we need your help to select the winners! Voting is easy — first, check out all the photos in the slideshow! Then, use the form to select your favorite finalist from each of our categories: Beautiful Landscapes, Native Plants and Wildlife, People and Places, and the Youth Category (ages 17 and under).
Loudoun County
PEC stands with citizens to build excellent communities, relieve taxes and traffic, and protect open space in Loudoun. We work to maintain a balance between the towns, the suburbs and the country so residents can enjoy each of them.
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.
Rural Crescent Under Threat in Prince William County
Learn about three proposals that could change the character of Prince William County forever.
750+ Trees Planted at Sky Meadows State Park
In October, volunteers helped plant 3.5 acres of trees to protect the Goose Creek Watershed.
On the Ground Updates – September 2021
A series of short updates from around the PEC region – Albemarle & Charlottesville, Clarke, Culpeper, Fauquier, Greene, Loudoun, Madison, Orange & Rappahannock.
A Voice for Historic Villages
Over the last year, the future of two of Loudoun’s historic villages, Aldie and St. Louis, have been linked in uncertainty. In an attempt to protect St. Louis’ fragile water sources and remaining historic features from an impending development, the Loudoun Board of Supervisors proposed a multi-faceted real estate transaction that would, essentially, move the developer from St. Louis to county-owned land in Aldie that the developer wanted to build upon. The result was upheaval in both places as residents objected to the Aldie development and the linkage that threatened each community’s unique qualities.
AT&T Tower Proposal Threatens Scenic Ridgeline and Violates County Code
At 6 pm on Tuesday, Sept. 14, the Loudoun County Board of Supervisors will hold a public hearing on a proposed AT&T monopole tower to be built on the ridgeline of Short Hill Mountain in northwestern Loudoun. The 125-foot monopole would be located at an existing AT&T communications facility in an agricultural zoning district.
Conservation Outcomes from a Speedy Special Session
Well, that was fast! Less than two weeks after gaveling in on Monday, Aug. 2, the Virginia General Assembly concluded its special session on Tuesday, Aug. 10.
New skilled meat cutter training program will help region’s meat processors serve Virginia cattle farmers
A recent study by The Piedmont Environmental Council and American Farmland Trust, spurred by pandemic-related breakdowns in national and local food supply systems, has led to the development of a new meat-cutter training program to be offered by the Rappahannock Center for Education beginning late fall 2021. Using a national training model, the program is intended to help local meat processors expand their operations and increase their capacity to serve the region’s cattle farmers by building a larger pool of available skilled laborers in the field.
Route 15 North / Lucketts Bypass – Your Input Needed
The Loudoun County Board of Supervisors has been working on improvements to the safety and operations of Route 15 North of Leesburg since 2017. The county has held several public meetings and input sessions during the last four years. Right now, Loudoun residents have a chance to provide input on the decision to pursue either a western or eastern bypass around Lucketts.