This text was taken from an email alert sent out on Sept. 26, 2024. Sign up for email alerts →

Dear Supporter,

There are so many ways one can engage with the environment in the Piedmont. Whether you’re interested in wildlife and habitat restoration, water issues, or connecting more people to the outdoors in parks and trails, read on for ways to get involved in making our community better. 

And if you’re an Albemarle resident, make sure to check out the Oct. 30 All-CAC (Community Advocacy Committee) meeting on Albemarle’s Comprehensive Plan. The CACs are forums for resident input on Land Use issues within the County’s designated neighborhood areas. They’re a great way to follow what’s happening in the community and in this case, they will all be meeting together. It is a very strategic opportunity and you can be sure that we’ll be there waving the flag for smart growth, access to nature, and protection of the rural areas for biodiversity, water supply, and the rural economy. 

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Conservation: Establishing Habitat for Grassland Birds in Albemarle

Over 60 species of birds rely on Virginia’s grasslands through the year to nest, collect food or over-winter. But in the last century, grassland birds have experienced the sharpest population decrease of any bird group in North America. The Virginia Grassland Bird Initiative, a collaborative partnership between PEC, the American Farmland Trust, Quail Forever, and Virginia Working Landscapes, has been working creatively to bring that population back on managed agricultural lands. 

One of the ways they’ve done this is by creating incentives for farmers to delay their haying or participate in summer pasture stockpiling, practices which give grassland birds a place to nest and mate in the grasses. This season ensured there were 1,527 acres of grassland, from 18 landowners and producers who applied for the program, available for grassland bird habitat. About 40% of that was in Albemarle County. Other landowners are beginning to adopt the practices voluntarily.

A stable habitat is required to support wildlife populations . And ensuring that habitat is there involves maintaining
existing open space, including both working landscapes and natural forestland. To do this, and achieve our community’s climate goals, we are advocating for increased support for conservation programs in AC44 by making it a catalyst project.  

Applications for next season’s VGBI incentives program will open Oct. 1 for landowners/farmers interested in taking part in the incentives programs.

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Land Use: Water Supply Planning to Address Climate Impacts

Clean drinking water is a fundamental human need. Our community, through the Rivanna Water and Sewer Authority (RWSA), has a long history of planning for water use to ensure that there is sufficient supply for the Charlottesville/Albemarle region. However, the water supply plan was largely spurred by the dramatic drought of record in 2001-2002. 

It centered on fortifying Albemarle County, the City of Charlottesville, and Town of Scottsville water supply systems and accommodating projected growth of the urbanized development areas defined in the 2015 comprehensive plan. 

Going forward, new legislation requires water supply planning to be more regionally cross-jurisdictional and be based on river basins. This brings Charlottesville and Albemarle into a region with Greene, Lousia, Fluvanna and Buckingham counties. It remains unclear what will result from cross-jurisdictional planning. PEC is currently requesting to serve as a formal stakeholder during the regional water supply planning process. Droughts and extreme weather events will be more frequent as climate change gets worse, and will have ripple effects beyond water supply systems. This is why PEC is proposing comprehensive groundwater monitoring programs be established for both Albemarle and Greene counties to inform decisions based on water availability in the future. View our Climate Action Report for more information → 

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Parks & Trails: Report Finds Residents Want More Trails

The City of Charlottesville has completed the first part of its new Parks Master Plan. This first phase was about understanding the recreational needs of Charlottesville residents. The preliminary results underline (emphatically) what we have been saying for years: Charlottesville residents want more trails, they want for existing trails to be better maintained, and they are willing to pay for them.

We will have more information as the plan develops. For now, here are a few tidbits that caught our eye:

• An astonishing 94% of residents have visited a local park in the last year (national benchmark = 76%).
• While residents clearly love the parks and trails, only 11% rate their upkeep as “excellent”, which is well below the 27% benchmark. 
• The top nine priorities all relate to exploring the outdoors, with trails and access reflected in several different categories – all well above things like courts and ballfields (which we also love).
• Most residents (86%) are willing to pay for better parks. More than half would approve a $.01 property tax increase to pay for parks and a third would approve the maximum amount suggested ($.015).
• Not surprisingly, these findings track very closely with Albemarle County’s 2018 Recreational Needs Assessment – their most recent available. That report also found that County residents want more trails – specifically connective trails – and safe places to walk and bike. They too expressed willingness to pay higher taxes in order to have them.
• The results of both of these surveys are statistically and demographically sound and broadly reflective of area residents’ desires. They should not surprise anyone, as they reflect national trends which have solidified since the pandemic.

Peter just shared an update about one of his favorite local trails: a five-mile circulator greenway centered around McIntire Park that will serve both City and County residents by connecting Downtown with the Hydraulic and Rio areas. Peter and I will be leading an Advocacy Hike along that future greenway (which is already a lovely place to walk) on Sept. 28. (See below)

• You can learn more about the City Parks Master Plan here.

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Upcoming Events

Loop de Ville 5-Mile Loop Advocacy Hike
Sun., Oct. 6, 9:30 – 11:30 a.m., McIntire Park
New date due to inclement weather!

PEC and partners have been advocating for a five-mile loop trail connecting McIntire and Greenbrier Parks, three schools, hundreds of businesses and thousands of residents for years. Now, it’s within reach! Join PEC’s Peter Krebs at 9:30 a.m. during Loop de Ville for a guided tour of the eventual multipurpose-path that will be a game-changer for community connection. 

Loop de Ville: 20-Mile Hike / Bike / Run / Volunteer
Sun., Oct. 6, All Day, Starting and finishing at Rivanna River Company
New date due to inclement weather!

Celebrate National Public Lands Day by walking, biking or running the beloved 20-mile Rivanna Trail. There will be numerous hikes, walks, runs, and bike rides for people of all abilities — with guides and support along the way. Find PEC and our partners at the YMCA at our Cheer Zone Tent along the way. 

Carbon & Conservation Workshop
Oct. 31st, 11:00-2:00 pm, Standardsville, Va.

Come learn about forest carbon, conservation easements, and other climate-smart conservation programs and opportunities are available to landowners at this free workshop. Lunch will be provided. 

Albemarle Conservation Speed Dating Event
Nov. 1st, 1:00-4:00 pm, Bellair Farm

Join us for a hands-on workshop that will give you one-on-one time with local technical assistance providers and conservation practitioners to discuss your interests, options, and next steps specific to your property. All participants will receive a large-scale printed map of their property to use during the event and take home for reference.

Space is limited for this event.  Please RSVP by emailing [email protected].

Soft opening of Biscuit Run Park
Fall, 2024Two decades in the making, this 1,190 acres of woodlands and meadows will open as a County Park this fall. PEC had a direct hand in ensuring this land be publicly accessible green space and in pushing the project to completion. Stay tuned for more info about a soft opening this October and an official ceremony in November.

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Lastly, these emails are meant to inform, to engage and to remind our members and readers that their participation can make a difference in issues that are important to them. So this election season, we encourage you to make a plan to vote. Early voting is available to all registered voters now through Nov. 2 at your local registrar’s office. You can check your voter registration status and learn more about voting in this year’s election at vote.elections.virginia.gov.

Faith Schweikert
Communications Specialist
fschweikert@pecva.org 
(434) 977-2033 x7026