Oftentimes, the major headlines of the day push important work to the background. Nationally, the struggling economy, the ongoing wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, and the recent elections have captured most people’s attention.

Locally, we’ve had our own elections, controversies dealing with budgets and public employee salaries and economic development, as well as the occasional story on some relatively high-profile crimes.

Yet there are organizations, and individuals, who continue doing their work quietly yet effectively. That is the case with the Piedmont Land Conservancy, a land trust with its headquarters in Greensboro, that works to permanently protect important lands and conserve natural resources.

Recently, as we reported in the Jan. 5 edition of The Mount Airy News, the group finalized the purchase of more than 400 acres of Fishers Peak, Surry County’s highest point. This follows the spring 2007 purchase of a 350-acre site.

“Protecting this area is a major step toward protecting the nature of the Piedmont and our quality of life,” said Kevin Redding, the organization’s executive director.

Redding is absolutely correct. Part of what makes living in this area so attractive is the natural scenery we see every day. That also is a major component of the local tourism industry. Perhaps many of us take the land and mountains for granted, but visitors to the area will tell you the Blue Ridge Mountains are every bit as breath-taking and beautiful as the more publicized mountain ranges out west.

Preserving this natural beauty is vital, for today and tomorrow. It is good to see the PLC continuing on to do so.