The Commonwealth will soon begin the Phase III Watershed Implementation Plan (WIP) to determine pollution control measures needed to fully restore the Chesapeake Bay and its tidal rivers to ensure they are in place no later than 2025. A major component of this process is the engagement of localities, Soil & Water Conservation Districts, and many other stakeholders in order to provide them with the opportunity to refine and identify best management practices and programmatic actions, at regional scales, that will meet local area planning goals. The CSPDC will be working in conjunction with Virginia Department of Environmental Quality to develop the District’s implementation of the Phase III WIP based on coordination with localities within the District. The development of the plan will begin in June 2018 and wrap-up in December 2018.

The GO Virginia State Board met on June 12 and approved  Region 8‘s proposal to fund a Cyber Security Workforce and Jobs Program. GO Virginia funding in the amount of $200,000 and matched with $200,000 in local funds will be used to develop a self-paced hands-on cyber security training program at Blue Ridge Community College. The goal of the program is to train and credential 50 Tier I cyber security analysts over a 2-year period. Graduates of the program will be placed in jobs that have an average wage of $54,000.

The Virginia Association of Planning District Commissions (VAPDC) and the Virginia Association of Metropolitan Planning Organizations (VAMPO) will host a joint training conference on Friday, June 8, in Fredericksburg, Virginia. The training conference will bring in state and federal speakers to discuss several planning topics including transportation and bike-ped planning, broadband opportunities, housing programs, and Title VI/Civil Rights training. To view a copy of the agenda and to register for the workshop, please click here .

CSPDC has created an economic asset web app that allows users to discover business and quality of life assets for the 10 localities in the CSPDC region.  Each locality has a tab with a short description and link to their Economic Development pages.  Users can click on locality features in the interactive map to find more information, including demographic data such as population, median age, cost of living, and unemployment rates. Users can also view industrial/business parks and business incentive zones in the CSPDC region.

The CSPDC, along with the Regional All Hazards Mitigation Plan Committee, have launched an online survey of the region’s residents to gauge their perceptions about vulnerability to natural hazards. The survey will also gather input about their willingness to implement preparedness and mitigation measures to protect their families, homes, and businesses.  The responses will be incorporated into the Central Shenandoah Valley Wildfire Protection Plan and the Central Shenandoah Valley All Hazards Mitigation Plan. With all of the natural disasters and human-induced disasters across the country this past year, the survey will be an important way that residents can help first responders understand the hazard readiness of residents in the region.  Please share the survey link with your friends, colleagues, and neighbors here in the Central Shenandoah Valley.

Watch WHSV’s coverage of the survey HERE.