Learn more about the contributions to conservation made by Robert Tier Dennis and Janet Ketchum Grayson Whitehouse.
Maps & Resources
Released: For the Love of the Land
From the coast to the mountains, many landowners have been tending to their properties in Virginia for generations, carefully sustaining its resources and passing them on. In an effort to honor and highlight conservation efforts in our state, PEC has released For the Love of the Land: 100 Conservation Stories from Across Virginia.
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.
Renovating Worn-Out Pastures
Like many Piedmont farms, Over Jordan Farm in Rappahannock has been a pasture-based operation for decades. After 20 years of overgrazing, however, it’s facing issues that are common in the region—poor soil health, a lack of grass and plant diversity and the resulting lack of nutrients for livestock. This not only decreases a farm’s profitability, but it’s also a major source of runoff and soil erosion in VA.
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.