VCN
E-NEWS: September 24, 2004
NEWS
ITEMS
RECONNECTING
VIRGINIA STATEWIDE CONFERENCE OFFERS NEW VISION FOR ADDRESSING
THE COMMONWEALTH’S TRANSPORTATION NEEDS
PRESS RELEASE
For Immediate Release: September 18, 2004
For more information contact:
Chris Miller, Piedmont Environmental Council: 540.347.2334
David Kovacs, Virginia Conservation Network: 804.644.0283
For local contacts, please call the Piedmont Environmental
Council at 540.347.2334
At their joint annual meeting today, the Virginia Conservation
Network (VCN) and the Piedmont Environmental Council (PEC)
released a vision for reconnecting the state’s communities
through diverse transportation options.
“Reconnecting Virginia invests in the great communities
that already exist throughout the state and expands the
transportation choices available to connect them. This
vision is especially timely given current discussions
about how to finance transportation needs. Reconnecting
Virginia offers a fiscally prudent way to offer people
more choices by better connecting development and transportation
through wise planning,” said Chris Miller, PEC President.
Reconnecting Virginia offers a new set of options that
can accommodate the mix of agricultural, commuter and
local uses by expanding the range of transportation choices
available and investing in more efficient use of our existing
rail infrastructure.
Directors and members of both organizations, and other
special guests, including state and local officials, heard
from renowned transportation innovator and keynote speaker
Hank Dittmar of Reconnecting America. Combining a national
and international perspective with specific examples from
I-81, the City of Charlottesville, and the I-95 corridor,
Dittmar provided a comprehensive look at the connection
between land use, the Commonwealth’s major rail and road
transportation corridors and our environment.
Mr. Dittmar noted, “Virginia has an amazing opportunity
to make transportation and development decisions that
are fiscally sound and create vibrant, healthy, and desirable
communities. But the state must seize this chance and
not be tempted to follow the status quo that has lead
other states to the pattern of traffic choked communities
with irresponsible debt that become unattractive for companies,
residents and tourists. Virginia is fortunate to have
thoughtful people ready to assist because they understand
the value of Virginia’s history, culture and landscape.”
Lieutenant Governor Tim Kaine addressed the gathering
of three hundred at the historic Barboursville Ruins in
Orange County, Virginia, with a response to this new vision
for Virginia’s overtaxed transportation infrastructure.
He commended the Commonwealth’s conservation community
for its dedication to protecting Virginia’s public health,
history and communities, including its investment in a
new transportation vision, Reconnecting Virginia. He noted
his concern that poorly planned land use lies at the core
of our transportation problems and threatens the fiscal
health, quality of life and competitiveness of the Commonwealth.
“We need to put land use planning and transportation planning
together,” he said. Attorney General Jerry Kilgore was
unable to attend.
Reconnecting Virginia presents a sharp contrast to the
Virginia Department of Transportation’s VTRANS 2025 plan.
VTRANS plan focuses most of its emphasis on roads despite
the citizen input and polling information that identified
the need for more coordinated multi-modal planning, more
transportation alternatives in both urban and rural areas,
more coordination among the transportation agencies, and
most importantly, more coordination between transportation
and land use. Highway construction has enormous impacts
on communities, often destroying the character of the
localities they bisect. Many studies, including VDOT’s
own, show that congestion increases after new highways
are built.
“While Virginia develops its 20-year transportation plan,
we have a chance to shift away from business as usual,”
said Martha Wingfield, Chair of the Virginia Conservation
Network Board of Directors. “This gathering represents
a bi-partisan group of concerned citizens whose spectrum
of involvement extends statewide throughout many different
communities.”
“The key to solving our traffic problems is how and where
we locate jobs, housing, and services,” said Chair of
the PEC Board of Directors Eve Fout. “Reconnecting Virginia
exemplifies how this can happen at the local, regional
and statewide scale, while respecting the countryside
we all love.”
Members of the press and citizens of all ages attended
the one-time conjunction of VCN’s annual Virginia Environmental
Assembly and PEC’s 2004 Annual Meeting. The event featured
a day-long children’s program and workshops on transportation,
land conservation, watershed protection, historic preservation
innovations, and agriculture.
The event took place at the Barboursville Ruins on the
grounds of the Barboursville Winery in Madison-Barbour
Rural Historic District of Orange County, Virginia. The
site was the home of James Barbour, governor of Virginia
from 1812 to 1814.
The Piedmont Environmental Council (PEC) was established
over 30 years ago to promote and protect the Piedmont’s
rural economy, natural resources, history and beauty.
We are locally driven and regionally coordinated to respond
to the broad range of issues facing the Piedmont. 540.347.2334
www.pecva.org
The Virginia Conservation Network (VCN) was established
to protect the Commonwealth’s air, lands, and waters for
the benefit of the people as guaranteed by the Virginia
Constitution. VCN strives to build the capacity of its
member organizations and conservation-minded individuals
of the Commonwealth to effectively protect these vital
resources. 804.644.0283, www.vcnva.org
Hank Dittmar, President and CEO of Reconnecting America.,
co-founded Reconnecting America to expand the mission
and work of the Great American Station Foundation, which
revitalized historic rail stations to improve rail access
and intermodal connections and stimulate community development.
Previously Mr. Dittmar was Executive Director of the Surface
Transportation Policy Project, where he managed the coalition's
campaign for passage of TEA-21, the landmark transportation
bill. 615 E. Lincoln Avenue, Las Vegas, New Mexico 87701,
505.426.8055, www.reconnectingamerica.org.
UNIQUE PARTNERSHIP SAVES
HALLOWED GROUND AT CHANCELLORSVILLE
For Immediate Release
September 15, 2004 Developer, local officials, and the
Civil War Preservation Trust join together to save the
historic Mullins Farm on Chancellorsville Battlefield
(Chancellorsville, Va.) – At a public hearing Tuesday
night, the Spotsylvania County Board of Supervisors unveiled
a proposal to preserve 140 acres of the historic Mullins
Farm on Chancellorsville Battlefield. The deal is the
result of a unique alliance between local homebuilder
Tricord Homes; Spotsylvania County, Virginia; and the
Civil War Preservation Trust (CWPT).
“Two years ago, few believed that the Mullins Farm could
be saved,” remarked CWPT President James Lighthizer. “Now,
thanks to this unusual partnership, an irreplaceable part
of Chancellorsville Battlefield will be protected for
future generations of Americans. It is no exaggeration
to say that this is the most significant battlefield preservation
victory in a decade.”
The linchpin of the deal is preservation of 140 acres
of core battlefield land associated with the opening clash
of Chancellorsville. Tricord Homes, a local family-owned
development company, acquired the eastern half of the
Mullins Farm – 227 acres in total – in July of this year.
Soon thereafter, talks began that resulted in an agreement
that permits Tricord to build age-restricted housing on
87 acres of the farm in exchange for the protection of
the remaining 140 acres. CWPT is contributing $3 million
toward the purchase of the preserved land.
“This is a real partnership where everyone wins,” Lighthizer
noted. “Tricord is able to build quality housing for seniors,
the county is getting open space for its citizens, and
preservationists are getting a battlefield of enormous
historic significance.”
Since 2002, the Mullins Farm has been the focus of a national
campaign to save this important part of the Chancellorsville
Battlefield. In March 2003, a proposal to build a 2,000-house
development on the Mullins Farm was rejected by the county
Board of Supervisors. In January 2004, a plan to put a
highway interchange on the property was turned down by
the local transportation authority.
However, it was not until the Tricord proposal was announced
Tuesday evening that any battlefield land on the Mullins
Farm was set aside for preservation. “Tricord recognized
early on that preserving the battlefield was the path,
not the obstacle, to a deal at the Mullins Farm,” Lighthizer
stated.
Although pleased with the Tricord deal, CWPT remains concerned
that the western segment of the Mullins Farm remains slated
for development. Lighthizer hopes to begin talks with
Toll Brothers, the owner of the 566-acre western portion
of the Mullins Farm, in the coming weeks. “There is still
much more work to be done at Chancellorsville,” he observed.
With 60,000 members, CWPT is the largest nonprofit battlefield
preservation organization in the United States. Its goal
is to preserve our nation’s endangered Civil War sites
and to promote appreciation of these hallowed grounds
through education and heritage tourism. CWPT’s website
is located at www.civilwar.org.
--------------------------------------------------
Jim Campi, Policy and Communications Director
Civil War Preservation Trust
1331 H Street NW, Suite 1001, Washington, DC 20005
Phone: (202) 367-1861, http://www.civilwar.org
VCN BOARD STATES POSITION
ON TRANSPORTATION FUNDING
The VCN Board of Directors has made its third statement
of position on legislative issues that will be of consequence
in the 2005 Session. The statement of position is contained
in a four-page letter sent to Governor Mark Warner on
the subject of transportation funding which is sure to
be the main issue of the 2005 Session. The Board stated
that VCN cannot support increased funding for transportation
without state and local action to address the inefficient
land use (suburban sprawl) that is the primary contributor
to traffic congestion in the Commonwealth. The letter
contains a seven-point program to this end and addressing:
* Tying transportation funding to measurable performance
criteria;
* The need for a build-out analysis along critical corridors
and communities;
* Tying funding to changes in land use and demand management
programs that reduce land consumption and per capita VMT
and vehicle trips;
* Focusing on repairing and increasing operational efficiency
before spending billions on new roads;
* Shifting significant funding to transit, freight rail,
walking, and bicycling to move Virginia toward a more
balanced transportation program;
* Redirecting funding from construction of a majority
of bypass highways and focus on access management, corridor
preservation, and other alternatives; and,
* Reforming the Public-Private Transportation Act. The
complete letter will be on the VCN website, on the Issues
and White Papers Page, early next week.
MEMBER ORGANIZATION REQUESTS
AND ANNOUNCEMENTS
HELP FROM THE IRS – “LIFE CYCLE OF A PUBLIC CHARITY”
Help from the IRS. The IRS has posted "Life Cycle
of a Public Charity" on its website to provide information
on the five life cycles of charities: starting out, applying
to IRS, annual filings, ongoing compliance, and significant
events. Each cycle has links to forms, publications and
other resources applicable to that phase of a charity's
life. This is the result of a two year study on how to
provide better information to small charities. For more
information, go to http://www.irs.gov/charities/index.html
and click on the link.
CALENDAR
JAMES
RIVER ASSOCIATION’S ANNUAL MEETING – SEPTEMBER 26
The Annual Meeting of the James River Association will
be held on Sunday, September 26, 2004. JRA is pleased
to announce that Board Member Jack Ferguson and his family
will host the 2004 JRA Annual Meeting at Malvern Hill,
the site of a decisive, battle during the Civil War. JRA
will welcome John V. Quarstein from the Virginia War Museum
as our guest speaker. Mr. Quarstein is an award-winning
historian, preservationist, and author. Please call the
James River Association at (804) 730-2898 for reservations.
When: Sunday, September 26 at 1 p.m.
Where: Malvern Hill on Route 5 in Henrico County
Details: Tickets are $30 per person (includes lunch)
What: JRA Annual Meeting
Who: Anyone is welcome
Contact: Sherrie Tribble at 804-730-2898 to register
VIRGINIA AT THE CROSSROADS
– WHICH ENERGY FUTURE?
A conference at the University of Virginia 9:00 a.m. -
3:00 p.m – October 2, 2004
Sponsored by Public Citizen, the Sierra Club, Piedmont
Chapter, NIRS, BREDL and the People's Alliance for Clean
Energy.
The purpose of the one-day conference is to discuss the
health, safety and environmental ramifications of the
two nuclear reactors that Dominion Virginia Power is applying
to build, and renewable alternatives to nuclear power.
The Keynote Speaker will be Arjun Makhijani from the Institute
for Energy and Environmental Education.
For a brochure or for more information, please contact
Elena Day (434) 296-2494 or elenaday@aol.com
RIVANNA RIVER CLEAN UP –
OCTOBER 16
The Rivanna Conservation Society (RCS), in partnership
with Rivanna Trails Foundation, Thomas Jefferson Soil
and Water Conservation District and other groups, announces
the fall Rivanna River Clean Up, Saturday October 16th
(rain date Sunday Oct. 17). This is a fun, community event
which rewards us with the knowledge that we've helped
the health of this beautiful river and watershed, both
for the creatures that make it home or depend on it and
we who enjoy it recreationally and depend on it for our
water needs. Volunteers can participate in various ways:
-in canoes along various stretches of river (kayakers
welcome, folks with canoes needed)
-on shore at boat landings and along Rivanna walking trails
-at storm drains cleaning out and/or stencilling or affixing
'no
-shuttling canoeists
-shuttling trash from private landings to official trash
pick-up locations
- helping sign in people at various locations
There are plans for a gathering at Darden Towe after the
event with refreshments and displays by various related
agencies and organizations. - - More information to follow.
Please contact Phyllis White by e-mail: phyllisdj@hotmail.com
or by phone: (434) 984-5678 (Albemarle County)
PUBLIC
HEARING – FEDERAL CONSISTENCY CERTIFICATION – PROPOSED
KING WILLIAM RESERVOIR
Hosting Agency Environmental Quality, Department of
Date and Time 10/20/2004 07:00 PM
Location City of Williamsburg Community Building, 401
North Boundary Street, Williamsburg
Contact Name Ellie Irons Contact Telephone 804-698-4330
Pursuant to the Coastal Zone Management Act of 1972 (CZMA),
as amended, the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ)
is currently reviewing the referenced proposal for consistency
with the Virginia Coastal Resources Management Program
(VCP). Also, as provided by Section 306(d)(14) of the
CZMA DEQ is seeking public comment on the Applicant's
consistency certification. In conjunction with this public
comment notice, DEQ will conduct a public hearing to receive
comments about whether the proposed project is consistent
with the VCP. The Public Hearing will be held at the City
of Williamsburg Community Building, 401 North Boundary
Street, Williamsburg at 7 PM on October 20, 2004. In addition,
one hour prior to the start of the hearing 6 PM, there
will be a public information session to provide information
about the project and to explain the federal consistency
review process.
The project involves the construction of a reservoir to
supply water to several jurisdictions in the Lower Peninsula
region. The Applicant’s preferred alternative in the Regional
Raw Water Supply Plan for the Lower Peninsula is the King
William Reservoir - a proposed 1,526-acre public water
storage impoundment on Cohoke Creek, a tributary of the
Pamunkey River located between the Pamunkey and Mattaponi
Rivers in King William County. The Applicant proposes
pumping water from the Mattaponi River to the reservoir.
The following jurisdictions are included in the regional
study area for this project: Cities of Hampton, Newport
News, Poquoson, and Williamsburg, and the counties of
James City and York.
The Applicant’s consistency certification document is
available for review at http://www.deq.virginia.gov/eir/federal.html
or at the Department of Environmental Quality, 629 East
Main Street, Richmond (Central Office).
As of Friday, September 24, 2004, the certification document
will also be available during normal business hours at
the following places:
- Pamunkey Regional Library System Branches
7527 Library Drive, Hanover
694-J Sharon Road, Sharon Office Park, King William
721 Main Street, West Point
450 Newtown Road, St. Stephen's Church
- Newport News Public Library System Branches and Public
Law Library
366 DeShazor Drive (Denbigh), Newport News
110 Main Street (Hilton Area), Newport News
2510 Wickham Avenue (Southeast Community), Newport News
30th Street and West Avenue (Downtown), Newport News
2500 Washington Ave (Court Building, 1st floor),
Newport News (Public Law Library)
If you can not attend the public hearing, you may send
written comments to the attention of Ms. Ellie Irons,
Department of Environmental Quality, PO Box 10009, Richmond,
Virginia 23240-0009 or submit comments electronically
to mail to: elirons@deq.virginia.gov or mailto:mpmurphy@deq.virginia.gov.
All comments must include the name, address, and telephone
number of the person commenting. Comments should focus
on the demonstrations contained in the Applicant’s consistency
certification, which states that the project is consistent
with the Enforceable Policies of the Virginia Coastal
Resources Management Program. More information about the
federal consistency review process is available at: http://www.deq.virginia.gov/eir/federal.html.
If you wish to make arrangements to review the other supporting
documents and studies for this project or if you have
any questions about this notice, please call DEQ’s Office
of Environmental Impact Review at (804) 698-4330. TDD
users call (804) 698-4021
Comments must be submitted by October 29, 2004
GOODS FROM THE WOODS: MAKING THE
MOST OF YOUR WOODLOT- NOV. 6
Potomac Conservancy is proud to present "Goods from
the Woods: Making the Most of Your Woodlot," a conference
aimed at helping private forest landowners get more value
from their woodland property. Speakers will cover topics
ranging from timber management and logging techniques
for smaller woodlots to alternative income from woodlots
to protecting land for the long haul through conservation
agreements. A panel discussion will explore the possibilities
for greater profit and better management through cooperative
forestry. Speakers will include national experts on various
topics such as portable sawmill businesses, growing wild-simulated
ginseng, and forest fire prevention and defense from Virginia
Tech, Virginia Cooperative Extension, and the Virginia
Department of Forestry. The conference is open to all
and will be held from 8:30am - 4:30pm on November 6, 2004
at the Lord Fairfax Community College in Middletown, Virginia.
For more information or to register, contact Liz Stoffel,
Shenandoah Conservation Manager, at 540-667-3606 or email
stoffel@potomac.org.
CONFERENCE
ON CITIZEN ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING IN APPALACHIA:
Building an environmental monitoring program for validity,
impact and sustainability
The Appalachian Forest Resource Center (AFRC) is pleased
to announce its partnership with Southern Appalachian
Man and the Biosphere (SAMAB) in holding a unique conference
this fall. Taking place November 4-6, 2004 at the Holiday
Inn and Convention Center in Bristol VA, this conference
will focus on the use of volunteers to monitor water quality
as well as the presence and abundance of invasive and
exotic species. In addition it opens a discussion into
what makes a forest healthy and how volunteers can monitor
whether it is being managed in a sustainable manner. Citizen
Environmental Monitoring (CEM) is data collection and,
in some cases, analysis done by local volunteers.
Information gathered by volunteers should answer questions
of interest to the community and can be used for a variety
of purposes, including setting background levels, raising
a red flag of possible pollution, educating communities
and changing policy and management practices. Volunteers
need not be scientists or people employed in environmental
fields.
All that is required is an interest in and commitment
to both the parameters being measured and the community
group itself. Examples of parameters widely monitored
today include fish and bird populations, water temperature,
water pH, total maximum daily load (TMDL) and macroinvertabrate
(insect) populations. Conference organizers hope to bring
together people from across Appalachia to learn about
the usefulness of CEM and effective ways it can be used
to create environmental awareness in communities and to
achieve groups’ goals.
Target audiences include land trusts, watershed groups,
land managers, government agencies, community organizations,
researchers, environmental educators, recreation groups,
foundations and policy makers. The agenda will cover many
topics that will engage, enhance and enable community
volunteers, such as recruiting and retaining volunteers,
getting agency buy-in, regulatory uses of volunteer collected
data, emerging water monitoring technologies, monitoring
for control of invasive/exotic species and for forest
health and sustainability.
For conference details and registration requirements,
please contact Rachel Orwan at rachel@ruralaction.org
or Caitlin Cusack at caitlin@ruralaction.org, call (740)
767-2090 or see www.appalachianforest.org
for updates as information becomes available.
JOB
OPPORTUNITIES
SOLUTIONS
NOT SPRAWL CAMPAIGN DIRECTOR
JOB DESCRIPTION:
Solutions Not Sprawl seeks a Campaign Director to provide
general direction and oversight for a campaign to stop
the Outer Beltway from being built through Montgomery
County, Maryland as well as promote sustainable land use
and transportation alternatives. Other responsibilities
include: researching, tracking and interpreting legislation,
policy etc; preparing and delivering public testimony;
maintaining relationships with elected officials and media;
working with communities and elected officials on Master
Plan evaluation; providing a presence in Annapolis as
a representative of the grassroots; acting as a media
spokesperson; and overseeing website and campaign materials.
We would prefer to fill this position as part-time (25-30
hours/week) but full-time is possible.
QUALIFICATIONS:
· Experience working with elected officials
· Issue expertise in land use, transportation,
housing, education and/or environmental issues
· Applicants must have excellent interpersonal
skills, public speaking skills, organizational skills
and the ability to work independently and as part of a
larger team.
· Campaign management experience
· An understanding of Maryland culture and politics
strongly preferred
· Legislative/policy experience preferred, but
not required
· Website knowledge a plus
Solutions Not Sprawl, working in partnership with the
Coalition for Smarter Growth, is a grassroots alliance
working to protect remaining farmland and open space by
connecting communities with smart transportation choices.
To apply, send a resume and cover letter to Andrea Arnold,
at Andrea@smartergrowth.net.
*****************************************************************
VCN's mission is to protect the Commonwealth's air, lands,
and waters for the benefit of the people, as guaranteed
by the Virginia Constitution.
If you have an item that should be included on this list,
please send it to Ellen Shepard at ellenshepard@yahoo.com.
VCN E-NEWS is emailed the second and fourth Friday of
every month, except during the session when it is weekly.
Deadline for submissions is Thursday.
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