Culpeper County has decided to cancel nonessential meetings through April 7th, with some publicly available streaming for essential meetings. To continue following essential meetings, refer to the Culpeper County Board Docs website and the Board of Supervisors’ potential meeting schedule, which was approved during the March 24th virtual meeting.
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!
Fauquier Land Use Update – March 25, 2020
The COVID 19 pandemic and social distancing required may have turned our world upside down, but it has not completely stopped. Here at PEC, we are working remotely and continue to try and provide you with connection to your community during these trying times. This includes connecting you to the important decisions being made at the state and local level.
Partner Alert: Buy Fresh Buy Local
Hi there! My name is Matt Coyle and I am writing to introduce myself as The Piedmont Environmental Council’s new Buy Fresh Buy Local coordinator (my amazing predecessor, Jess Palmer, moved back home to Texas last year).
I know that in all likelihood you are dealing with Covid-19 and the rapidly evolving response. However, I do want to give you a few updates and share some online resources that might be helpful during this difficult time.
So Many Bills, So Little Time
It is March, a time when most people eagerly await the end of winter and embrace the first signs of spring. For me, the spring also marks the end of long days and nights spent walking the halls and occupying committee rooms in Richmond. The 2020 Virginia General Assembly session concluded on March 12, and by the time you read this, we will all be awaiting Governor Northam’s response to the legislation and budget passed by both houses.
President’s Letter – Spring 2020
Rumor has it, the idea for Earth Day was first announced at the Airlie Conference Center in Fauquier County, spurring a national and international movement to make the environment a major focus. That was 1969, and today, 50 years later, much progress has been made on those initial concerns about air and water pollution, loss of wildlife and endangered species. But, as we are reminded daily, that progress has been offset by population growth and consumption around the world. Arguably, we are overwhelming the earth’s natural systems at a global scale.
On the Ground – Spring 2020
Updates from around the PEC region, organized by county. Albemarle: Morven East and City Comp Plan. Clarke: Planning & Water Quality. Culpeper: Clevengers Corner, History and the Hazel River. Fauquier: Sanctuary at Barrel Oak & Community Planning Initiatives. Greene: Streetscaping and Community Mobility. Loudoun: Land Use Planning. Madison: Criglersville School & Zoning Ordinance Changes. Orange: New County Administrator, Gordonsville Park. Rappahannock: “Beaver Believers” make a splash at local event.
Fronting the Costs: Fencing at Mountain Hollow Farm
Eight generations of cattle farming had taken its toll on the streams at Dean and Carina Elgin’s Mountain Hollow Farm in northern Fauquier County. Historically, “all the cattle had access to the creek. That was our watering system. And that was the norm in that day,” Dean Elgin said. But by 2015, the Elgins wanted to repair the streambank erosion and reduce the water pollution caused by the foot traffic and waste generated by 200 cattle moving in and out of the water repeatedly. But there was a problem.
Spring at Roundabout Meadows
Alot is going on, at and around our 141-acre Roundabout Meadows property at Gilberts Corner in Loudoun County. We’ve got a new trail opening, the second season for the Community Farm and news to share about the market property at the northeast corner!
The Rapidan River-Clark Mountain Rural Historic District
The Rapidan River – Clark Mountain Rural Historic District is a nearly 40,000-acre historic landscape in Orange County and parts of Madison and Culpeper Counties that has been determined eligible for listing on the Virginia Landmarks Register and the National Register of Historic Places for its high concentration of historic resources dating from the prehistoric period through the 1930s.
Highlighting African American Historic Conservation Projects
This Black History Month, we’re highlighting local conservation projects that have protected significant African American sites and cultural resources.