Policy on the #NNK

The Northumberland County Economic Development Commission has partnered with Northumberland County Public Schools to hold the Saturday, November 2 Northumberland County Career and Job Expo 2024 . The event will be held at the high school (201 Academic Ln, Heathsville). More information is available from EDC staffer Bob Bullard via email .

The press release shared by the Virginia Marine Resources Commission October 28, 2024: Hampton, VA — On October 28, 2024, the Virginia Marine Resources Commission (VMRC) voted to close the winter dredging season for blue crabs for the 2024/2025 season. After extensive consideration of scientific data, public input, and recommendations from VMRC staff, the Crab Management Advisory Committee (CMAC), and the Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS), the Commission made the decision to prioritize ongoing conservation measures for the blue crab population. The final vote was 6-1. This decision underscores VMRC’s adaptive management approach to ensure the long-term health of the blue crab fishery. By continually analyzing the fishery and the various harvesting methods, VMRC uses the best available science to make informed decisions that balance ecological protection with the needs of the fishing industry. VMRC Commissioner Jamie Green praised the collaborative effort of VMRC sta...

Virginia Mercury reports that hound hunting regs will not change, preserving the state’s right to retrieve law. Charlie Paullin explains in Virginia board votes to reject changes to hound hunting regulations , writing, One of the rejected proposals would have required deer and bear hunters to put GPS collars on the hounds they use. The other rejected proposal would’ve required hunters to make “reasonable efforts” to not let their dogs roam onto other property once property owners notified them they weren’t welcome. The other five proposals included raising awareness about ways to avoid conflicts between the two groups, as well as pursuing funding for more conservation police officers to respond to issues. The other proposals were not regulatory and have already been acted upon. But the issue is not settled. Paullin concludes, “Virginia has a process underway to solicit suggestions for next year’s deer and bear season regulations, but the rejection means the battle over the l...

A new sheet has been added to (Crowdsourced) Outreach on the NNK : Elected and appointed officials (in the document, Electeds and appointeds). The purpose is to make elected and senior-most appointed officials such as the county administrator or town manager contact information easy to find and use. At the moment, the only electeds are members of the Northumberland County Board of Supervisors. Over time, I'll add others. I'd encourage members of the public, or electeds/appointeds themselves, to add basic contact information. The public has editing permission. The natural question: Why add this information to a file containing outreach and engagement sites online and IRL? Elected officials can be and, wearing my advocate’s hat should be, some of the best sharers of information about programs, services, and events. If they are not, encourage them to be. They can use Facebook and Instagram, distribute materials when they see constituents/county (town) residents and other ...

211 , aka 2-1-1 Virginia, is the state’s social services resource and referral system. A 411 for people if you will. Officially, “2-1-1 is an easy to remember phone number connecting people with free information on available community services. When you dial 2-1-1, a trained professional listens to your situation and suggests sources of help using one of the largest databases of health and human services in Virginia.” And, “2-1-1 VIRGINIA provides access to services in your community and statewide. All referrals are confidential and you can search for these same services on this 2-1-1 VIRGINIA Web site [ https://211virginia.org/ ].” ( Source ) 211 plays an essential role in disaster preparedness and support after the fact, as the image above and text (from the image) below show. 211 Virginia: Your Partner in Disaster HURRICANE HELENE RESPONSE 211 Virginia continues to respond to Hurricane Helene as the state’s public inquiry line, providing vital information on federal, s...

Rappahannock Institute for Lifelong Learning (RILL) is offering Technology and Land Use Planning in Warsaw and online in November. The description: Over three sessions, this class will discuss the latest technologies that inform property owners, local government, and industry on optimal places to site solar farms; how that technology has been used for other land use planning projects; and how the technology informs the creation of policy that helps protect the Chesapeake Bay’s resources while encouraging use of alternative forms of energy. Dr. Michael Evans is the Senior Data Scientist at the Conservation Innovation Center. He leads projects that integrate geospatial and remote sensing data with deep-learning and statistical models to improve conservation policy and practice. He holds a doctoral degree in Natural Resources Management from the University of Connecticut, and his previous research focused on understanding interactions between wildlife and the built environment. ...

Interested in the arts? Music, painting, community projects? Interested in them as economic development? If yes, read The Community Arts Movement: Tilting at Windmills? on Daily Yonder . The article discusses Robert Gard, “characterized as the ‘the father of the community arts movement,’” and his ideas which transformed communities. His cultural advocacy was a lifelong affair, but Gard’s deepest impact in the arts was realized with the 1969 publication of The Arts in the Small Community: A National Plan. Affectionately called “The Windmill Book” by advocates (the cover illustration depicted a striking ink rendering of an old-fashioned windmill), the report detailed a pilot program funded by the National Endowment for the Arts, aimed at building arts infrastructure in five, rural Wisconsin communities. It gave examples of the sorts of projects each community embraced, profiled key figures in carrying out those efforts, drew conclusions about what worked and did not work in each...

Great news from Lancaster County on the county’s Household Hazardous Waste & E-Waste Event in September: Hazardous Household Waste (HHW): 21,872 lbs Electronic waste: 8,492 lbs Participants: 227 To put the numbers in perspective, enter the elephant (HHW) and hippo (E-waste). The next Lancaster County HHW/E-waste event is next year on Saturday, March 22, 2025. To stay apprised of news and other info, follow Lancaster County government on Facebook .

The Lancaster County Planning Commission will consider Lancaster 2035 (PDF) at their Thursday, October 17 regular meeting . The strategic plan was created by the Lancaster County Citizens Business Relations Advisory Committee, a group created by the Lancaster County Board of Supervisors in 2019 “to develop a plan and direction for the county’s future, find solutions to address the loss of workforce-aged residents, retain the current workforce, and create a business-friendly environment to grow and prosper.” In the introduction, the group states: The CBRAC acknowledges the potential harmful effects of unregulated expansion and development on the community and its inhabitants. No one wants to change the county's character, but without a strategic plan to enhance our workforce, the quality of life for county residents is in jeopardy. This plan aims to improve the well-being of Lancaster residents by implementing infrastructure improvements that facilitate business growth...

Wetlands Watch is recruiting volunteers for the October 17-20 2024 King Tide measuring initiative . People of all ages are encouraged to participate in this once-a-year effort to track the highest tides of 2024 and, by extension, the flooding impact on the environment and communities. Sign up to volunteer . The last training takes place Tuesday, October 15 though instructions and FAQs are available online . In 2023, volunteers on the Northern Neck placed 558 virtual pins. With hundreds of miles of shore, more locations need to be pinned. Why volunteer Catch the King relies on volunteers to track the highest predicted tides of the year in southeast Virginia. The October King Tide happens when the moon, earth, sun, and fall full/new moons are aligned in this part of the state. Volunteer citizen scientists add their data to that King Tide data collected in the past. Scientists and others map the changes in sea level rise and flooding and make planning, zoning, and...

The timing of the Chesapeake Bay Program webinar Tap Into Community Stewards to Meet Your Tree Planting Goals and the Virginia Department of Forestry tree seedlings availability announcement could not be better. The unfortunate reality is that the NNK lost 707 treed acres between 2014 and 2018 according to the Chesapeake Bay Program. In Are we trading trees for concrete? , the environmental organization explains the hows and the impact. Net loss of treed acres on NNK contributes to region and Virginia going in the wrong direction on this blog is the NNK summary. The webinar takes place Tuesday, October 15 from Noon to 1:00 pm. Viewers will “learn about different tree steward program models that can be replicated or tapped into to meet state or local goals.” Tree seedlings are now available from DOF . Writes the Department of Forestry, In addition to the wide selection of bare-root seedlings, we also offer specialty seedling packs to meet specific goals like fall color...

An unknown person or group is soliciting feedback from Northumberland County residents (and who else?) in the survey Northumberland County Board Of Supervisors Survey . The county government has issued a notice that the survey is not an official one being conducted by the government. County Government Offices have received several phone calls related to recent postcards mailed conducting a survey regarding the Board of Supervisors. To clarify, this survey is NOT in collaboration with the Board of Supervisors and is NOT being conducted by the County. The County and the Board are unaware of the origin of the survey, its purpose, where the results are being sent, or how the data is to be used. The Board supports an individual's right to conduct surveys but wishes to clarify that the County and the Board are not involved and are not requesting this information. Learn more about the survey in the video Northumberland County Survey (or watch below). Note: The vid is on the lon...

The Northumberland County Department of Emergency Management is holding a mass casualty training exercise Saturday, October 12 in the morning at the high school on Rte 360 in Heathsville. The training will involve a number of vehicles and agencies including volunteer rescue squads and fire companies, helicopters, and law enforcement. The exercise has nothing to do with Northumberland County Public Schools. . . the high school and parking parking lot are being used simply because of their size. During the exercise, emergency medical and fire assistance will be available to county residents. Don’t hesistate to call 911 if you need medical or fire assistance. For those not aware, Northumberland County government does have an emergency services coordinating body. The Department of Emergency Services consists of two functional areas, the Division of Emergency Medical Services (EMS) and the Office of Emergency Management (OEM). EMS provides 24 hour-a-day, state of the art b...

The Rappahannock River Valley National Wildlife Refuge is celebrating National Wildlife Refuge Week, October 13-19 , with a number of free events and activities. The event hopes to attract regular visitors as well as people who have never been; the organization wants everyone to revel in the beauty, importance, and vastness of the refuge. “The activities will include pontoon boat rides, kayak paddles, a special birdwatching competition, dedication of a wildlife mural, and a visit to an iconic site not usually open to the public.” (Source: press release, at end of post) The Refuge will open its Fones Cliff unit to the public for the day on Sunday, October 13th. This historic site, known as Matchopick for the Native American village that was located nearby, is where Captain John Smith encountered the Rappahannock Tribe in 1608. It sits atop 100-foot cliffs overlooking the River and Beverly Marsh and hosts the largest eagle population on the East coast. The unit is not yet regula...

As I wrote in May , “The problem of abandoned fishing gear is not new. Environmentalists, researchers, and others have done research on and recovery of such fishing gear going back decades. There have been professional interventions and citizen scientist ones. . .” If you want to learn more about marine debris and removing it, read the blog post linked above, watch the videos that follow, and take an hour with NOAA for From Gear to Ghost: Reeling in the Problem Tuesday, October 8, 4:00 - 5:00 pm online. In the hour-long session, Raimundo Espinoza, Executive Director of Conservacin ConCiencia; Neill Holland, President of Ocean Aid 360; and James Morioka, Executive Director of Papahnaumokukea Marine Debris Project, the speakers will talk about preventing and dealing with detritus in island and tropical communities. While the NNK is neither, there is surely something to learn from the speakers.

The Northern Neck Tourism Commission will gather public input on the development of the Northern Neck National Heritage Area (NNNHA) Management Plan Tuesday, October 29 , 1:00 - 5:00 pm at Lancaster Community Library (16 Town Centre Dr, Kilmarnock; in the upstairs meeting room). The public is encouraged to participate. At the Northern Neck National Heritage Area Regional Exchange, the public will participated in facilitated discussions on six topics: Telling the Story : Interpretation and Education Enhancing Our Economy : Heritage Tourism and Economic Development Preserving What Matters : Historic Preservation Our Amazing Outdoors : Natural Resource Conservation and Recreation Cultural Conversation : Living Traditions Promoting the Past : Marketing Northern Neck Heritage Following the event, Northern Neck Tourism Commission consultants will refine the public input “into strategies to be considered ...

Who knew there was a link between the Northern Neck Beer Trail and Jimmy Carter? The article How President Jimmy Carter Ignited The Craft Beer Revolution explains how craft beer became a thing. And readers can extrapolate the rest. Unfortunately, you won’t find the trail on the state’s craft beer trails webpage . So be sure to get info about craft beer on the Northern Neck in the Northern Neck Beer Trail Facebook group .