Current Events
- June 20-22 - State Wind Energy Symposium – Harrisonburg, VA
REGISTRATION NOW OPEN - June 16 - KidWind Challenge - Harrisonburg, VA
- June 3-6 - AWEA WINDPOWER 2012 - Atlanta, GA
- Aug 6-9 Wind Energy Engineering Short Course at Penn State University
- May 16 - WPA Webinar: Careers in Wind Energy
- April 28-29 - USA Science and Engineering Festival – Washington, D.C.
- April 19- May 23 - Wind Manufacturing Opportunities Webinars
- April 10-June 22 - 500 Miles/500 Stories
- See All Current Events
Featured Photo

Wind News in the Region
- Updated U.S. Installed Wind Capacity Map
- Distributed Wind Case Study: Cross Island Farms, Wellesley Island, NY
- Virginia OKs Offshore Wind Energy Turbine
- New Guidelines a Step Forward for Bird-Friendly Wind Development
- Dominion Virginia Power interested in VA Offshore Wind Generation
- Wind Conference in Charlotte focuses on Southeast Cooperation
- Energy Department Announces $180 Million for New Initiative to Deploy Offshore
- See All Current News
GIS Viewer and Project File Instructions
The MXD, APR and AEP project files were created in ArcMap 8.3, ArcView 3.3 and ArcExplorer 2.0 respectively on April 28, 2005. These project files contain the arrangement and layer display properties for all of the data for your appropriate GIS editor/viewer.
Download the Metadata.zip and VA Wind Enviro Project Files (aep apr mxd formats).zip on this page and all of the zip files on the data download page. If you do not have ArcGIS 8.x or 9 or ArcView 3.x, you will also need to download the ArcExplorer Viewer.zip on this page and run the executable to install ArcExplorer 2.0 to view the data. Extract all data from the zip files directly into the following directory path on your computer: C:\Wind
All shapefiles are in the same projection and datum: UTM17 NAD27 The bitmap is in the same projection, but a different datum: UTM17 WGS84 (Thus the bitmap does not line up precisely with the shapefiles, but it is useful as an approximate backdrop.)
The data dictionary within the Metadata.zip file was provided as an abbreviated guide to acknowledge the original source of the data (federal agency, state agency, non-profit organization, private company). The data dictionary should also be used to cross reference the metadata.
GIS Viewer and Project Downloads
VA Wind Enviro Project Files (aep apr mxd formats).zip
GIS Data Layer Downloads
Appalachian Trail (center line and buffers).zip
NPS (Shenandoah and Blue Ridge Parkway).zip
Submerged Aquatic Vegetation.zip
USDA Forest Service - National Forest ownership boundaries
USFS Inventoried Roadless Areas.zip
USFS Management and Prescription Areas.zip
USFS Uninventoried Roadless Areas.zip
USFS Wilderness Study Areas.zip
VA Outdoors Foundation Easements.zip
VA Ridge and Valley Wilderness and National Scenic Act.zip
VA Rivers and Fishable Trout Streams (downloaded from the Virginia Department of Game & Inland Fisheries website listed as Cold Water Streams Survey (CWSS) - trout streams)
VA State and County Boundaries.zip
VA TNC Selected Ecoportfolio and Preserves
VA Wildlife Management Areas (downloaded from the Virginia Department of Game & Inland Fisheries website listed as VDGIF Wildlife Management Area (WMA) Boundaries)

