Today, the Northam Administration announced a suite of investments in natural resources for the 2020-22 biennial budget. The $733 million includes: keeping the Commonwealth on track to cleaning up the Chesapeake Bay by 2025, significantly strengthening the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ), ensuring environmental justice, and addressing climate change through linking with the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI), bolstering coastal resiliency, and creating the Office of Offshore Wind.
Read the Governor’s announcement here.
The Virginia conservation community released the following statements:
Mary Rafferty, Executive Director, Virginia Conservation Network
“We applaud Gov. Northam’s substantial investment in natural resources in his 2020-2022 biennial budget.
“As we work towards the 2025 deadline to clean up the Chesapeake Bay, Virginia’s leadership investing in local water quality for our rivers, lakes and streams is imperative. We commend the Governor for committing that his biennial budget will include the necessary funding to start to meet these goals, as well as increases for land conservation and significant strengthening of the Department of Environmental Quality.
“We are also pleased by the administration’s commitment to addressing climate change – the defining issue of our time – through linking with the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI), bolstering the coastal resiliency fund, and making Virginia the East Coast leader in offshore wind.
“All too often, environmental burdens disproportionately impact vulnerable populations, people of color, and low-income communities. The Governor’s funding recommendations for environmental justice, and commitment to codifying the environmental justice council, set the beginning of a framework to ensure all communities impacted by pollution have a seat at the decision-making table.
“In 2018, the Governor pledged to dedicate two percent of the budget to natural resources and today’s announcement is another step in the right direction. By investing the resources needed to ensure every Virginian has access to clean air, clean water, and our natural landscapes, Virginia can remain a backstop to federal inaction and become a leader in natural resources protection.”
Kate Wofford, Executive Director, Alliance for the Shenandoah Valley
“Virginia’s successful agricultural cost share program and land conservation funding are essential to supporting Shenandoah Valley farmers, the outdoor recreation and tourism sectors, and our high quality of life. We applaud the Governor and his natural resources team for such a strong commitment to these programs in the budget.”
William C. Baker, President, Chesapeake Bay Foundation (CBF)
“This is great news for everyone who cares about clean water. Governor Northam’s proposed budget would substantially boost investment in key state programs that are already working to restore our rivers, streams, and the Chesapeake Bay. These programs also combat climate change, create green jobs, and improve quality of life for all Virginians.
“We’ve now got the framework for major environmental success in Virginia. In the upcoming General Assembly session, we’ll work with legislators to build on the strong foundation provided in Governor Northam’s budget. We are grateful to Governor Northam and his staff for their dedication and commitment to the Chesapeake Bay and ensuring clean water for all Virginians, now and in the future.”
Nikki Rovner, Associate State Director, The Nature Conservancy in Virginia (TNC)
“This is a historic investment in Virginia’s natural resources that will have resounding impacts to our lands and waters for generations to come. Conserving our lands and waters is not only the mission of The Nature Conservancy, but also a core function of state government. We applaud Governor Northam’s commitment to preserve and strengthen Virginia’s natural resources by ensuring adequate funding for these essential initiatives, programs and agencies.”
Bill Street, Chief Executive Officer, James River Association
“We applaud the Governor for his commitment to restoring our waterways, preserving natural lands, and putting Virginia on a path to a cleaner, healthier future for its natural resources. As Virginia’s final Chesapeake Bay cleanup plan makes clear, we need bold investments to achieve the pollution reductions necessary to meet our 2025 deadline for restoring the James River and the Bay. With this budget proposal, Governor Northam has shown, once again, that he is dedicated to achieving a healthy Bay and a grade-A James.”
“Clean water is something everyone can support, and these programs have a proven track record of success across the Commonwealth and within the General Assembly,” said Street. “We urge Virginia’s legislature to support these investments for the James River, for the Chesapeake Bay, and for all who rely on these resources for their significant intrinsic and economic value.”
Alan Rowsome, Executive Director, Northern Virginia Conservation Trust
“By making such a significant commitment to environmental protection, land conservation, and clean energy in his budget, Governor Northam is taking bold and meaningful action to ensure our state’s future by directly addressing the growing climate change impacts that are already affecting the Commonwealth. In particular, his investment of $20 million in the Virginia Land Conservation Foundation grant program will provide much needed annual matching funds and partnership opportunities to aid organizations like ours in protecting pivotal land and water resources throughout Northern Virginia. We commend the Governor for this forward-thinking environmental budget and look forward to working with the state legislature to support these recommendations and enact them into law.”
Chris Miller, President, The Piedmont Environmental Council
“We are encouraged by the announcement made by Governor Northam today as it pertains to natural resource funding, specifically the commitments made to clean water and land conservation. Investing in natural resources is demonstrably good for the economy, good for the environment, and good for urban, suburban and rural communities.”
Michael Town, Executive Director, Virginia League of Conservation Voters
“Since his election two years ago, Governor Northam has advocated for more robust funding to protect our environment. The proposal this administration just released is the most funding we’ve ever seen to protect clean water, clean air, open spaces, and vulnerable communities.
“We applaud Northam for following through on his commitments and look forward to working with the new Conservation Majority at the General Assembly to secure the strongest budget yet for conservation, climate action, environmental justice, and clean energy in 2020.”
Parker C. Agelasto, Executive Director, Capital Region Land Conservancy
“We applaud Governor Northam’s budget proposal to fund the Virginia Land Conservation Foundation (VLCF) at $20 million in FY2021-2022. Not only does this funding support the conservation of our land and water resources for future generations, VLCF grants help support Virginia’s top 3 industries – Agriculture, Tourism, and Forestry. At Capital Region Land Conservancy (CRLC) where we are dedicated to protecting the places and land you love, we are honored to have been awarded more than $2 million in VLCF funding over the past 4 years to support strategic, targeted land conservation projects including Malvern Hill Farm. These funds are critically important to CRLC because greater Richmond area has less than 6% of our land permanently protected compared to more than 22% of the whole Chesapeake Bay watershed. Governor Northam’s investment into the VLCF will enable CRLC and other public and private partners to accelerate our efforts at a time when there is an urgency to preserve our planet.”
Will Cleveland, Senior Attorney, Southern Environmental Law Center
“Governor Northam’s announcement today leaps Virginia forward in the fight against climate change. There is no clearer indication that a state is committed to clean energy than using state dollars to fund solutions that will get us closer to a carbon free environment. Likewise, backing legislation that will allow Virginia to become a full member of RGGI is a clear signal of the Commonwealth’s commitment to fighting carbon emissions. Equally important and inherent to the work of establishing a clean energy economy is addressing issues of inequity and environmental injustice. We are heartened to see the Governor’s financial commitment in this proposed budget to the important work of environmental justice.”
David Perry, Executive Director, Blue Ridge Land Conservancy; Central Virginia Land Conservancy
“The land conservation community in the Roanoke and Lynchburg regions applauds Gov. Northam’s proposed budget funding to protect the Commonwealth’s natural resources. In particular, we’re pleased to see the Governor prioritizing best management practices to help Virginia farmers keep their runoff clean, and funding for the Virginia Land Conservation Fund.
“We also hope that increased funding for the Department of Environmental Quality will lead to proper enforcement of erosion and sediment control requirements for the highly pollutive Mountain Valley and Atlantic Coast pipelines.
Daria Christian, Executive Director, Friends of the Rappahannock
Protecting the water quality and diverse natural resources of the Rappahannock River watershed requires a broad spectrum of tools, resources, and funding to ensure a healthy and prosperous River. We applaud Governor Northam and his administration for their strong commitment to conservation in their proposed budget. This proposal provides record levels of funding for key programs focused on agriculture, urban stormwater, wastewater, and oysters which will address conservation priorities across our region.
Zack Greenberg, Officer, Conserving Marine Life in the U.S. initiative with The Pew Charitable Trusts.
“With Governor Northam’s $10 million investment in oyster restoration, Virginia would remain a national leader in large-scale oyster restoration. The General Assembly can make this a reality when it meets next month, and the Commonwealth would enjoy dividends through cleaner water, improved wildlife habitat, and stronger coastal communities.”
Joel Dunn, President and CEO, Chesapeake Conservancy
“Chesapeake Conservancy applauds Governor Northam on his strong commitment to conservation and to the protection of Chesapeake Bay lands and waters in his proposed FY 2020 – FY 2022 budget. By increasing funding for critical conservation programs like the Virginia Land Conservation Foundation, this budget will better enable Virginians to protect iconic natural landscapes across the Commonwealth and protect the places most important for our environment and wildlife, and for outdoor recreation and public health.”
Renee Grebe, Audubon Naturalist Society
“The Governor’s recent announcement of his natural resources budget shows a strong commitment to our state. His proposal will help improve the health of our local streams and wildlife corridors through the Stormwater Local Assistance Fund (SLAF), supports Virginia joining other states in the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI), and supports additional funding for environmental justice education and initiatives. The Audubon Naturalist Society welcomes and supports the Governor’s goals in helping to grow these and additional programs!”
Keep checking back for additional statements.