Friends of Nelson, a founding member of ABRA, was given the Community Stalwart Award by the Property Rights and Pipeline Center (PRPC), a national coalition supporting the fight to prevent the use of eminent domain for siting of oil and gas infrastructure. ABRA is a member of PRPC.

The award was presented to Friends of Nelson for its “generous donation of time, toil, and inspiration in the struggle for a cleaner America.” The stated mission of Friends of Nelson (http://friendsofnelson.com/) is to protect property rights, property values, rural heritage and the environment for all the citizens of Nelson County, Virginia.” Doug Wellman, Vice-President of the organization, accepted the award on October 29 at the annual conference of PRPC, held in Washington. The conference featured an address by Richard Glick, a member of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, and included visits with Members of Congress by teams of landowners affected by pipeline projects from throughout the country.

For more on PRPC, click here. Congratulations to Friends of Nelson. Well deserved!

Friends of Nelson Honored for Its Community Contributions

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.