News

Grant Awarded For Regional Wildfire Protection Plan

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Rocky Mtn. Fire - night photo 6 - 4.19.16 by Bob Adamek

Rocky Mtn. Fire. Photo by Bob Adamek

The CSPDC has received  grant funds from the Virginia Department of Emergency Management through the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s Pre-disaster Mitigation Grant Program to complete a regional Community Wildfire Protection Plan (CWPP).

CWPPs cover such issues as wildfire response, hazard mitigation, community preparedness, and structural protection. Previously, the CSPDC assisted Augusta County with completing a CWPP. This new CWPP will take a regional approach, with all 21 jurisdictions within the Central Shenandoah Region eligible to participate. The planning process will take place over the next 18 months.
Public input will be an integral part of creating the regional CWPP, and will be solicited through open houses, an on-line survey, and community outreach. When completed, the CWPP will be incorporated into the  Central Shenandoah All Hazards Mitigation Plan.

Farm2Fork Affair Set for March 6

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16107515_10154085406332051_7813727089366046973_oThe Northern Shenandoah Valley Farm2Fork Affair on March 6, 2017 in Luray, Virginia, will connect regional agricultural producers and large-scale consumers in a trade show expo.  John Hoffman the Executive Chef of Keswick Hall will deliver the keynote address to an audience expected to include producers and hundreds of restaurateurs, retailers, grocers, hoteliers, and innkeepers from the Shenandoah Valley region, Charlottesville, Washington D.C., Northern Virginia, and West Virginia.

Prior to the event, a Farm2Fork Ready! Workshop will be provided for those producers showcasing their products at the expo. This workshop is designed to provide guidance on creating a professional presentation and developing working relationships with potential clients.

For more information, please visit www.Farm2ForkAffairNSV.com

CSPDC Welcomes New Staff Members

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New employeesWe are pleased to welcome planners Jonathan Howard, Tracy Hibbitts, and Liza Vick to the CSPDC team.
Jonathan, who was hired as a transportation planner, is a Navy veteran and former VDOT employee.  He will be involved in many of the CSPDC’s transportation programs including MPO projects, the Rural Transportation program and corridor studies.
As a regional planner, Tracy will be working on a number of community development projects including Braiding the Way for Outdoor Recreation in the Rockbridge Area and Greenhouse Village Housing project in Rockbridge County.  For the past eight years, Tracy worked for the Virginia Outdoors Foundation as a Stewardship Specialist.
In her role as regional planner, Liza will work on environmental and natural resource projects such as storm water management, water supply planning and solid waste management and recycling.  She most recently worked for the City of Waynesboro in their Public Works Department.

SMART SCALE Projects Recommended for Funding

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The Commonwealth Transportation Commission released its preliminary funding scenario for the FY 2018 SMART SCALE cycle.  Ten applications submitted from within the Central Shenandoah Planning District Commission region were recommended for funding. Next steps for the funding of these projects include public meetings and opportunities for comment in the Spring of 2017.