Preservation Virginia has named the corridor targeted for Valley Link’s proposed 765 kilovolt transmission line project (aka Joshua Falls-Yeat) to its list of Virginia’s Most Endangered Historic Places for 2026.
Historic preservation
Press Conference to Spotlight Threats Posed by Proposed 115-Mile Valley Link Transmission Line Across Virginia
The press conference will reveal an important announcement that will highlight the concerning impacts of Valley Link’s proposed Joshua Falls-Yeat 765 kilovolt transmission line project, which would traverse nine Virginia counties.
Virginia Piedmont Protects 5,552 Acres in 2025
In 2025, landowners and conservation organizations in The Piedmont Environmental Council’s nine-county region conserved over 4,178 acres through conservation easements. The Conservation Fund’s purchase of Oak Hill in Loudoun County and the Virginia Outdoors Foundation’s acquisition for the Bull Run Mountain Natural Areas Preserve added another 1,374 acres.
In Major Win, Massive ‘Digital Gateway’ Data Center Project Has Been Halted
On March 31, the Virginia Court of Appeals issued a unanimous ruling that effectively halts the controversial “Digital Gateway” project proposed in Prince William County, barring an appeal to the Virginia Supreme Court.
General Assembly Snapshot: 2026
The Virginia General Assembly will convene for a 60-day session beginning Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2026. PEC staff have co-authored several briefing papers that form the framework of the Virginia Conservation Network’s legislative priorities. Below, we break down some of the key issues we are tracking in the upcoming session.
Fauquier Fall Updates 2025
We’ll touch on VDOT’s proposed I-66 bridge expansion at historic and iconic Thoroughfare Gap, the transition point into the rural Piedmont, at the beloved Chapman-Beverley Mill. Then, very impactful to all of us, we’ll talk about various power infrastructure and data center projects across the county.
Broad Run Bridge Expansion Proposal Threatens Chapman-Beverley Mill
A proposal from the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) would replace and significantly widen the I-66 bridge at Broad Run, leading to potentially disastrous implications for historic Chapman-Beverley Mill, as well as the Broad Run-Little Georgetown Rural Historic District and the surrounding area.
A Historic Opportunity: Help Make Oak Hill Virginia’s Newest State Park
We have a once-in-a-generation opportunity to create an expansive new state park in Loudoun County, a proposed park that will protect a National Historic Landmark and offer easy access to the outdoors for millions of visitors to and residents of Northern Virginia.
Video: Virginia’s Parks and Battlefields are at Risk
Virginia’s state and national parks, battlefields, and other historic and recreational sites are under threat from uncontrolled data center development. One notable example is Wilderness Battlefield, in Orange County, which was named one of America’s 11 Most Endangered Historic Places in 2024 by the National Trust for Historic Preservation.
Take Action Sept. 4: Cell Tower Ordinance Changes Loom
Next Wednesday, Sept. 4, the Board of Supervisors will hold a public hearing to vote on the updated ordinance. PEC is supportive of some of the changes that the Board has proposed, but concerned about some of the protections that have been removed in the draft.