Prince William Conservation Alliance

06/08/2026

Last week, we hosted “Smart Growth Protects Rural Communities,” with Kevin Parker, Board of Directors for the Prince William Conservation Alliance, and Stewart Schwartz, the Coalition for Smarter Growth. Together, we explored why smart growth planning is more economical than sprawl and effectively creates spaces where people want to live. Whether it’s a more compact, walkable town or the peace of the countryside, Prince William County could offer it all - we just need to implement smart growth principles. If you missed it or would like to revisit the presentation, the video is available below.

Parker and Stewart provided a foundation for seeing how rural areas and walkable work-live-play communities work together to create sustainable balance. The principles of smart growth include both "preserving farmland and natural resources" and "creating walkable neighborhoods," which may seem incompatible, i.e., you can't have both in the same place. But this is the beauty of countywide comprehensive planning. By building walkable neighborhoods in areas that can support the necessary infrastructure, we reduce pressure on farmland and natural spaces. Since natural open space doesn’t require costly infrastructure. Maintaining it requires fewer tax dollars, allowing resources to be reinvested in roads, schools, and services within walkable communities. When you look at the county holistically, these are two sides of the smart growth coin.

We have a clear vision of smart growth here in Prince William County called the 3Rs of Reaching our Potential: Remagine, Reinvest, Redevelop. We can meet our housing needs, keep taxes affordable, and provide a quality of life for all residents. By incentivizing higher density of housing near mass transit, legalizing Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) appropriately, and protecting our countryside and drinking water protection areas, we can effectively move toward a smart growth strategy. Higher density is cheaper to build, but as we learned during last week’s program, building this in the rural areas often comes at the cost of water sources, vital habitats, and recreation areas.

What you can do:
- Stay aware of development projects and their impacts throughout the county. Each decision and each development has a trickle effect that impacts us all, especially in relation to our watershed resources.
--When a public hearing for a project goes to the Board of County Supervisors, remind them that Smart Growth is one of the eight key goals they adopted with our current Strategic Plan (page 34). Key objectives of this goal include:
“Promote high-quality architectural design, thoughtful placemaking, and appealing public spaces to create vibrant and attractive environments for living, working, and recreation.”
“Ensure the County’s growth holistically addresses the impact on natural resources and infrastructure and enhances community and economic resilience.”
- Learn more about what Smart Growth might look like for your area and stay engaged with us to share ideas
- Support us so we can continue to provide free quality programs and action alerts!

How walkable communities, better planning, and smarter growth can r...

06/08/2026

If you've recently upgraded your smartphone and have an old one sitting in a drawer, we're looking for an unlocked Android phone that can still receive software updates.

The phone would serve as the office phone for the Prince William Conservation Alliance, a local grassroots environmental nonprofit. Rather than purchasing new equipment, we'd love to give a used device a second life. We'd be happy to come by and pick it up if you are local to the Prince William County area.

If you're able to donate one, we can provide an in-kind donation receipt for tax purposes.

Thank you!

05/29/2026

Last week, we gathered for a community conversation on “Buckland (Not) Preserve: Conservation Residential or Sprawl?” We explored how development and land‑use changes are degrading our streams, groundwater, and the Occoquan Reservoir — and how proposals like Buckland (Not) Preserve and Catharpin Valley Estates would continue that pattern. If you missed it, the full video is available below.

We heard how Catlett Branch, once waist‑deep and flowing, has dried up due to development severing its groundwater connection. As Elizabeth Ward noted, "this is how source water is lost: slowly, cumulatively, then suddenly." The decisions made today will shape our water future for decades.

The Buckland (Not) Preserve proposal would place 158 homes on 200 acres of wetlands, mature forests, and land that feeds Broad Run, Lake Manassas, and the Occoquan. If allowed to move forward, it opens the door for more rural rezonings that threaten our drinking water and rural character.

We can still change course. PWCA’s 3Rs smart‑growth framework shows how we can accommodate growth while protecting source water — including maintaining the Agritourism & Arts Overlay District at one house per 10 acres to reduce pressure on the Occoquan.

‼️Take action to preserve Buckland:
- Write to the PWC BoCS
- Speak during public comment (reference CPA2025‑00008 & REZ2026‑00016)
- Share the video with neighbors

How Dense Cluster Development Threatens Water Resources and Quality...

05/29/2026

The impact of data centers on our region and across Virginia is undeniable. Thankfully, we have a variety of resources to learn about those impacts and help us navigate this journey. Today, we're sharing one such resource below.

Join the Great Falls Group Sierra Club Virginia for their upcoming webinar to discuss "how the data center boom is impacting our local environment, health, and community – and what tools and solutions we have to make the situation more sustainable."

The event will feature an expert panel, including:
Ann Bennett, Sierra Club Great Falls Group
Prof. Damian Pitt, Virginia Commonwealth University
John Bangsund, Ph.D., Better Data Center Project
Hon. Rip Sullivan, Virginia House of Delegates

This event is free; registration is required.
Monday, June 1, from 7 to 8:30 PM.
Register here: https://act.sierraclub.org/events/details?id=701Po00001n74a4IAA&formcampaignid=701Po00001jPyeWIAS&data=8f932303bdd2744c0ebe2d4c93e46ba39b5dae5caf9629120957c62fe320387a5bfb4b32c66e27aff6133d055d154bd5&utm_medium=email

05/28/2026

Our friends at Northern Virginia Conservation Trust (NVCT) are looking for feedback from Northern Virginia residents. Please check out the survey in the post below and share details on what nature and open space mean to you. This data will help inform conservation and community efforts going forward.

At NVCT, we work to protect nature and open spaces so everyone can benefit from them and have easy access to them. To help us better understand what nearby nature and its value mean to you, we need your help.

Please consider taking this survey on the experiences of Northern Virginians related to nature and open spaces:
https://qualtricsxmqgf4j2t87.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_8Bd5QtwaUtGZLrU

As residents of this region, your opinion is very valuable and can impact future decisions made that will shape your local landscapes!

The survey is brief, and respondents are entered to win a $100 Visa gift card if they choose to share their information. Reach out to [email protected] with any questions or accommodations needed.

05/27/2026

The forecast for this Sunday is beautiful, with a high chance of bird activity. May is one of the most active months for bird activity on the Last Sunday Bird Count. Grab binoculars, a camera, or a friend and join us this Sunday at 8 AM. No experience required.

Enjoy a stroll through Merrimac Farm Wildlife Management Area while helping to monitor the bird population and learning more about the local flora and fauna.

Details:
When - Sunday, May 31, 8 AM
Where - The Stonehouse at Merrimac Farm WMA - 15020 Deepwood Lane, Nokesville, VA 20181. Enter "Cedar Run Parking Area' for the best GPS guidance.

Bring comfortable footwear and dress for tick prevention. Free to event participants - DWR Access permit required if visiting Merrimac Farm WMA outside of this event. RSVP to [email protected] for related updates.

05/21/2026

There is still time to register to join us tonight and next week. Email [email protected] with any questions. We hope to see you there!

Get ready for 2 upcoming community events hosted by Prince William Conservation Alliance!

TOMORROW from 7-9pm - Join the Prince William Conservation Alliance (PWCA) for a virtual community conversation examining how developments like the proposed Buckland (Not) Preserve project, if approved, would undermine long-term strategies for sustainable drinking water Prince William County. Together, we’ll explore the connection between land use and healthy streams, using Little Bull Run as a local case study and discuss how the concerning changes at Little Bull Run could inform development moving forward for the stream health, groundwater, stormwater management, transportation infrastructure, and the long-term resilience of the Occoquan drinking water supply.

May 28th from 7-9pm - Join the Prince William Conservation Alliance (PWCA) for a virtual conversation exploring how smart growth, walkable communities, and better regional planning can help protect rural landscapes and reduce pressure for sprawl development. This program is part of PWCA’s ongoing series highlighting our 3Rs: Reaching Our Potential vision for a more sustainable future in Prince William County. The program will connect these broader regional ideas to local challenges facing Prince William County today, while offering residents new tools and perspectives for understanding and responding to sprawl development proposals.

Interested in joining? Check the link below for more information on each event and sign up information!
https://volunteers.volunteerprincewilliam.org/agency/detail/?agency_id=4266