The countdown toward one of the most important decisions for the future of Prince William County, and the region as a whole, has begun. The Prince William County Planning Commission has scheduled a public hearing on the Digital Gateway Comprehensive Plan Amendment this coming Wednesday, Sept. 14.
Clean Water
Water flows through all of our land. To keep it plentiful and safe for drinking, swimming and fishing, we need clean air, expansive forests, responsible farms, wooded stream banks, and communities and individuals who make choices to avoid pollution.
![Fall 2022 Tree Planting Opportunities](https://www.pecva.org/wp-content/uploads/thunder_lane_tree_planting_culpeper_4.14.22_credit_Hugh_Kenny_PEC-05778-1024x683.jpg)
Fall 2022 Tree Planting Opportunities
We’re so excited to announce four volunteer tree plantings for the fall! Planting native trees and shrubs along streams, rivers, and ponds – also known as riparian buffers – is a way to help clean water and connect wildlife habitat. Our tree plantings will take place in Clarke, Fauquier and Rappahannock counties in October and November.
![Albemarle Climate Action Videos](https://www.pecva.org/wp-content/uploads/Dr._Irene_Matthieu_UVA_Green_Fin_Studio_credit_hugh_kenny_pec-054581-1024x576.jpg)
Albemarle Climate Action Videos
The following video interviews with local residents and experts will introduce you to the #ClimateConversation happening in Albemarle and arm you with the knowledge you need to take action in your community.
![Regional traffic congestion, pollution in the Occoquan?](https://www.pecva.org/wp-content/uploads/Manassas_digital_gateway_screenshot-1024x550.png)
Regional traffic congestion, pollution in the Occoquan?
Last November, PEC wrote about the threats posed to Prince William County’s long-standing Rural Crescent by three major land use decisions.
![Earth Day Tree Planting at the Volgenau Property](https://www.pecva.org/wp-content/uploads/celia_vuoccolo_volgenau_tree_planting_4.22.22_earth_day_credit_hugh_kenny-07647-1024x682.jpg)
Earth Day Tree Planting at the Volgenau Property
Last week, with the help of 56 volunteers, we planted 550 trees along the banks of Thumb Run on the Volgenau property in Fauquier County.
![Planting Trees at Thunder Lane Farm for Earth Month](https://www.pecva.org/wp-content/uploads/maggi-blomstrom_thunder_lane_tree_planting_culpeper_4.14.22_credit_Hugh_Kenny_PEC-05932-1024x683.jpg)
Planting Trees at Thunder Lane Farm for Earth Month
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On Thursday, April 14 and Friday, April 15, 23 volunteers joined The Piedmont Environmental Council at Thunder Lane Farm in Culpeper, VA for an Earth Month-inspired tree planting.
The streams that run through the farm are tributaries to Mountain Run, part of the Rappahannock River, which is a major drinking water supply for the City of Fredericksburg and other downstream communities. The addition of 568 native trees by volunteers will help improve air and water quality and wildlife habitat for years to come.
The Piedmont Environmental Council plants trees in partnership with the Friends of the Rappahannock each spring and fall as part of our Headwater Stream Initiative. If you’d like to participate, visit pecva.org/buffers.
![2022 Bluebell Walk](https://www.pecva.org/wp-content/uploads/bluebell_walk_cedar_run_4.9.22_credit_hugh_kenny_pec-05258-1024x683.jpg)
2022 Bluebell Walk
On April 9, 2022, The Piedmont Environmental Council’s Julian W. Scheer Fauquier Land Conservation Fund hosted its annual “Bluebell Walk on Cedar Run” at Bonny Brook Farm in Catlett, VA.
![April Tree Planting Opportunities](https://www.pecva.org/wp-content/uploads/volunteers-tree-planting-Earth-Day.png)
April Tree Planting Opportunities
For the month of April, we have three new and fast-approaching volunteer opportunities to help us plant trees.
![A Potential Superfund Site?](https://www.pecva.org/wp-content/uploads/WildernessCrossing_2021_600px.jpg)
A Potential Superfund Site?
Last year, we told you about a developer’s proposal for a 2,602-acre development across from Lake of the Woods on Rt. 3 in Orange County and next to Wilderness National Battlefield. With continued investigation, we found some unexpected and truly shocking information about the history of gold mining at the site.
![Re-aligning Land and Nature at the Holden Farm in Loudoun County](https://www.pecva.org/wp-content/uploads/holden_property_easement_loudoun_November_2021_drone_credit_hugh_kenny-15-1024x682.jpg)
Re-aligning Land and Nature at the Holden Farm in Loudoun County
In 2021, the Holdens partnered with The Piedmont Environmental Council to permanently conserve their rolling 35-acre farm just south of the historic Quaker village of Lincoln.