Inside RLEP, Summer 2006

by Paul Farmer, President

RLEP's hugely successful Piedmont Alternative Energy Expo is history, and the Spring Nature Series of our Biodiversity Task Force has successfully concluded as well. Thanks go to Jill and Jed Duvall, Kaye Kohler, Monica Worth, and their large crew for the former, and to Pam Owen and her dedicated enthusiasts for the latter.

This Inside RLEP column is dedicated largely to the work of the Biodiversity Task Force, as well it should be. The Task Force is an RLEP initiative that, over the long haul, promises to help make Rappahannock County an especially friendly place for native wild plants and animals. When we support slow, well-managed growth for the county, we do it to preserve the great place this is for people to live in a peaceful, rural, natural setting. But we also do it to create and retain a high-quality environment for the wild plants and animals that should be here in proper balance. We do it because that wildlife, as much as the county's scenic beauty, pleases and inspires us. We are fortunate indeed to live here. By providing the space and habitat for the wild things around us, we will continue to be blessed with good fortune.

Our good fortune is not by luck. We have this protected spot because of the forethought of those who came before us, and because of the persistence of those who continue to value and advocate for the protection of this land. Our challenge is to manage our land and resources in ways that limit growth and development while providing opportunities for people and wild things. Strong environmental stewardship is the foundation for this approach. It is the legacy of RLEP.