2008 Fort Pickett Earth Day
Fort Pickett Earth Day Fish Shocking Demonstration.
On Tuesday, April 22nd 2008, the Virginia Army National Guard (VaARNG) and Fort Pickett again opened its doors to the
public and conducted its annual Earth Day celebration. As in years past, numerous displays were set up, and demonstrations
conducted, by Fort Pickett, VaARNG personnel, and personnel from numerous other state agencies, companies, and private
groups highlighting environmental conservation efforts on the post.
This year’s Earth Day emphasis was on educating people on the new Army Compatible Use Buffer (ACUB) program which was just recently approved for the installation.
Members of Fort Pickett Staff with the public at the ACUB exhibit.
Under the program, the Department of Defense (DoD) and the Army, working through private partners, work to provide cash payments and tax incentives to local land owners for keeping their land rural. In short, local farmers and other land owners can continue to farm, raise cattle, log, etc. on their land as they always have done, in exchange for selling the development rights to the land to a private partner.
In this way, people can continue to work their land, but just agree to not develop the land into housing subdivisions, apartment complexes, etc.
Ward Burton meets with the public at Fort Pickett Earth Day 2008.
This gives the military forces of the country the ability to continue to do what they have always done ie. train for their war time defense missions without having to worry about a lot of noise complaints coming from residents of new housing developments built right up to the post boundary as is the problem on many other military installations around the country.
Fort Pickett is proud to partner with their primary partner for Pickett’s ACUB which is the Ward Burton Wildlife Foundation. This year Ward himself was in attendance, to meet with local citizens and some of our soldiers and to see first hand some of the conservation efforts underway on the installation.
Fort Pickett Earth Day 2008 Snake Exhibit.
Fort Pickett Earth Day 2008 Arrowhead Exhibit.
Ward Burton on National Guard M1A1 Battle Tank at Fort Pickett Earth Day 2008.