Historic & Scenic Landscapes

Virginia’s Piedmont is a unique place for residents and visitors alike, with its exceptional natural resources, productive farms and forests, and a landscape steeped in history.

Davis St in Culpeper with cars and old buildings.

Creating Historic Districts

For more than 40 years, PEC has worked to create historic districts across its nine-county …
Celebrating Mountain Heritage

Celebrating Mountain Heritage

The Piedmont Environmental Council honors the history and heritage of the many hundreds of families …
Virginia’s Land Preservation Tax Credit hits a milestone

Virginia’s Land Preservation Tax Credit hits a milestone

In late April, at the Virginia Land Conservation and Greenways conference in Harrisonburg, Senator Hanger proudly announced the permanent protection of over 1 million acres of land as a direct result of the LPTC …
Older Black men point at a map.

Shining a light on undertold stories

In recent years, we’ve expanded our collaborative work with a focus on shining a light on undertold stories of people and communities of color …
aerial image of forested land next to a major road

PEC supports legal challenge to Orange County Wilderness Crossing rezoning

On May 24, 2023, the American Battlefield Trust, Central Virginia Battlefields Trust, Inc., Friends of Wilderness Battlefield, Inc., and a number of Orange County and Spotsylvania County residents filed a legal challenge to the recent …
aerial image of a sunrise over green rural fields

The Piedmont’s Beauty Is Not An Accident – Letter from PEC’s President

I often say that the beauty of the Virginia Piedmont is not an accident. And over the course of 2022, PEC has been contemplating and celebrating 50 years of collective effort conserving and protecting this …
drone image with map overlay

PEC and the Aldie Assemblage – An Incredible Conservation Opportunity

For some time, The Aldie Assemblage property has been under threat of development or uses inconsistent with preserving the historic character and integrity of the surrounding village. In December 2021, recognizing the need for a …
photo of cell tower with forests and mountains in background

Proposed Cell Tower at Mickie Gordon Memorial Park

A private development company has submitted plans to construct a 150’ cell tower at Mickie Gordon Memorial Park along Route 50, in between Middleburg and the historic village of Aldie, on property owned by the …