The Virginia Outdoors Foundation has asked Mountain Valley Pipeline (MVP) and Atlantic Coast Pipeline (ACP) developers to present applications for conversion of open space land under the Open Space Land Act at its February 9, 2017 board meeting if the current alignments and project schedules remain unchanged.

Upon consideration, it was decided that the February meeting is the appropriate time to hear the applications because the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission has already issued a Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) for the MVP and expects to issue a DEIS for the ACP as early as December. The full VOF announcement is here. (See related story below.)

VOF Schedules Consideration of MVP and ACP Conversion Applications

ABRA CONSERVATION HUB

ABRA’s Conservation Hub program promotes responsible resource management by providing access to critical information needed for effective public involvement in environmental review and oversight.

Following the defeat of the Atlantic Coast Pipeline in 2020, ABRA initiated the Conservation Hub to support informed public engagement with the broader range of environmental issues confronting the Allegheny-Blue Ridge Mountain region. The Conservation Hub builds on the analysis and information sharing capacity achieved through ABRA’s Pipeline CSI project during the years of ACP opposition.

The Conservation Hub is based on the use of GIS mapping to provide details and context for land development projects and management practices that involve risk of environmental harm, as well as for environmental preservation and restoration initiatives. The Conservation Hub also provides access to regulatory documents and assessments related to specific projects or issues.

Multiple Conservation Hub sites, focused on individual projects or issues, have been developed collaboratively with ABRA’s partners and allies. Going forward, we invite conservation groups, individuals, and communities to provide ideas for new Hub sites and GIS mapping that can contribute to informed public engagement on behalf of environmental integrity in the Allegheny-Blue Ridge region.