The Piedmont View a MEMBERSHIP NEWSLETTER of the PIEDMONT ENVIRONMENTAL COUNCIL WINTER 2017
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The Piedmont View A MEMBERSHIP NEWSLETTER OF THE PIEDMONT ENVIRONMENTAL COUNCIL WINTER 2017 IN THIS ISSUE New Legislators, New Building & Photo Contest New Conservation Opportunities PAGE 2 Winners By Dan Holmes ith the elections behind us and the holidays consuming our thoughts, the 2018 Virginia General Assembly may not be at the forefront of everyone’s mind. However, the New Year is going to bring many changes, including a new administration, new delegates and a new venue. We also have a new Wopportunity — reaching out to the incoming administration and many new members with information and a message of support for conservation. As we have for the past 20 years, PEC is partnering with the Virginia Conservation Network to do just that. The New Legislators and James Lemunyon. Those seats were won by Karrie Delaney (District 67), David Reid Why I Give The Virginia House has many new (District 32), Wendy Gooditis (District 10), and members with as many as 15 seats, formerly PAGE 5 Elizabeth Guzman (District 31). We are hoping held by Republicans, having flipped to to meet with our legislators, including the new Democratic control prior to recounts. For now, members, as session nears. For a full look at Republicans retain narrow margin of 51-49, the election results from around the state visit, with three races heading toward a state-funded results.elections.virginia.gov. recount. If one of the contested seats flips, it would result in a 50-50 tie. This would mean The New Building major changes with regard to committee The General Assembly Building is structure and power within the General being demolished to make way for a major Inside the General Assembly Building in Assembly. construction project, which includes a new Richmond, Va. Photo by Emily Onufer Many of the new delegates have positive building, parking deck and the renovation positions on the issues we are interested in, and of the iconic Old City Hall. The Pocahontas to be sure to meet with your legislator during it is encouraging that 13 of the new members Building will be used for the majority of the session this year, schedule a meeting and arrive took the Anti-Dominion pledge — a refusal legislature’s needs, and the meeting rooms in early. This is especially necessary on busy days to accept funds from the corporation during the underground annex of the Capitol will be like the Virginia Conservation Network Lobby the election. PEC has four new delegates used for committee meetings. Day on January 22. within PEC’s service region, having lost Randy During this construction period, public Waterloo Bridge Minchew, Scott Lingamfelter, Tag Greason access may be limited. My advice is if you want Continued on page 6 PAGE 6 Update Growing Connections: The Community Farm at Roundabout Meadows By Mike Kane ood brings people together. PEC’s President. “It left me thinking But healthy food is sometimes about what resources we could Support PEC hard to come by. Despite bring to the table. If we can stretch Loudoun County’s reputation a little, what can we do to educate Make a donation Fas a wealthy community, a surprising local residents and contribute to a or get in touch with PEC at: number of children in the county — solution.” Post Office Box 460 one in 10 — live in households with An inspiration for addressing Warrenton, VA 20188 limited access to healthy food. The food insecurity in Loudoun came to 540.347.2334 consequences can be stark for these Chris through his involvement with [email protected] children, as their development, ability the Fauquier Education Farm, based Or visit: to learn and overall health is directly on 10 acres outside of Warrenton. www.pecva.org related to the quality of their diet. The Fauquier Education Farm recruits Thank you for helping “The notion that there are volunteers to plant, harvest and pack to protect the Piedmont! around 10,000 children in Loudoun fresh produce for those in need. This facing a chronic lack of access to past growing season, more than sufficient nutritious food is troubling, 60,000 pounds of produce were PEC’s habitat and stewardship specialist, Celia Vuocolo, at both as a parent and as someone delivered by the farm to food-insecure our Roundabout Meadows property, where a community that knows the bounty that Loudoun residents in Fauquier, Culpeper and farm is being planned. Photo by Marco Sanchez County has to offer,” says Chris Miller, Rappahannock Counties. Continued on page 3 www.pecva.org The Piedmont View 2017 PEC Photo Contest And the Winners Are... It was our eighth year doing the photo contest, and we are still just as excited as the first to announce our winners. Thank you to everyone who submitted images and who voted! All submissions help build our visual gallery, and we are truly grateful for your participation. Also, we want to give a big shout out to our guest photographer judges, Ken Garrett and Sunny Reynolds, who helped us select the finalists. This year, we introduced a new category called Recreation, and we are very pleased with the winning photo, as we are with all of the categories. By public vote, the winners of this year’s YOUTH WINNER BEAUTIFUL LANDSCAPES & STREETSCAPES WINNER contest are: Canine Winter by Sofhia Pineda Garay Christmas Snow at Ben Venue by Joyce Harman RECREATION WINNER NATIVE PLANTS AND WILDLIFE WINNER Canoe by Amie Ware Final 9 by Theresa Ball Pop Quiz Shenandoah National Park Fill in the blank: There are members of the Fee Increase? House of Delegates and State Senators. he Administration has proposed a fee increase for 17 national parks around the country. Under the proposed Trates, the entrance fee at Shenandoah National Park during peak season (June 1 - October 31) would jump from $25 to $70 per car. PEC and partners around the region are concerned that rising fees for public land access could make it unaffordable for many people to visit these national treasures. Further, these fee increases would likely result in decreased visitation to national parks and negatively impact neighboring communities’ tourism economies — which in many cases depends on a lot of visitors to Shenandoah National Park. ANSWER The public comment period has been extended to December 22. c) 100, 40 Visit https://parkplanning.nps.gov/proposedpeakseasonfeerates There are 100 members of the House of to submit your thoughts on the proposed fee increase. Delegates and 40 State Senators. We have filed comments as part of the process and hope that reason will prevail. Stay tuned! 2 www.pecva.org 2 Winter 2017 Growing Connections: The Community Farm at Roundabout Meadows Continued from cover The impact of the Fauquier Education or receive donations of fresh produce Farm presented a possible model for from farms, grocery stores and larger PEC to make a difference in Loudoun food banks. But, a common theme County. Over the past couple years, we among these organizations was the have worked to restore and reinvigorate need to offer more fresh food to their the productivity of our Roundabout clients. This recognition has focused the Meadows property, a 141-acre farm at attention of county-wide hunger relief Gilbert’s Corner in Loudoun County. Over efforts by expanding the availability of A view of PEC’s Roundabout Meadow’s property, where a community farm is being planned. Photo by Paula Combs this past year, we took a closer look at wholesome, fresh, locally-produced fruits the feasibility of creating a Roundabout and vegetables. And this demand for fresh Meadows community farm on part of produce remains unmet. because of the quality of the underlying next five years. the land, which would partner with We envision our community farm soils. We have been fortunate over the It’s exhilarating to think about food pantries and other community being sited at the northwest corner of past year to receive guidance from Ellen the possibilities of a community farm organizations in Loudoun to increase the Roundabout Meadows, an area planned Polishuk, formerly of Potomac Vegetable operation at Roundabout Meadows. availability of fresh produce for those in in PEC’s five-year management plan for Farms, in developing a growing plan and With the property’s high visibility, good need. Like the Fauquier Education Farm, future fruit and vegetable production identify infrastructure needs. We plan to access and close proximity to Loudoun’s this community farm would seek out employ produce variety trials, cover crop population centers, the community farm community service organizations and practices and other sustainable farming presents an incredible opportunity for other volunteers to “get their hands dirty” The community farm techniques as demonstration projects. local residents to get on the land and and help produce food for others. presents an incredible The first growing season of the see firsthand the connection between Key to our assessment was outreach community farm is scheduled to begin land conservation, natural resource to food pantry operators, such as opportunity for local in spring 2018. We will be starting stewardship and the food we eat. More Loudoun Hunger and other allied non- residents to get on the small, beginning with just a portion of importantly, visitors and volunteers can governmental organizations (NGOs) that three acres that were cleared this fall have that experience while in service to already work to address chronic food land and see firsthand for future production. A limited start those in need. insecurity among vulnerable populations the connection between reflects the need to first secure necessary If you are interested in learning in the county. We wanted to see if others infrastructure and equipment, and it more about the community farm thought a modest community farm at land conservation, natural helps provide time to rejuvenate the at Roundabout Meadows, please Roundabout Meadows would make a resource stewardship and productivity of the soils.