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:
Report: Feeding the Plastics Industrial Complex
The Environmental Integrity Project released a report examining the disproportionate impact of 50 plastics plants on nearby vulnerable communities, including Black and Latino communities.
Bipartisan Support on Environmental Bills: Regulation of Toxics
Pat Calvert, Director of Clean Water and Land Conservation at Virginia Conservation Network, is quoted supporting a new law regualte toxic PFAS pollution.
Map: Analysis of Federal Wetlands Protection
Our Partners at EDF have developed a map exploring the potential loss of federal wetlands protections after the 2023 Supreme Court case, Sackett v EPA.
OPINION: Tree preservation: A quality of life opportunity for Virginia
Robert Benson submits a Letter To The Editor in the Virginia Mercury stating that tree preservation is important for quality of life in Virginia.
Coming Soon: Signs Warning Consumers About Invasive Plants
Pat Calvert, Director of Clean Water and Land Conservation at Virginia Conservation Network, is quoted supporting a new law to control the spread of invasive species in the Williamsburg Yorktown Daily.
Good Governance Recap: 2024 Policy Outcomes
Virginia Conservation Network advocated for 20 bills this General Assembly session that protect ratepayers from rising energy costs, ensure meaningful regulatory standards, improve oversight of utilities, and more.