A Year in Review: VCN’s 2023 Annual Report
Thanks to highly coordinated efforts and despite political headwinds, VCN — in our role as the strategic facilitator of our 150+ Network Partners — was successful in holding onto major environmental and climate policy successes from the last few years while celebrating historic investments in conservation funding through the budget.
Our Annual Report reviews Virginia Conservation Network’s work from Spring 2022 to Winter 2023. While it feels almost impossible to cover everything we worked on last year in only a few pages, we did our best to squeeze in the highlights, including:
- our strategy to advance conservation initiatives year-round,
- our policy gains and challenges through the General Assembly session and beyond,
- our Network Partner engagement events,
- and more.
As we sent this annual report to the printer, we learned of the tragic loss of our Clean Energy & Climate Justice Policy Manager, Shawn Soares, on May 4th, 2023. Shawn was committed to devoting his career to bettering the Commonwealth and was a rising star in the climate movement. We are dedicating this annual report to him and are committed to working in his honor moving forward.
Read more of our recent updates from our blog:
CTB Transit Electrification Update
Check out the Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation's Transit Electrification Update from the April 19th Commonwealth Transportation Board meeting.
ROUNDUP: Executive Order Increases Plastic Waste
Governor Youngkin shares an Executive Order incentivizing increased plastic waste in order to develop waste centers and revokes Executive Order 77, the state’s ongoing plan to phase-out on single-use plastics from public agencies and institutions.
Special Session: 5 Things To Watch
The General Assembly reconvenes for a special session to adopt resolutions, finalize the budget, and make decisions on any remaining bills.
Land Conservation Policy: 2022 General Assembly Review
See how our land conservation policies to protect BIPOC resources, local farms, native species, and wildlife corridors fared this session.
ROUNDUP: How a Gas Tax Suspension Actually Affects Virginians
A gas tax suspension would drastically cut public transit and rail funding - services Virginians need now more than ever.
Water Policy: 2022 General Assembly Review
The conservation community successfully passed water policy to increase flood resilience, conserve tree canopies, and reduce polluted runoff.