Updated Bill Tracker Throughout the General Assembly session, VCN maintains an updated conservation bill tracker online. This bill tracker is updated every Friday after VCN's Board of Directors votes on positions recommended by VCN's Legislative Committee. Top Three #1: Budget Amendments — As we noted last week, budget amendments have dropped. VCN took a position in support of a suite of amendments which would increase funding for programs that protect Virginia's landscapes and clean up the Chesapeake Bay. These [...]

We are proud to report that on Monday, January 22nd, Virginia Conservation Network (VCN) hosted its second consecutive sold out Conservation Lobby Day. Over 200 conservation organizations and advocates from across the Commonwealth joined together in Richmond to meet with their state legislators and urge them to support environmental policy advancements. In addition to holding over 100 meetings with their representatives, attendees enjoyed a breakfast kick-off with state legislators and were joined by the new Secretary of Natural Resources Matt Strickler and [...]

Updated Bill Tracker Throughout the General Assembly session, VCN maintains an updated conservation bill tracker online. This bill tracker is updated every Friday after VCN's Board of Directors votes on positions recommended by VCN's Legislative Committee. Top Three #1: Conservation Lobby Day — On Monday, nearly 200 conservation advocates will travel to Richmond to encourage their state legislators to support environmental policy advancements. To prepare attendees for their meetings, VCN held a webinar this morning running through priority environmental [...]

Wednesday, January 10th marked the first day of the 2018 General Assembly session. Over the next eight weeks, our elected representatives will convene in Richmond to introduce, debate, and vote on potential policy change. To keep our Network Partners and supporters informed on how General Assembly happenings may influence Virginia's air, water, landscapes, and wildlife, Virginia Conservation Network (VCN) will do the following: Post a weekly update highlighting the most notable bills and the conservation community's position on each. In each [...]

We are excited to announce that registration for the 2017 Virginia Environmental Assembly has officially opened! Bringing together conservation leaders from across the Commonwealth, this event provides a forum for discussion on key environmental issues, as well as an opportunity to strategize about the best ways to tackle threats to our natural environment. This year's keynote speaker is Reverend Lennox Yearwood Jr., President and CEO of the Hip Hop Caucus. A national leader within the green movement, Reverend Yearwood has been successfully bridging [...]

Click the image to view the letter. The Southern Environmental Law Center, Shenandoah Valley Network, Virginia Conservation Network and more than 75 other environmental, conservation, and public advocacy groups that represent tens of thousands of Virginians have signed on to a letter urging the Commonwealth to require individual 401 certification review for wetland and stream crossings in the paths of the Mountain Valley and Atlantic Coast pipelines. Currently, the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality plans to rely solely on a cursory [...]