Regional Trails Survey
Since the 1980s, NVRC has been providing local coordination for the Potomac Heritage National Scenic Trail (PHNST) sections in Northern Virginia through partnerships with the National Park Service and land owners and managers. Over the past two years, NVRC has also begun focusing on advancing and supporting trail systems throughout the region. We are currently working to expand our regional trails program and are in the process of developing a regional trail planning framework that identifies methods to implement priority programs and initiatives that improve Northern Virginia communities’ connectivity and accessibility to trail systems.
In order to create this new regional framework, we want to hear from our residents and understand priorities, needs, and perspectives on how NVRC can support you and/or your organization.
We would very much appreciate if you could take a few minutes to fill out the survey by Friday, June 7th and provide your feedback. You can fill it out anonymously or share your personal/organizational information.
Solarize NoVA Campaign Runs Through June 30
This year marks the tenth anniversary of the Northern Virginia Regional Commission's successful Solarize NoVA program. We are pleased to work with our local government partners, local solar installers and the Local Energy Alliance Program. To date this effort has resulted in 8.5 MW of solar for nearly $25 million in private investment. This year we will celebrate the 1,000th install of the program. To learn more about the program and to sign up click on the button below.
Have a question?
There are several FREE webinars scheduled to help answer questions residents and or business owners may have regarding this program. Click on the button to register for a webinar.
You can view the April 9, 2024 webinar on the program here.
What is Your Solar Potential?
The Northern Virginia Regional Commission created the first regional solar map in the Commonwealth of Virginia to give interested homeowners or business owners a birds eye view of how large a solar array can fit on their roof, the potential energy savings and environmental benefits. You can visit the map by clicking on the button.
Drinking Water Summit
NVRC staff attended the drinking water summit held by Fairfax Water. Challenges from climate change, PFAS and lead pipes are among the issues facing not only Fairfax Water, but all water suppliers. NVRC is pleased to partner with Fairfax Water on a number of regional issues including the Occoquan Reservoir, water supply planning, etc.
You can read more about NVRC's programs related to drinking water protection, supply, the Occoquan Reservoir and other issues at the button below.
Protecting Our Drinking Water Supply
NVRC hosted an all-day workshop on the Occoquan Watershed model. The purpose of NVRC's Occoquan Basin Nonpoint Pollution Management Program is to help localities maintain acceptable water quality in the reservoir through control of nonpoint source pollutant loadings. NVRC maintains the Occoquan Basin Computer Model, which during the early 1980s served as the basis for down zoning the Fairfax County portion of the watershed to protect drinking water from pollution caused by urban development.
Key objectives of meeting were:
- Vision of Occoquan Watershed Modeling Framework.
- Demonstrate the design principles.
- Present status of prototype models.
- Collect stakeholder feedback.
- Prioritize future direction of model development.
You can learn more about the Occoquan Watershed Program by clicking on the button.
Regional Collaboration on Climate Adaptation and Mitigation
NVRC's Executive Director was pleased to represent the Northern Virginia Regional Commission on a panel held at George Mason University's Arlington campus on the subject of regional collaboration on climate adaptation and mitigation.
Also on the panel were Demetra J McBride from Arlington County Government and Jeremy Campbell, Leah Nichols and James Kinter of the Virginia Climate Center. NVRC is pleased to coordinate with our local government partners and our higher education partners at GMU to work on one of the most critical issues of our time - climate change.
NVRC Seeks Feedback on Potomac Heritage National Scenic Trail
The Northern Virginia Regional Commission (NVRC) is seeking public input on potential route options for completing the Potomac Heritage National Scenic Trail (PHNST) corridor gap in Loudoun County.
NVRC and project partners will host a public meeting on May 16, 2024 from 6 – 8 PM at the Lucketts Community Center in Lucketts, Virginia to provide the opportunity for community members to learn about and provide feedback on the feasibility study. Informational displays and maps will be available for informal review with the consulting firm and project managers between 6 and 7 PM, followed by a brief presentation and discussion at 7 PM.
Details on the project and meeting information can be found by clicking on the button.
Nature Based Solutions Webinar
NVRC was pleased to host a webinar with The Nature Conservancy entitled, "Local-Level Climate Resiliency Plans and Nature-based Solutions: Creative Innovations From Germany". The presentation can be downloaded at the button below.
“How Northern Virginia’s Ties to Europe Boost and Sustain the Local Economy and Environment – And What More Can Be Done”
Wednesday, June 26, 2024 || 12:00pm – 1:15pm (EST)
The transatlantic economy is the most interconnected, robust and resilient commercial artery in the world. The $8.7 trillion transatlantic economy employs over 16 million workers in mutually on-shored jobs on both sides of the Atlantic. Ties are particularly thick in foreign direct investment (FDI), portfolio investment, banking claims, trade and affiliate sales in goods and services, digital links, energy mutual R&D investment, patent cooperation, technology flows and sales of knowledge-intensive services.
The transatlantic economy has special effects on Virginia in general and Northern Virginia in particular. Six of the ten largest foreign investors in Northern Virginia are from Europe (the United Kingdom, Germany, Ireland, France, Switzerland and the Netherlands). Together, these six countries invest approximately $4.0 billion into 570 foreign-owned establishments creating approximately 30,000 jobs – predominately in the science, technical services and information sectors.
Moreover, the United States currently accounts for over 53% of the world’s operational hyperscale infrastructure, measured by critical IT load. More than one-third of U.S. hyperscale capacity is in the Commonwealth of Virginia, which has far more hyperscale data center capacity than China or all of Europe. Furthermore, European companies are the leading source of foreign direct investment in the U.S. energy sector, much of it in renewable energies. The union of these dynamics, plus that of the U.S. Inflation Reduction Act, has the potential to affect further the mutually beneficial adoption of sustainable energy and related technologies.
Please join the NVRC and Johns Hopkins University’s Foreign Policy Institute for a webinar that will explore the dynamic of economic engagement between the United States and Europe and its effects on Northern Virginia.
About the Northern Virginia Regional Commission
NVRC is a consortium of thirteen local governments representing more than 2.5 million residents. While only 3% of Virginia's land mass, Northern Virginia has a GDP of $276 Billion which is 41.6% of the GDP of the Commonwealth of Virginia. Northern Virginia’s GDP is larger than 24 states and the District of Columbia and if a country would be the 48th largest economy in the world.