Creating an environmentally literate populace in the Commonwealth requires coordinated leadership, systemic requirements for public schools’ graduating seniors, and equitable, substantial investment in programs across Virginia. With the current challenges of climate change and environmental injustice, Virginia needs to develop environmentally literate citizens who understand issues and the systems that influence our environment so they can make responsible and informed decisions regarding their impacts.

Pat Calvert

EDUCATING FOR EQUITABLE ENVIRONMENTAL LITERACY

• Fund key water quality programs at levels consistent with achieving the goals of the Watershed Implementation Plan (see chapter Meeting Our Chesapeake Bay Clean-Up Goals, p. 1).
• Fund land conservation programs (see Healthy, Resilient Communities and Landscapes, p. 88).
• Increase funding for key state environmental agencies to levels adequate with programmatic needs, including programs to address resiliency and climate change needs.
• Fund and ensure rapid and thorough integration of environmental justice mandates. See additional recommendations in Working Towards Environmental Justice (p. 118).
• Ensure Virginia’s natural resources programs are adequately and reliably funded going forward by adopting dedicated funding mechanisms, such as application of the full statewide recordation fee revenue (see Exploring Dedicated Funding for Conservation, p. 94).

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Check back in January for talking points for the 2022 General Assembly Session