For immediate release: January 22, 2014
PEC
Update on The Bi-County Parkway/Outer Beltway
During his campaign, Governor McAuliffe said he would take a hard-look at the controversial $440 million Bi-County Parkway, reevaluating this project and others proposed by VDOT. In his campaign platform, under the section titled "Pick the right projects; build the best ones," he stated: "We need to strategically prioritize what we’re building and where. We should look at our current and proposed transportation expenditures from top to bottom and support those which should move forward and pull the plug when they don’t make sense."
Commentary on Surry-Skiffes Creek Transmission Line
On Tuesday November 26th the Virginia State Corporation Commission (SCC) issued its Final Order approving a 500 kV line that crosses the James River near Williamsburg, Virginia… This application was extremely controversial from its inception3. At 500 kV this line is very large, more typical of an inter-state transmission line than a 7.4 mile intra-state regional reliability solution.
Meet George and Jean, Our New Co-Chairs
PEC is excited to introduce the newly elected co-chairs of our Board—George Ohrstrom II of Clarke County and Jean Perin of Fauquier County!
Teaming Up to Save the “Brookie”
Virginia’s state fish, the eastern brook trout, is in trouble. The Commonwealth’s only native trout has seen a sharp decline in population due to a detrimental combination of rising temperatures, physical barriers to streamflow, pollution, and habitat loss. Many expect the species to be added to VA’s Wildlife Action Plan list in the near future.
Helping Hands for Spout Run
CLARKE– Clarke County’s Spout Run watershed has the potential to provide clean water and support a large variety of wildlife species. Yet, the stream is on the State Impaired Waters List due to nutrient and sediment levels from fertilizers, livestock and other human-related activities. This is bad news not only for the wildlife and people living around the watershed, but also for communities downstream—including the Chesapeake Bay.
‘Fracking’ on Conserved Land?
The Virginia Outdoors Foundation (VOF) is an important state public agency that has taken part in conserving land in the Commonwealth since 1966. Today, VOF is the largest easement holder in Virginia, and PEC is proud to have partnered with them over the decades. Over the past two years, however, VOF reviewed and approved a number of new easements permit oil and gas drilling—including the potential for hydraulic fracturing (a.k.a. “fracking”)—in areas that have little to no history of energy extraction.
Comprehensive Plan Updates
CULPEPER, FAUQUIER, ORANGE — PEC’s staff follows Comp Plan updates and revisions in our nine-county region closely, and we’re currently keeping a sharp eye on the process in Culpeper, Fauquier and Orange Counties.
Spectra Energy Gas Pipeline Suspended
If you’re not on our email list, you may have missed that there was some welcome news on the proposed Spectra Energy gas pipeline, which affected Albemarle, Culpeper, Fauquier, Madison, Orange and Rappahannock Counties.
For the Love of the Land: 100 Conservation Stories From Across Virginia
For the Love of the Land features 100 conservation success stories from across Virginia, representing every legislative district—a sampling from among thousands of places in the Commonwealth that are now protected forever. At a time when many of the special places in Virginia could easily be lost, these stories remind us why land conservation is so important.