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.

Celebrating Mountain Heritage

Celebrating Mountain Heritage

The Piedmont Environmental Council honors the history and heritage of the many hundreds of families that once called the Blue …
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 service area in an effort …
a river surrounded by forest

Conserving a Cultural Crossroads

On Oct. 27, 2023, Historic Germanna’s executive director, Jennifer Hurst Wender, and board president, Keith Hoffman, signed a perpetual open-space easement on Siegen Forest …
Three Advocacy Priorities That Need Your Attention

Three Advocacy Priorities That Need Your Attention

Since the General Assembly began its 2024 session, the newly-opened General Assembly office building and the Capitol have seen frenetic activity, day in and day out. Many bills that were introduced in January have now …
Albemarle County Community Surveys 1994-2023 Report

Albemarle County Community Surveys 1994-2023 Report

The results of our analysis further underscore the priority Albemarle County residents have overwhelmingly given to policies tied to the environment, preservation and smart growth for nearly 30 years …
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 …