The Piedmont View

View articles published in our quarterly membership newsletter, The Piedmont View. To become a PEC member or renew your existing membership, visit our donations page today!

To access PDFs of prior editions, view the Piedmont View archive.

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 …
a field with rows of cover crop between squash plants

Soil is Alive: How to Keep it Healthy

Healthy soil can make as big a difference for home gardeners as it can for large-scale farmers. We sat down with Melissa Allen, District Manager at the John Marshall Soil and Water Conservation District to …
a man points at a poster before a crowd

Along the Route 50 Corridor

The beauty of the Route 50 corridor is not an accident. It has taken multi-generational involvement in local decision-making to plan for and preserve this historic east-west passage. PEC has played a part in that …
On the Ground Updates - September 2022

On the Ground Updates – September 2022

A series of short updates from around the PEC region – Albemarle & Charlottesville, Clarke, Culpeper, Fauquier, Greene, Loudoun, Madison, Orange & Rappahannock …
Fall 2022 Piedmont View

Fall 2022 Piedmont View

The fall 2022 edition of the Piedmont View features summer fellowship highlights, PEC’s annual virtual auction, climate conversations in Albemarle, a soil health Q&A, upcoming events, and more …
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aerial image of green farmland and forest with the Blue Ridge Mountains in the distance

50 Years of Relentless Incrementalism – Letter from PEC’s President

For 50 years, PEC has remained committed to the pursuit of better local planning and conservation; the results are significant and even inspirational …
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On the Ground Updates - June 2022

On the Ground Updates – June 2022

A series of short updates from around the PEC region – Albemarle & Charlottesville, Clarke, Culpeper, Fauquier, Greene, Loudoun, Madison, Orange & Rappahannock …
a portrait of a man

Meet PEC: Summer 2022

Meet Kevin Kask and Nora Seilheimer! …
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a transmission line looms over traffic

Amazon and Dominion Set Sights on Warrenton

Two of the biggest corporate interests in Virginia have eyes on Warrenton. Late in 2021, Amazon bought a 41-acre parcel for a potential new data center, and has since submitted a “load letter” to Dominion …
a man stands with trees behind, presenting a wooden sign that says "Join the climate conversation"

Joining the Climate Conversation

The climate is changing across the Virginia Piedmont, and Albemarle County is taking a lead with bold steps to plan for those changes …