On Oct. 27, 2023, Historic Germanna’s executive director, Jennifer Hurst Wender, and board president, Keith Hoffman, signed a perpetual open-space easement on Siegen Forest.
Our Work
Safeguarding the landscapes, communities and heritage of the Piedmont by involving citizens in public policy and land conservation. Learn more about our work by browsing the subject areas below and find out how to get involved!
A Conservation Journey in Madison County
Carolyn Smith’s Madison County property has been on quite the journey since her parents first purchased the former cattle operation in 1965. Donating a 129-acre conservation easement in late 2023 came on the heels of decades of successful land stewardship by Carolyn, her parents, and a community of partners who have worked to restore and repair the land for wildlife habitat, pollinators and native plants.
6,315 acres conserved in nine-county region last year
The Piedmont Environmental Council reports that in 2023, 6,315 acres of land in Albemarle, Clarke, Culpeper, Fauquier, Greene, Loudoun, Madison, Orange and Rappahannock counties were permanently protected with 52 new conservation easements.
Resources from the Loudoun Virtual Community Meeting on Data Centers and Energy Infrastructure – March 4, 2024
On March 4, 2024 PEC held a virtual community meeting about the explosive growth of data centers in Loudoun County and the surrounding region and the new transmission line projects proposed to meet their energy needs.
Data Centers in Loudoun: Free Webinar March 4; Critical Public Hearing March 13
Loudoun County is known as the “data center capital of the world” for good reason: there are more data centers here than in any other single jurisdiction across the globe.
Reshaping the Future of Farm to Table: Expanding Local Meat Processing Capacity in Virginia
This video tells the story of partners coming together to give small Virginia producers more options to process meat products from their farms.
Data Center Legislation in the 2024 Virginia General Assembly
Numerous pieces of legislation related to data center reform were introduced as part of the 2024 Virginia General Assembly Session. Unfortunately, the majority of the bills were defeated or carried over to the 2025 Virginia General Assembly Session.
Take Action: Protect Local Government Accountability
We need your help opposing House Bill 1459 (Owen), which will be voted on by the full Counties, Cities and Towns Committee this Friday morning at 9 a.m.
Three Advocacy Priorities That Need Your Attention
Since the General Assembly began its 2024 session, the newly-opened General Assembly office building and the Capitol have seen frenetic activity, day in and day out. Many bills that were introduced in January have now seen numerous amendments and text changes, with some being passed over and others being voted out of committee and onto the House or Senate floor for action.
PEC lawsuit confirms abuse of FOIA by Orange County for the benefit of Amazon
The Virginia FOIA lawsuit that PEC filed against Orange County in October concluded last month with officials turning over the requested documents, thus avoiding a hearing in court.