Conservation Priorities

» Conserving Our Lands
» Restoring Our Waters
» Other Needs

An Increase in Natural Resources Funding is Needed

Natural resources programs currently represent just 1% of the state budget. This is not enough to meet Virginia’s commitments under the Chesapeake 2000 Agreement. We are losing farm and forest land at an unprecedented rate, and the Chesapeake Bay suffers from a “dead zone” each summer. Virginia can and should do better.

Virginiaforever calls on the General Assembly to invest $50 million in the Virginia Land Conservation Foundation and $150 - $200 million in the Water Quality Improvement Fund annually. This increase would represent a small portion of the state’s overall budget, yet significantly enhance the health of our natural resources from the Chesapeake Bay to the Cumberland Gap and generate substantial public benefits.

Conserving Our Lands: A Proposed Blueprint

With annual investments of $50 million from the state, the Virginia Land Conservation Foundation (VLCF) would be able to establish and protect critical natural places throughout the state for the benefit of all Virginians. Increased funding would allow the state to expand its conservation land holdings (see map below) and save other precious places across the state as opportunities arise with willing landowners. The VLCF provides matching grants for 1) open spaces and parks, 2) natural areas, 3) historic areas, and 4) farmland and forest preservation. Localities, state agencies and charitable organizations are eligible to receive these grants.

 

Click image to enlarge.

With $50 million for land conservation, Virginia can:

• Acquire new public lands like wildlife management areas, state forests, parks and natural area preserves. These are places where every Virginian can enjoy hunting and fishing, hiking, camping and other outdoor activities. Other benefits include wildlife habitat conservation, water-based recreation, and environmental education.
• Provide assistance to localities with purchase of development rights programs. These are programs under which localities compensate property owners for restricting future use of their land. This can make it affordable for farmers to keep their land in farmland, and allow localities to protect natural resource lands that benefit the public.
• Provide matching grants to leverage private, local and federal investment throughout Virginia. The Virginia Land Conservation Foundation makes matching grants to land trusts and others for historic preservation, farm and forestland protection, natural areas and open space. Many of the projects that receive VLCF grants are conservation easements and Civil War battlefields.

Restoring Our Waters: A Proposed Blueprint

With annual investments of $150-200 million in the Water Quality Improvement Fund, the state could clean up nutrient pollution in the Chesapeake Bay and waterways throughout Virginia. These funds would allow the state to upgrade sewage treatment plants and industrial facilities, achieving 70 percent of the nitrogen reduction called for in the Chesapeake 2000 Agreement. In addition, the state would be able to curb polluted run-off from farms, suburbs and cities in priority watersheds across Virginia.

 

Click image to enlarge.

This level of investment in land conservation and water restoration is needed for Virginia to meet its Chesapeake 2000 Agreement: conserving 20 percent of the land in the Bay watershed and reducing nitrogen pollution flowing into the Bay by 26 million pounds by 2010.

To learn more about restoring our waters funding needs go to www.cleanstreamsva.org.

Other Natural Resource Funding Needs

Contact Your Legislator >>

Home | Contact Us | Press Room | Polling + Stats | Privacy Statement | Back to Top