the circa 1878 Waterloo Bridge—the oldest metal truss bridge still in service in Virginia at the time—on the Fauquier County Transportation Committee agenda back in October 2013, I knew exactly who to turn to.
A Final Wish Granted
Carl and Elise Siebentritt’s 29-acre “mountain oasis,” two miles west of Lucketts along the Catoctin ridge and 3.5 miles northeast of Waterford in Loudoun County, was the hub and the heart of their large family for more than 30 years. Daughter Heidi and her husband held their wedding party there. Eldest son Carl III was married there and made it “home base” between overseas assignments with the State Department. Two other siblings, in Maryland and Georgia, moved their families in for a few years to help care for Elise and Carl in the years before each passed away. All 13 grandchildren and one great grandchild knew the woods like the backs of their hands from years of hiking, foraging, and camping.
History at the Top of Bull Run Mountain
Stretching 15 miles from the village of Aldie in Loudoun County south to New Baltimore in Fauquier County, the Bull Run Mountains have stories to tell. The mountain range is home to 10 unique plant, forest and woodland ecosystems supporting uncommon and threatened plant and animal species. Its hills were the scene of the Battle at Thoroughfare Gap during the Civil War. The rocky ridges and quartzite cliffs on its western side, along with the shadow of its eastern toe and its hollows, are said to have once guided slaves fleeing bondage via the Underground Railroad.
Honoring the Sacrifice Made for a Park We Love
Long before Shenandoah National Park was established in 1935, generations of people pushed up into the Blue Ridge Mountains and called them home. Houses dotted the hillsides and hollows, churches and schools served the population, and general stores and post offices brought services directly into the mountains.
2021 General Assembly Update
The last six months has been a whirlwind of legislative action. The 2020 special session extended into mid-October, creating a mad scramble at its conclusion to prepare for the 2021 regular session. PEC was busy drafting bills and budget amendments, finding sponsors and having the conversations necessary to set up our initiatives for success before the new session began on January 13. The 2021 regular session was eventually extended into a special session that concluded on March 1.