Conserving Land

To date, PEC has helped landowners permanently protect more than 430,000 acres of land in our 9-county region. Our work centers around accelerating the pace of land conservation, ensuring clean water, enhancing wildlife habitat and expanding public access.

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collage of photos featuring aerial photo of farmland and river; conservation easement sign; family outside; woman standing next to cow; person kayaking; local park with trees and a picnic table

Sen. Emmett W. Hanger, Jr. announces 1 million acres conserved since Virginia’s Land Preservation Tax Credit went into effect, highlights importance of land conservation moving forward 

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Virginia’s Land Preservation Tax Credit (LPTC) has led to the permanent protection of over 1 million acres of land in Virginia, Senator Emmett W. Hanger, Jr. announced today in Harrisonburg at the Virginia Land and Greenways Conference sponsored by Virginia’s ...
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Gilberts Corner Regional Park: A Conservation Success Story

Gilberts Corner Regional Park: A Conservation Success Story

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Over 300 acres of land is conserved around Gilberts Corner, where Rt. 15 and Rt. 50 meet. The Piedmont Environmental Council has been working with NOVA Parks for over a decade to permanently protect the land there through conservation easements, ...
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2022 Land Conservation Totals

2022 Land Conservation Totals

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Last year, landowners partnered with The Piedmont Environmental Council (PEC) and other land trusts and conservation agencies to permanently protect 6,651 acres of land in Albemarle, Clarke, Culpeper, Fauquier, Greene, Loudoun, Orange and Rappahannock counties ...
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A Neighborhood Conservation Effort along South River

A Neighborhood Conservation Effort along South River

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In Greene County, a community-wide effort to protect land along the South River has been underway for nearly two decades. In 2022, a critical 140-acre multi-generational cattle farm was added to the tapestry of this corridor with a conservation easement ...
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Conserving a Piece of Heaven

Conserving a Piece of Heaven

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From the wrap-around porch at Hans and Anne Wachtmeister’s Fauquier County home, I feel as if I’m standing atop a mountain looking across heaven. And it’s one of seven Fauquier County properties permanently protected with a conservation easement last year ...
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