Coming Together: Our Common Agenda

Our Partners across the Commonwealth have been working hard all summer to put together Our 2022 Common Agenda. We are excited to release it in just a few weeks! Now, we need you, our regional partners and supporters, to help determine which policies you plan to collectively champion as we head into the Fall.

Summer Regional Forums

Please join us for our virtual Summer Regional Forums on August 10th from 12:00 to 1:30 PM. You will touch base with neighboring groups and advocates, establish regional priorities, and strategize how to bring decision makers on board.

Meetings will be conducted via Zoom. First, we will share a quick overview of Our 2022 Common Agenda. We will also include any pertinent takeaways from an ongoing Special Session devoted to the budget. Lastly, we will move to Partner-led breakout rooms.

Regional breakouts*

  • Piedmont (including Charlottesville)
  • Shenandoah Valley
  • Central Virginia (including Richmond / Petersburg)
  • Hampton Roads/Tidewater
  • Greater Southwest (Roanoke to Abingdon)
  • Northern Virginia (due to density of partners, may be split in two by Senate district following sign-ups)

*These regions do not have hard boundaries and may be defined differently by different people. If you are unsure which regional breakout to attend, please reach out to kyleg@vcnva.org and we can help direct you. 

These meetings are intended for supporters, staff members, volunteers, and Board members of Network Partners. We look forward to working with you to protect our Commonwealth’s natural resources.

Sneak Peak: Our 2022 Common Agenda

Our Common Agenda will be released in a few weeks. The book’s content will lead not only the Summer Regional Forum’s discussions but also our advocacy work through the 2022 General Assembly Session. See the list below for a sneak peak on these pressing conservation issues:

Healthy Chesapeake Bay, Rivers, & Creeks

  • Tackling Polluted Stormwater Runoff & Restoring Local Water Quality
  • Working with Farmers to Protect our Rivers & Streams
  • Upgrading Wastewater Treatment in Virginia
  • Reducing Single-Use Plastics, Litter, and Marine Debris in Virginia

Wildlife & Fisheries

  • Ensuring Resilient Ecosystems Through Wildlife Corridor Protection
  • Protecting and Restoring Virginia’s Mussel Populations
  • Assessing and Enhancing Virginia’s Oyster Stock

Natural Landscapes & Supporting Infrastructure

  • Conserving Virginia’s Landscapes for the Future
  • Establishing Dedicated Funding for Increased Conservation
  • Protecting Historic and Cultural Resources
  • Protecting and Expanding Virginia’s Tree Canopy
  • Promoting a Climate-smart and Equitable Farming System

Resilient Communities

  • Boosting Smart Growth
  • Ensuring the Resilience of Virginia’s Flood-prone Communities
  • Ensuring Virginians Have Daily Access to the Outdoors
  • Increasing Support for Trails

Transportation

  • Transforming Transportation
  • Expanding Public Transit
  • Building Rail Capacity
  • Accelerating Transportation Electrification
  • Curbing Vehicle Pollution
  • Increasing Access to Walking & Biking

Clean Energy Development

  • Building an Equitable Clean Energy Economy for Communities and Workers
  • Slashing Pollution & Energy Bills with Virginia’s Untapped Resource: Energy Efficiency
  • Bringing More Resilient Energy to Virginia Communities
  • Maximizing Benefits and Minimizing Impacts of Utility Scale Solar
  • Ensuring Responsible Development of Offshore Wind

Utility Reform

  • Ensuring Access To Essential Services
  • Reforming Electric Utility Regulation For An Affordable Clean Energy Transition
  • Ensuring Democratic Participation at Cooperative and Municipal Utilities

Pollution Prevention

  • Stopping Unnecessary Pipelines & Phasing Out Fossil Fuel Buildout
  • Ensuring Accountability in the Chemical Conversion Industry
  • Protecting Virginians from Hazardous Chemical Spills
  • Addressing Unregulated Industrial Toxins To Protect Public Health and the Environment
  • Protecting Virginia’s Environment and Public Health from Industrial Metal Mining
  • Decarbonizing Virginia’s Industrial Pollution with Low-Carbon Concrete

Equitable & Inclusive Government

  • Integrating Environmental Justice into State Government
  • Ensuring an Environmentally Literate Virginia
  • Improving Environmental Enforcement & Transparency for a Cleaner, Healthier Virginia
  • Empowering Citizen Boards to Reach Their Full Potential
  • Modernizing Virginia’s Public Access to Government Decisionmaking and Ensuring Robust Public Participation