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Dove's Landing Hike

Community Report, July 8 2022; newsletter archive. You make our work possible! Donate here



Dove's Landing Master Plan Meeting

July 14 at 7:30 pm

Edward L. Kelly Leadership Center; 14715 Bristow Road, Manassas


The Prince William Parks Dept. is hosting a meeting to continue the Master Planning Process for Dove's Landing Park. The process opened on April 21st with strong community support for passive recreation and a conservation easement. >>Read more here


Dove's Landing is an undeveloped natural-area park in Prince William County Park. It's nearly 500 acres and protects one mile of shoreline along the Occoquan River. The property protects at least two high-quality wetland areas, as well as significant floodplains and upland forests.

Attend the meeting and/or email [email protected] to share your views with the Parks Department.

Our priority is to ensure all Dove's Landing natural area parkland is permanently protected with a conservation easement. Your comments are important!

Prince William Butterflies with Larry Meade

Sunday, July 10 at 2 pm | Online

Register here (required)


Summer is peak butterfly season. Ever wonder what that orange and brown speckled fluttering critter is? Is it a Pearl Crescent or Silvery Checkerspot?


Brush up on your butterfly identification skills in this workshop led by Larry Meade.


From egg to adult, butterflies light up our neighborhoods and natural areas. Learn more about the butterflies you will most likely see in the Prince William area.

Restoring the little things that run the world with Doug Tallamy

Sunday, September 25 at 5 pm | Online

$10 | Register here


A recent UN report predicts that as many as 1 million species will disappear from planet earth because of human activities. Many of these are insects and nearly all species at risk rely on insects.


Insects have already declined 45% since 1974.

In this talk, Doug Tallamy will remind us of the essential roles insects play, and describe the simple changes we must make in our landscapes and our attitudes to keep insects on the ground, in the air, and yes, on our plants.


Sponsored by; Audubon Society of Northern Virginia, Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy, Prince William Conservation Alliance, and Plant Nova Natives

Sustainability Commission Makes Recommendations to Meet Regional Goals

In November 2020 the Prince William Board of County Supervisors (BOCS) voted unanimously to adopt the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments' (COG) sustainability goals that call for a decrease in greenhouse gas emissions of 50% below 2005 levels by 2030. At that time, they funded the creation of a Community Energy and Sustainability Master Plan. This plan should be completed by mid-2023.

In the meantime, COG provided the 2005 and 2018 greenhouse gas emissions for Prince William County and the greater Metropolitan Washington Area to the PW Sustainability Commission. COG's data showed that while the region had experienced a significant reduction in greenhouse gas emissions, Prince William County's greenhouse gas emissions had grown 19%.

To hit PWC's 50% GHG reduction goal, we will need to reduce emissions by 58% compared to 2018 levels, and current levels are probably higher than 2018 levels, requiring even greater proportional cuts.

To provide the BOCS with tools to help them make the best decisions possible in line with their stated goals in the short run, the County's Sustainability Commission has recommended BOCS immediately adopt a practice of assessing the energy and sustainability impacts of each new land use, housing, and infrastructure (water, transportation, energy) decision requiring board approval. In this way, the BOCS will have some insight on the impact of any decision on their stated goals for Prince William County, and will be able to make their best decisions.



>>Read Resolution

Linking sustainability to transportation and land use

by Charlie Grymes

The only way the BOCS can meet its commitment to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, cutting them to 50% of the 2005 level by 2030, is for the 2040 Comprehensive Plan to transform our approach to transportation and land use.  

Emissions will increase if we continue to expand roads. Oops.  

Emissions will increase if we continue to support sprawl development, rather than focus on planning for new live-work-play communities that offer new housing next to high-capacity transit stations. Oops. 

There are opportunities for transit-oriented development on both sides of the county, including Innovation and North Woodbridge. We could invest in expanding the bike/pedestrian infrastructure, especially as e-bikes make short (3-mile) trips easier. We could plan for affordable housing next to affordable transit. 

>>Read More

Buckeye

The Comprehensive Plan Update: Planning Office Work Session

Tuesday, July 12, 7:30 PM, Board of Supervisor meeting


PWC has been in the process of updating our Comprehensive Plan since 2018. Next Tuesday, the Planning Office will deliver an update to the BOCS and receive feedback. >>View Presentation

Share your views by speaking during Public Comment and/or emailing [email protected]

The Comprehensive Plan is a vision document. It recommends development densities, parcel-by-parcel, for the entire county. When projects call for higher densities than are planned, developers are usually required to file a Comprehensive Plan Amendment application. Rezoning and special use permit applications that do not match the vision, as detailed in the Plan, can be denied. However, as a vision document, it is not designed to be an ordinance, and cannot be administered or enforced as such.

PWCA: A critical local nonprofit


After a rigorous review process, we are proud to announce our selection to the 2022-23 Catalogue for Philanthropy (CfP) class of trusted local nonprofits!


The CfP is a nonprofit that vets organizations like ours and showcases a selected few as critical local nonprofits in the region. It's an honor to be selected by community advocates across the region based on our impact and work. Your support helps us continue to make a difference close to home.

>>Full list of selected nonprofits

>>More info. about CfP

Juniper Hairstreak
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