While conserving the verdant landscapes of Virginia’s Piedmont is foundational to The Piedmont Environmental Council’s mission, making the outdoors accessible to everyone has become an equally vital goal. Over the past few years, we have deliberately integrated trail development into our broader conservation mission, protecting strategic properties that can serve as trail corridors or public access points to create lasting places and ways for people to experience the Piedmont’s natural beauty firsthand.
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!
Conservation Benefits Everyone
The car in front of me swerved to miss something in the road. I slowed, watching a small creature make its slow, plodding way across the asphalt. As I got closer, I realized it was a tiny baby opossum. Three other babies had already been struck in the road, with no mother in sight.
Questioning an Explosive Forecast: PEC Intervenes in Dominion IRP
Several years into the data center explosion in our region, the big picture is finally becoming clear to both the public and our decision makers. No longer are our communities just hearing The Piedmont Environmental Council’s warnings about the potential future impacts of this growth; we are all facing the full onslaught of those impacts now.
Plantings for the Piedmont: A Team Effort
It was a brisk morning in late January as I stood with a Fauquier County landowner. We leaned against a fence at the end of the site visit, discussing the coming tree planting projects at her property, when she said, “I want you to know that we’re a team. Whether it’s today as we’re standing here, tomorrow, or the next day, we’re in this together.”
Growing Connections: How Buy Fresh Buy Local Guides Strengthen Our Community
When Mike Peterson walks the fields at Kinloch Farm each morning, he is doing more than checking on cattle. He is nurturing connections that stretch far beyond the rolling hills of The Plains — connections between families and their food, between communities and farmers, and between people and the land that sustains them.
Support Loudoun’s Agricultural Businesses! Weigh in on ABC Licensed Uses that Impact Farmers and Residents
June 18 meeting canceled – Loudoun County staff and Supervisors have been working hard since last November on the update to the Zoning Ordinance and Comprehensive Plan for Western Loudoun. On date TBD and July 16 at 5 p.m. in the main board room at the County Government Center, the Transportation and Land Use Committee will hold its fourth and fifth stakeholder work sessions for the Western Loudoun ordinance and comprehensive plan update. These two sessions will cover the regulations and standards surrounding the ABC licensed businesses of Western Loudoun, including wineries, breweries, cideries, and distilleries.
Proposed Gigaland Data Center Development Looms Over Remington
A proposal for a massive data center campus known as “Gigaland,” if approved, would have major implications for Remington and Fauquier County and pave the way for more transmission lines and data center approvals. We are urging residents of Fauquier to oppose the project at the upcoming public hearing at the Fauquier County Planning Commission on Wednesday, June 18.
Data Center Resources for Communities, Community Leaders & Elected Officials
A list of links and resources to better understand data centers and their impacts.
Proposed Transmission Line Routes in Loudoun Could Have Significant Impacts for Residents
Increasing energy demand in Loudoun — the data center capital of the world — requires extensive new infrastructure buildout. To meet the load demand, fueled principally by data centers, Dominion Energy has initiated several new/expanded major transmission line projects, including the Morrisville-Wishing Star Electric Transmission Project. Over the last month, Dominion has held four county-based open houses to present options for the Morrisville-Wishing Star route to community members.
Loudoun Development Tracker
In an effort to track development applications that could impact important natural, cultural and historic resources, as well as the quality of life for Loudoun residents, PEC has created a shared spreadsheet that anyone can view.