CONSERVATION NEWS ACROSS VIRGINIA
VCN Response to 2021-22 Biennium Budgets
Investing in our natural resources is essential to ensure every Virginian has access to clean air, clean water, and our natural landscapes. Our 2021 – 22 budget priorities include a commitment to meet Virginia’s Chesapeake Bay cleanup plan, investments in land conservation programs, and ensuring funding for our natural resources agencies, specifically the Department of Environmental Quality. The following outlines Virginia Conservation Network comments in response to the Virginia House and Senate 2021-2022 biennial budget. Governor Northam invested $733 million [...]
Conservation Updates from the 2020 General Assembly – Week 6
Kristie Smith wrapped up her three-and-a-half year career with VCN yesterday and is now off to Montana. Thank you for all your dedicated work for the Commonwealth! Wyatt Gordon and Narissa Turner now serve as your Land Use/Transportation and Energy/Climate policy managers. Pictured L-R: Wyatt Gordon, Kristie Smith, Narissa Turner. (Photo credit: Mary Rafferty, VCN) Updates on VCN Priorities Virginia Clean Economy Act (HB1526/SB851). It was a huge week for the VCEA as the House and Senate bills both passed floor [...]
Conservation Updates from the 2020 General Assembly – Week 5
The only fishery overseen by the General Assembly is closer than ever to being managed by the Virginia Marina Resources Commission. HB1448 has passed the full House (73-25) and SB791 (pictured above) made it out of committee and has now been referred to Finance and Appropriations. (Photo credit: Chris Moore, CBF) Updates on VCN Priorities Virginia Clean Economy Act (HB1526/SB851). Another hurdle was cleared for the VCEA when HB1526 made it out of Thursday night's House Labor and Commerce Committee. The bill [...]
Conservation Updates from the 2020 General Assembly – Week 4
More than 250 conservation advocates met in Richmond for Conservation Lobby Day. Pictured: Secretary of Agriculture and Forestry, Bettina Ring. (Photo credit: Marco Sanchez, PEC) Updates on VCN Priorities Virginia Clean Economy Act (HB1526/SB851). Next week marks a pivotal moment for the VCEA. Board member Kendyl Crawford had a great op-ed in support of the VCEA, check it out here. Both House and Senate committees will take votes on the legislation, with the House vote on Tuesday and the Senate vote on Monday. [...]
Conservation Updates from the 2020 General Assembly – Week 3
Network Partners join Sen. Lewis after the passing of SB795 through subcommittee on a largely bi-partisan vote. The bill removes outdated language that expresses Virginia's support of offshore drilling. Updates on VCN Priorities Restoring the regulatory power of the SCC and saving ratepayers billions (HB1132). Since 2015, Dominion Energy has overcharged its Virginia customers by more than $1.3 billion and Virginians now pay the 7th highest residential energy bills in the nation. High bills are harming Virginia's businesses and families - according to the Virginia [...]
Trump Administration to Strip Clean Water Act Protections
The Trump administration today will strip Clean Water Act protections for more than half the nation’s wetlands and millions of miles of streams-- numbers confirmed by the administration’s own analysis. The cuts put drinking water sources for millions of people in the U.S. at risk and jeopardize the ability to counter floods, droughts, toxic algal blooms, groundwater depletion and other worsening water issues driven by the climate crisis. The Clean Water Act rollbacks are the latest in a series of [...]