who were first energized by Disney and now lend their time not only to the PEC, but to many other citizen organizations that either first sprang to life or matured during the Disney fight. In 1993 BD (Before Disney), the PEC was an environmental and land conservation organization with a staff of nine, an annual budget of $350,000, and about 1,000 members. It had never faced a project as daunting as Disney. The PEC received financial help through two duPont and three Mellon fortune heirs, as well as the Chicago-based land planning and conservation foundation Prince Charitable Trust, whose tie to Virginia was foundation president Frederick R. Prince, who loved the Piedmont and had a vacation home here. The work rested primarily on 28-year-old Christopher Miller, who quit a large law firm to offer his services, and 26-yearold Hilary Scheer, a reporter for the Fauquier Times Democrat who had grown up on a Fauquier County farm. Disney chairman Eisner’s portrait of himself as being up against “some of the most powerful families in America’’ with matchless power “to lobby a cause with government” must have seemed amusing to young Miller and Scheer as they tried to counter the army of Disney lawyers, political advisors, lobbyists, and public relations firms. With Miller at the helm, PEC came of age during the battle with Disney. In the last 10 years, the organization has grown into the premier regional environmental group in the country, a model that others have come to study and emulate. Its membership has soared from 1,000 to 5,000 and its budget and staff have quadrupled. Its ability to mobilize members to their cause rapidly has been perfected. With its 40 staff members working out of offices in nine Piedmont counties, the PEC has since successfully taken on one major environmental and conservation issue after another. Additionally, the PEC’s activities since Disney include programs aimed at long-term gains in conservation protection. The amount of land in Piedmont counties protected by scenic or conservation easements has quadrupled from 76,000 acres to nearly 300,000 acres—the single largest concentration of easement-protected land in the nation Experts were needed to lead the charge, but the Disney battle and subsequent fights would have been lost without the skills and dedication of veteran community organizers. When Disney announced its plan, the PEC lacked the infrastructure and experience to mobilize members rapidly. The pioneering work of veteran organizers was critical, and was shouldered by Warrenton’s Hope Porter. When Disney officials showed up for the world premiere of the Lion King at Washington’s Uptown Theater, Porter organized a protest with dozens of participants waving signs, local puppet artists with effigies of “Mickey the Rat” and “the Lyin’ King”, and children chanting “Hey hey! Ho ho! Mickey Mouse has got to go.” At an event at the National Zoo, she even managed to decorate EisWith the Disney fight (and Thoroughfare Gap) behind them, victors survey the field of battle. As a freshly minted environmental lawyer, 28-year-old Christopher Miller, assisted by Hilary Scheer Gerhardt, represented the Piedmont Environmental Council (PEC) and took on Disney. Miller is now PEC president. PIEDMONTVIRGINIAN.COM |
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