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.
Hugh Kenny
Landowner Testimonial – Virginia Grassland Bird Incentive Program
The Virginia Grassland Bird Initiative’s Incentives Program application is open!
Open to 16 counties, VGBI’s financial incentives program pays farmers $35 per acre for delayed haying and/or summer pasture stockpiling during the grassland bird nesting season.
Both practices balance grassland bird conservation and long-term production goals by allowing ample time for nesting grassland birds to successfully fledge their young before farmers cut hay or rotate cattle into select fields.
Since 2021, 46 farmers have formally enrolled 3,000 acres of land into our financial incentives program, and 28 have implemented delayed haying or summer pasture stockpiling on another 3,000 acres voluntarily, without the financial incentives.
This year, the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service have provided funding to support enrolling new properties in the program!
Apply by November 15 at vagrasslandbirds.org/incentives
VGBI is a collaborative effort of PEC, Smithsonian’s Virginia Working Landscapes, Quail Forever and American Farmland Trust working together with landowners and farmers to restore grassland habitat for the benefit of birds and farms across the Virginia Piedmont, Blue Ridge and Shenandoah Valley
Wildflowers in bloom at the Piedmont Memorial Overlook
The native meadow at the Piedmont Memorial Overlook is in bloom and can be accessed via Sky Meadows State Park or the Appalachian Trail.
The Germanna Ford Boat Launch is Open!
A new public boat launch on the Rapidan River is now open to visitors at Historic Germanna in Orange County.
Video: “The Hidden Costs of the Cloud: Data Centers in Virginia”
Virginia is undergoing an unprecedented economic, technological, and environmental transformation, all centered around the activities of one industry: data centers.
Help choose our photo contest winners
Here are the 2023 PEC Photo Contest finalists. Take a look and vote for your favorites now!
As the Smoke Clears
As the air begins to clear, it’s crucial to remember that we can and must act for a better future. Flooding, intense heat, and increased vulnerability to drought, in addition to wildfires and smoke, are among the top impacts that government at every level must actively prepare for and address.
Video: Gilberts Corner Regional Park: A Conservation Success Story
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, while also opening significant parts of it up for the public to use. The results of this work are evident to anyone driving by and will be for generations to come.
Getting ready for the 2023 season at the Community Farm at Roundabout Meadows
Preparations for the 2023 season are well underway at the Community Farm at Roundabout Meadows! We can’t wait to have volunteers back out in the wake of Spring and to start planting.
Video: Expanding Access to the Rappahannock River
PEC has been working with partners to make public access to the Rappahannock a reality for all who want to share in its bounty. In the past two years alone, three new boat launches have opened in Fauquier County, making it easier to put canoe or kayak in the water, take a swim, fish, or just sit and enjoy the beautiful river flowing by!