The Latest

What is a Conservation Easement?

What is a Conservation Easement?

A conservation easement is a land preservation agreement between a landowner and a governmental or non-profit conservation organization that places permanent limits on the future development of a property in order to protect the conservation …
| | Intro to Conservation Easements
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Fellowship Program – Five Years In

This summer marked the fifth year of the PEC Fellowship Program, which is becoming a nationally known educational program for students with an interest in environmental work. Each year, twelve college students, graduate students, and …
| | Fellowship Program, The Piedmont View
Virginia Uranium Company Pushing to End the Ban in 2012

Virginia Uranium Company Pushing to End the Ban in 2012

On the day that an earthquake struck Virginia, as the region prepared for a hurricane, representatives of Virginia Uranium found themselves addressing the City Council of Virginia Beach, to explain why containment pits of radioactive …
Double Bypass

Double Bypass

 If there’s one thing that’s been bypassed in the ongoing push for new roads around DC and Charlottesville, it’s public process. First, in May, the Commonwealth Transportation Board (CTB) revived plans for a developers’ dream …
| | The Piedmont View
Wild Child

Wild Child

What fears are separating children from nature? What happens when they reconnect? When children first arrive at Rappahannock Nature Camp, they are afraid of bugs, the camp director, Lyt Wood, told me. But, on the …
| | The Piedmont View
Uranium Here

Uranium Here

In 1979, Bill Speiden was offered a lease for uranium mining and milling on his Orange County farm. That uranium hasn’t gone anywhere. The debate over uranium mining and milling in Virginia is coming to …
Big Growth in Greene

Big Growth in Greene

When Brian Higgins joined PEC’s staff as our first full-time field officer for Culpeper and Greene, this summer, he had to hit the ground running in Greene County. For one thing, the county is considering …
Rivanna River

Share Your Photos

PEC would be delighted and grateful to share your photographs or imagery with our audience. Images are needed for both print and electronic publications …
| | Ways to Get Involved
land and people

Our Mission

Virginia’s northern Piedmont is an exceptional place. Located at the foot of the Blue Ridge Mountains, the Piedmont is beloved for its scenic beauty, unparalleled in its significance to America’s history, and valuable for its …
| | Our Mission
Our Strategic Plan

Our Strategic Plan

In 2010, the PEC Board adopted an update of our Strategic Plan, setting goals and establishing a plan of action for the next 5 years …
| | Our Mission