In addition to bills, VCN and our Partners track and take positions on budget amendments affecting our conservation and climate goals. Virginia is in the middle of a biennial (2-year) budget, which passed last Spring and went into effect July 1st. The Governor introduced his amendments to the 2-year budget in December, and legislators introduced their amendments earlier this month.

This current budget is one of the best we’ve ever had for conservation, including a billion dollars for clean water, record funding for trails, and more. However, Virginia still invests less than half of 1% of our budget in natural resources, and there are many areas where we are still short of the need.

Virginia has effective plans in place to reduce the pollutants entering our creeks, streams, and rivers that ultimately make their way to the bay—they just need more funding. Photo by Lucas Manweiler.

Virginia and our neighboring Chesapeake Bay states have a 2025 deadline to restore the Bay, but we’re not on track to meet our pollution reduction goals by the rapidly approaching deadline. 

Virginia’s water quality is largely influenced by the budget. The current budget includes over a billion dollars for clean water. We want to keep that funding in place. In addition, we’re supporting budget amendments that further fund successful nutrient pollution reduction programs.

Our priority clean water funding programs include:

• Virginia’s Agricultural Cost-Share Program: gives farmers the funds they need to implement best practices on their farms to reduce pollution.
• Wastewater Nutrient Removal Program: upgrades wastewater treatment facilities and remaining Combined Sewer Overflow (CSO) systems.
• Stormwater Local Assistance Fund: a local matching grant program to assist localities with stormwater infrastructure projects.

Skyline Drive, Shenandoah National Park. Photo by Paul-Michael Ferguson.

Most of the Commonwealth’s strongest land conservation advocacy happens through the budget. Much like the Chesapeake Bay Cleanup programs above, Virginia has strong land conservation programs already in place.

The demands facing Virginia’s landscapes are growing: since 2000, more than 335,000 acres of Virginia farmland have been paved over. Virginia needs to increase the scale and speed of its conservation efforts to ensure these benefits for future generations. Our priority land conservation and access programs include:

• Virginia Land Conservation Fund
• Farmland Preservation Fund
• Get Outdoors Fund
• Virginia Battlefield Preservation Fund
• Funding for State Parks & Natural Area Preserves

High-quality, reliable public transit service is essential for Virginians to access jobs, schools, and essential services, as well as lowering pollution and carbon emissions from personal vehicles. Photo by Doug Riddell.

For decades, transportation funding has primarily gone to new road projects and highway expansion. As a result, transportation is Virginia’s largest source of carbon pollution, many roads and bridges require repair, and there are limited alternatives to driving in car-centric communities.

The Governor and certain lawmakers are trying to redirect General Funds towards pet highway projects. This move sidesteps SMART SCALE, Virginia’s objective transportation prioritization system that helps avoid money being wasted on unnecessary highway projects. Virginia’s highway system already has a dedicated and record-high revenue stream. General Fund Revenues should not be spent on highway expansion, construction, or repair projects.

Providing the Governor or the Secretary of Transportation with a slush fund in the name of “innovation” or economic development expands sprawl, hurts the climate and land conservation, and is simply poor public policy. (Read more)

To see all of the bills we’ve taken a stance on for this year’s General Assembly and their status, you can check our Bill Tracker.

Help us continue to advocate for strong conservation policy for Virginia’s natural resources and public health with a donation. We appreciate your support!