If passed, Senate Bill 255 would effectively prevent localities from denying cell tower proposals under 150 feet in height, making it extremely difficult to protect important cultural, scenic and environmental resources.
General Assembly
Find out more about what we are tracking during Virginia’s annual legislative session.
Eyes Turn Toward Richmond: What To Expect This Session
Beyond the biennial budget bill, where PEC plans to help lead the charge for increased and dedicated funding for natural resource preservation, there are a few key issue areas we’ll be watching closely over the next two months.
2022 General Assembly Preview
The results of November’s general election means that Virginia will head into the 2022 General Assembly session with interesting challenges and opportunities across the levers of state government.
Conservation Outcomes from a Speedy Special Session
Well, that was fast! Less than two weeks after gaveling in on Monday, Aug. 2, the Virginia General Assembly concluded its special session on Tuesday, Aug. 10.
Virginia Should Invest in Parks, Trails and Green Space
Legislators are returning to Richmond at the request of Governor Northam in order to allocate more than $4.3 billion in federal Covid-19 relief funding. Send a letter to your state delegate and senator and ask them to invest in parks, trails and green space, which have proved to be so essential over the past year.
Conservation Community Celebrates Passage of Bipartisan Easement Legislation
Governor Northam has signed into law important legislation preserving the integrity of conservation easements throughout Virginia.
2021 General Assembly Update
The last six months has been a whirlwind of legislative action. The 2020 special session extended into mid-October, creating a mad scramble at its conclusion to prepare for the 2021 regular session. PEC was busy drafting bills and budget amendments, finding sponsors and having the conversations necessary to set up our initiatives for success before the new session began on January 13. The 2021 regular session was eventually extended into a special session that concluded on March 1.
Take Action to Support Conservation Funding
At this point in the 2021 Virginia General Assembly, the House and Senate versions of the budget have passed their respective chambers and a conference committee has been assigned to work out the differences. While we believe many of our conservation funding priorities are well-positioned, we’re making a final push to help ensure they make it into the final budget.
General Assembly Update & Action Alert – Week 3
I want to start by reporting some good news, and then follow it with a request for you to take action on two budget amendments—one to increase farmland protection and the other to address a critical lack of representation within Virginia’s cultural resource database.
Action Alert: Righting a Wrong – Help Bring Untold Histories to Light
Preserving historic resources is crucial to understanding our nation’s history. However, historic resources related to African-American and indigenous communities are woefully underrepresented in Virginia’s state database. This has resulted in important resources being overlooked or worse yet, irretrievably lost, and has meant these communities are rarely included as part of larger historic district conversations.