President Peter Weeks’ State of the Mountain Address

Welcome and thank you for being here today!

My name is Peter Weeks and I’m the President of Friends.

Even though my home is on the Blue Ridge, I can’t see it!  The view from my deck is of the Bull Run Mountains.  So, the times I really stand back and admire the Blue Ridge is during my favorite walks on Trappe Road than runs along its base.

With age comes a different kind of beauty, born from wisdom and endurance, and the Blue Ridge, one of the oldest mountain chains in the world, has endured and thrived.

Recently I had the privilege of collaborating with Elders from Native American tribes in our region as part of an exhibition on their culture at the Bluemont Heritage Museum – a portrayal of those indigenous peoples who lived here before us.

It was a revelation of just how deeply injustice and cruelty was inflicted on these people, and how much their culture has been erased from American history.  The only source of information on Native Americans in Loudoun County was at the Heritage Farm Museum in Sterling, which made sense because they were our First Farmers.

What I’m focusing on this afternoon is what their culture has to teach us about sustainability: respect for the land, the plants and trees and wildlife.  Native Americans understood crop rotation long before our farmers realized the value of resting fields from cultivation.

What we have still not grasped as a society is the fragility of our environment and the intense natural catastrophes that will happen if we continue to trash our planet.  As one person put it, “Mankind doesn’t realize it is cutting the same branch it is sitting on.”

This is not a doom & gloom report by any means!  Good will prevail, and there is a simple truth: Since it is human beings who created this mess, it will be human beings who will find the solutions.

The destruction of our planet is not inevitable.  Yes, these are dark times we live in, but I’m buoyed by this image: “There is a crack which lets the Light come in.”  It’s up to each and every one of us to break open that crack, through the hearts of one human being at a time, until a critical mass of consciousness brings about real change.  We are the stewards of our world.

Chris Miller, the President of PEC, and Gem Bingol are here with us today, representing PEC which has been a major catalyst for change in Virginia. By educating young people and the public at large of the threats to our environment, supporting legislation and policies to protect and preserve, Friends and the mountains have benefited greatly from our partnership with PEC.

This is a pivotal time in Loudoun and Clarke Counties as decisions are made regarding the impact of data centers, our rural countryside, population growth and sustainability.

Our main speaker tonight, George Ohrstrom, will address the impact of data centers later.

In Loudoun County, the principal objective of Friends is to strengthen the ordinances that govern the Mountain Overlay District.  This is part of the Zoning Ordinance Amendments under consideration now.

A major accomplishment of Friends over the past couple years was to partner with County staff to rewrite the mountain ordinances and impose strict regulations on residential and commercial development.  These are now in place.

What is not in place are what uses are still permitted on the mountain even if developers abide by current zoning laws.  At present, unbelievably, uses such as gas stations, restaurants, sawmills, and other inappropriate uses are still technically possible.

Friends will lobby the County to eliminate any new commercial development on the mountain.  Unfortunately, this process is lengthy, and some developers are trying to take advantage of this delay in implementation.

A key element in this entire process is the County Health Department.  Septic systems are closely analyzed to determine the viability of the land in the MOD for a residential or commercial building.  This becomes, in effect, our first line of defense on sensitive slopes.  As you’ve heard, there are many roadblocks’ developers will encounter.

In summary, these are Friends main objectives right now:

1. No new commercial development on the mountains
2. Strengthening zoning enforcement – a key element.
3. Emphasizing the importance of the tree canopy to counteract climate change.

The importance of the mountain’s tree canopy cannot be overstated.  Trees mitigate carbon dioxide gases; provide the oxygen we breathe and help purify the groundwater we drink.  Their aesthetic beauty has no equal. Enforcement to prevent logging without a permit is critical.  Unfortunately, Loudoun still depends on citizen complaints to bring violators to their attention.

A year and a half ago, I was driving down Williams Gap Road off Rte. 7 and past the former site of B-Chord Brewery.  The new owner who planned a winery there had clear-cut a stand of mature trees by the roadside.  I filed a complaint, and a stop-work order was quickly issued by the County, as well as other violations.  So, if you see something, say something!

The State of the mountains is fragile, this planet is fragile. Collectively, we, its inhabitants, will have to respond. Don’t look to our political leaders for answers.  The court of public opinion is crucial.  Citizens need to be informed and mobilized.  That is when real change will happen.  Whether it’s the mountains, climate change, water and air quality, it’s all one living, breathing organism which we are a part of.

Mother Nature is endlessly resilient and will long outlast people.  The natural world is a constantly evolving experiment: adapt and thrive, or you don’t survive.  Humankind is the Creator’s great experiment, and we must not only survive, but thrive.

Back to my walking along Trappe Road beside the Blue Ridge, a few years ago I was dismayed by the number of dead ash trees that dotted the tree canopy, victims of the bore.  Today when I walk, those trees have been filled in with young trees that were patiently waiting for the sunshine to reach them.

That “crack that lets the light in” which I started this talk with, is expanding.  More people are rising up to demand equality, peace, addressing climate change, preserving our natural resources, including wildlife.  The solution is paradoxically both complex and simple: humans have wasted the planet, and it will be human beings who restore it, learning to live in harmony with nature.

One other sign of change: environmental science and conservation are no longer compartmentalized fields.  There is hardly a corporation or public entity that does not have a department of Sustainability.  From Wall Street to manufacturers, inside these giant industries, are young people passionate about conservation making policy decisions that are influencing company practices.

This is part of “the expanding crack that lets the light in.”

Thank you very much for listening.