On February 28, representatives from organizations, local businesses, agencies and passionate individuals who share a mission to promote walking, biking, running, everyday access to nature and active lifestyles gathered for a free, half-day workshop to identify areas of collaboration and lay out work plans. About 30 people joined the Zoom-based meeting to check in with one another about collective work started at last year’s first virtual Mobility Active Summit.
Parks and Trails
Your input needed on planning efforts in Albemarle and Charlottesville
Charlottesville and Albemarle are in the midst of major planning efforts, and both are thinking about their capital budgets, which is a big part of how those plans get implemented. At this time, the two localities seem to be heading in different directions when it comes to quality-of-life infrastructure.
National Parks, Rural Prince William Under Threat
As PEC’s deputy director of land use, I am writing to let you know about several local issues that have both regional and national implications. Put simply, the rural area of Prince William County, also known as the “Rural Crescent,” is under threat. Three different proposals are being considered, each unique in scope, but together represent the urbanization and industrialization of the remaining rural lands in Prince William County.
PEC’s Piedmont Mobility Alliance recognizes retired Albemarle Greenways Coordinator Dan Mahon
On Friday, Aug. 27, The Piedmont Environmental Council’s Piedmont Mobility Alliance recognized recently-retired Albemarle County Greenways Coordinator Dan Mahon for more than 20 years of service as a “local greenways and blueways pioneer in central Virginia.”
Virginia Should Invest in Parks, Trails and Green Space
Legislators are returning to Richmond at the request of Governor Northam in order to allocate more than $4.3 billion in federal Covid-19 relief funding. Send a letter to your state delegate and senator and ask them to invest in parks, trails and green space, which have proved to be so essential over the past year.
PEC Quarterly Keynote: Conservation and Collaboration
Together with the Shenandoah National Park Trust and the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute’s Virginia Working Landscapes, the Piedmont Environmental Council presented its 2nd virtual Quarterly Keynote on Thursday, June 24 at 6:30 pm.
Cville Comp Plan; National Trails Day; Mobility Survey
As you may be aware, the city is in the midst of updating its comprehensive plan. This email will fill you in on where things stand and how to share your input by June 13. Next, I will share an important mobility survey for Charlottesville residents and finish with a few ways that everyone can celebrate National Trails Day (June 5).
Community-based Partnerships Take Root & Grow in Loudoun County
The Piedmont Environmental Council is proudly working with multiple community partners to support local farms and farmers, create more public access to outdoor spaces, and support the county’s food insecure population. Some of these initiatives were inspired or amplified by the Covid-19 pandemic, while others continue to advance PEC’s core mission of protecting and promoting the Piedmont’s natural resources, rural economy, history and beauty.
Virtual Event Recap: Cycling for Sustainable Cities
On May 7, 2021, researchers Ralph Buehler (top-right) and John Pucher (second from top-right) spoke about their new book, Cycling for Sustainable Cities (MIT Press), which describes ways to make city cycling safe, practical, and convenient for all ages and abilities. They talked about trends and policies, and shared examples from across America and around the world–with cases similar to our own communities. Watch the video here.
Appalachian Conservation Corps blaze new trail at Rappahannock County Park
Rappahannock County Park has been visited recently by the Appalachian Conservation Corps (ACC), an AmeriCorps program of Conservation Legacy. The Piedmont Environmental Council, PEC’s Krebser Fund for Rappahannock County and Friends of the Rappahannock (FOR) have partnered with the ACC to bring a crew of 6 young adults to the Piedmont region for tree plantings and trail maintenance projects.