Exciting news! On Nov 5, 2020 the rehabilitated Waterloo Bridge was placed back onto its stone abutments.
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!
Return of brook trout signals promise for trout stream restoration efforts
Find out about recent fish counts.
Online Event: Plant Northern Piedmont Natives – Changing How We Think About Our Landscapes
On October 20, 2020 PEC’s habitat & stewardship specialist, Celia Vuocolo, gave a virtual presentation about the Plant Northern Piedmont Natives Campaign.
Cville Pilots Safe Streets Program
At the end of September, we were excited to see a press release from the City of Charlottesville announcing that the Safe Streets project would begin immediately with a trial at the first site on both of our proposals: the Belmont Bridge.
Week Ahead for October 19, 2020: An important week for affordable housing
The community has called for more affordable housing, and several major projects are on the dockets at local meetings this week.
Creating a Digital Record – The Formation of Shenandoah National Park
Read about an effort to digitize the thousands of legal documents related to the condemnation of private land within eight counties for the creation of the Shenandoah National Park. The goal is to make all of the deed book records, court proceedings and individual condemnation case files publicly accessible and searchable via an online database. The effort will forever memorialize the sacrifice made by so many, for the creation of a national resource we all enjoy today.
Week Ahead for October 12, 2020: Fifeville multi-family proposal, recycling buildings in Albemarle, and Greene to begin comp plan review
In the rhythm of our local government, the second full week of a month is usually a bit more slow. Yet, there are key meetings worth knowing about so you can listen to the discussions.
George Mason University students to survey Roundabout Meadows vegetation
George Mason University plant ecology students are helping The Piedmont Environmental Council measure the success of our wetlands restoration effort at Roundabout Meadows. With a grant from the Virginia Native Plant Society, the students are establishing a baseline dataset by collecting and identifying all plant species there.
PEC Requests Denial of Rezoning Request within the Germanna Wilderness Area Plan
The Orange County Planning Commission held a public hearing on Oct. 1, 2020 for a rezoning requested by Signature Series Development, LLC. The application would rezone a 75.8-acre parcel from ‘C-2 Conditional’ and ‘R-4 Conditional’ to ‘Planned Development – Mixed Use’ along Route 3 located in the Germanna Wilderness Area Plan.
Albemarle County Adopts Climate Action Plan
On October 7, 2020, the Albemarle County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously to adopt its draft Climate Action Plan.