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2003 Scenic Awards  View Slideshow of 2003 Awards
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On October 20, 2003, Scenic Virginia announced the winners of the inaugural Scenic Awards in six statewide categories, as follows:
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Best Preservation of a Scenic Viewshed |
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This
Award was given to the Thomas Jefferson Memorial Foundation
for its stewardship of Monticello, its preservation of the landscape
surrounding Monticello, and its efforts to protect those portions of the
viewshed beyond the Foundation’s control.
In 1990
the Foundation completed a comprehensive analysis of its viewshed and
set forth on a long-term “protection strategy” for preserving it. In the
early 1990’s the Foundation supported the designation of 31,975 acres of
the Southwest Mountains as a state and nationally registered Rural
Historic District, which the National Parks Service described as “some
of the Piedmont’s most pristine and scenic countryside, characterized by
undulating pastures, winding roadways, forested hills, and small
hamlets.” In 1999, the Foundation worked with Albemarle County to
incorporate preservation of the viewshed into the Historic Resources
section of the County’s Comprehensive Plan so that the visual impact of
any proposed development is considered.
Looking forward, the Foundation is committed to preserving and
restoring the historic landscapes on the mountaintop as well as the area
surrounding it. The Foundation is also relocating all 20th
century structures off the grounds to locations not visible from the
mountaintop. Ongoing archeological study on the land held by the
Foundation is intended, over time, to allow visitors access to the
working and cultural history of plantation life at Monticello. When this
work is completed, visitors and scholars will experience Mr. Jefferson’s
House, Groups, and Gardens in a context virtually identical to the one
that existed in the 18th century.
On hand to accept the Award was Katherine Imhoff, the Chief Operating
Officer of Monticello. Scenic Virginia also recognized Jeff Werner of
the Piedmont Environmental Council, who submitted the nomination.
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Best Preservation of a Scenic
River Corridor |
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This
Award was presented to the Richmond City Council, Richmond
Planning Commission, and City of Richmond planning staff for
developing, endorsing and enacting RF-1 and RF-2 zoning for the
riverfront east of downtown Richmond and for developing conditional
zoning as an additional planning tool.
In 2002 proposed high-rise development along the James River in Richmond
threatened the historic view of the riverfront that gave Richmond its
name. Citizens voiced their
concerns, and the City of Richmond responded: The Department of
Community Development’s planning staff developed new zoning for the
riverfront east of downtown, the Richmond Planning Commission endorsed
it, and the Richmond City Council voted to enact it. The resulting
zoning will preserve the historic viewshed from Libby Hill Park, while
allowing appropriate development along the riverfront. Scenic Virginia
is grateful to the Richmond City Council, Planning Commission and
Planning staff for recognizing the value of this viewshed and for
working quickly in 2002 to preserve it.
Accepting the award were Richmond City Councilman Manoli Loupassi,
former Planning Commission chairman Robert Comet, and Deputy City
Manager William Harrell. Also recognized were Mark Strickler, Director
of the Department of Community Development, and senior planner Roy
Benbow for their work in developing the riverfront zoning.
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Most Creative Scenic Improvement |
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Scenic
Virginia recognized the Municipal Tree Restoration Project
for addressing the problem of unsightly municipal streetscapes caused by
excessive cutting to trees located nearby or under power lines. Trees
along city streets add beauty and a touch of green to the urban
environment. Trees that have been disfigured by excessive cutting do
not. The Municipal Tree Restoration Project addresses the problem of
unsightly streetscapes caused by overzealous cuts to trees located near
power lines.
Based on a Pennsylvania
model, the project is a public-private partnership consisting of
representatives from the Virginia Department of Forestry, Virginia Tech,
the utility companies and electric co-ops operating in Virginia
(including Dominion, AEP, Allegheny, and Rappahannock Electric), the
Virginia Design Assistance Center, and several localities throughout the
Commonwealth. Under the program, the utility companies agree to remove
unsightly trees mangled by excessive cuts due to their proximity to
utility lines, and to replace them with lower-growing species that will
not interfere with line maintenance. Test sites are currently underway
in Abingdon and Luray, with additional sites planned in Winchester and
Grottos.
Accepting this award on behalf of the MTRP partners were State Forester
James Garner and Urban & Community Forestry Coordinator Paul Revell,
both with the Virginia Department of Forestry.
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Best Implementation of VDOT
Tree-Trimming Policy |
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Scenic
Virginia presented this Award to the Lynchburg VDOT District
for providing the business model for implementation of new statewide
tree-trimming policy, as well as for consistently following
tree-trimming standards that provide safety to motorists while
preserving the aesthetics of roadside trees.
Scenic Virginia’s successful 2001 legislation led to the development of
statewide standards for the trimming of trees along Virginia’s
roadsides. It is now the responsibility of the nine VDOT districts to
implement the resulting policy approved by the Commonwealth
Transportation Board. Scenic Virginia developed this category to reward
the VDOT district with the best results.
Accepting the award for the Lynchburg VDOT District were District
Administrator Tom Ramey, District Maintenance Engineer Tim Wiles, and
Roadside Manager Ray Lacey. Also recognized were Brian Waymack and Jim
Cline of the VDOT central office in Richmond.
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Best Local Anti-Litter Practices
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This
Award was given to
Keep Nelson Beautiful for its work to develop litter control
practices with a positive effect on tourism and community pride.
When a
locality takes care with its appearance, it announces to the rest of the
world that it is a place worth noticing. Keep Nelson Beautiful
understands that anti-litter efforts have a positive effect on tourism
and civic price, and they have demonstrated this belief by working to
keep litter where it belongs -- in a trash can.
During
the past year the group convinced local Nelson officials to discontinue
use of unsupervised open-top trash containers along roadsides and
instead to implement staffed, fenced and gated sites with recycling
services. Keep Nelson Beautiful also organized a “March on 56” last
spring to clean up that state road; and in September they joined forces
with the Friends of the James and the Sierra Club to clean up the Nelson
County portion of the James River.
Accepting the award for Best Local Anti-Litter Practices on behalf of
Keep Nelson Beautiful were President Susan McSwain; Vice President
Paulette Albright, and Secretary Maureen Littlepage.
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Scenic Hero |
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Scenic
Virginia recognized the Virginia Department of Game &
Inland Fisheries for developing and implementing the
Virginia Birding and Wildlife Trail, a driving trail
consisting of a series of loop trails off existing roads that
allows Virginians and visitors to view a wide variety of
wildlife.
Scenic Virginia watches with pride when
Virginia localities are able to utilize their natural and scenic
resources in unique ways that revitalize their economic
development prospects. The Virginia Birding & Wildlife Trail
links prime wildlife-watching areas in the Commonwealth, and it
rewards localities situated along the Trail with increased
opportunities for an eco-tourism-based economy. Many sites rely
upon volunteer activities for land stewardship, thus increasing
the awareness of natural and scenic resources within
communities. Out-of-state birders and wildlife watchers will
require food, lodging and entertainment as they pursue their
passion; and communities in Virginia’s coastal, mountain, and
piedmont regions will benefit.
Virginia boasts nearly 400 resident and migratory bird species, as well
as over 2,200 species of fish, reptiles, amphibians, mussels, crayfish,
mammals, butterflies and dragonflies. The Trail is a statewide
initiative, with the coastal and mountain phases complete and the
Piedmont portion set to be dedicated in 2004.
Accepting the award were Bill Woodfin, the Director of DGIF; and David
Whitehurst, DGIF’s director of the Wildlife Diversity division.
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