Piedmont Environmental Council Annual Report Dear Friends,

ften times at PEC we are asked the question, “Why bother?” O Or, we’re told, “There’s no point, the bad guys always win in the end.” But the stories outlined in this year’s Annual Report make clear that destructive outcomes are not inevitable.

We can make choices about what we prevail against the proposed two- want the to be, and it is pos- billion dollar PATH transmission line. We sible to achieve a bold vision of our mobilized citizen outcry to get several as a place that balances growth, eco- preposterous road proposals removed nomic development, and the protection from VDOT’s plans for our region. of natural, historic and community values. Because of your support, PEC and In the last year, PEC and the citizens our partners are able to mount skilled, who stand with us won significant strategic campaigns, backed by an victories in campaigns that many people informed and active citizenry. This is how considered unwinnable. We helped we counter the trends towards more stop a Walmart Supercenter at Wilder- sprawl, more fragmentation of habitat, ness Battlefield, in Orange, creating new more loss of farmland, more lanes of opportunities for conservation, more traffic, more strain on taxpayers, more reasonable economic development, and transmission lines, and more air and enhancement of the Route 3/Route 20 water pollution. gateway to the Piedmont. We won a The fact is that, because of our federal court case striking down trans- efforts, in many ways, the Piedmont is not mission line corridors that impacted 100 only holding ground but getting better. million acres across the nation, includ- Think back. Ten years ago, how ing six of our nine counties. We saw our many options did you have for buying front Cover: View over Paris, , one of the ABOVE: Forest Lakes Farmers Market in Albemarle arguments on improved energy and food from local farms? Did you have your best protected privately owned landscapes in America Photo by Rose Jenkins Photo by tom lussier transmission planning and modeling choice of restaurants that took pride in Warrenton nature day camp Photo by Patricia Johnson

serving delicious local fare? Did you often Habitat program, and response was over- well for nearly four decades—among hear of young people who were eager to whelming. Now, people across our region them our connections with local com- start a farm business? Now, the number are working to increase a wide variety of munities, our skilled staff and dedicated of farmers markets in our nine-county habitats—from meadows for pollinators Board, our ability to build partnerships, region has swelled to to migration corridors and our commitment to achieving our 26, and PEC’s Explor- We can along streams. mission over the long term. ing the Small Farm In 2010, the The plan also responds to change Dream courses are make choices Piedmont also by identifying three key directions for fully enrolled, time about what reached a conserva- growth. Going forward, we have decided: Contents after time. tion milestone, with „„to expand our work as a full-service Do you remem- we want the 336,000 acres of land land trust, so we can create more Map of the PEC Region 2 ber the state of our protected by conser- opportunities for people to protect Piedmont 4 region’s historic vation easements —a their land; Land downtowns twenty full 15% of the region to be. „„to increase our initiatives to build Water 6 years ago—the empty storefronts, the and one third of the way to our goal of strong rural and agricultural econo- Food 8 boarded windows, the vacant sidewalks? the one million-acre Piedmont Reserve. mies, so that rural landscapes will be As a result of revitalization efforts that These lands are protected forever, an more economically viable; and Energy 10 PEC continues to support, these down- enduring legacy