Updated on February 5, 2025
Bay restoration is at a pivotal moment. With better science and continued successes in efforts to restore important habits such as oysters and to reduce pollution from sources such as wastewater treatment plants, now is not the time to slow down—it's time to double down. We have too much at stake: clean water, healthy communities, and a strong economy. While progress has been made to restore and protect our Bay and its waters, the work is far from over.
For the sake of our health, economy, and current and future generations, we must accelerate clean water restoration across the Commonwealth. As the fast-paced 2025 legislative session progresses, CBF continues to urge the General Assembly to take bold action, reduce pollution, and enhance resiliency to restore Virginia’s rivers, streams, and the Bay for future generations.
As we enter the second half of the session, our focus turns to ensuring that the bills we support successfully clear their final hurdles and make it to the governor’s desk for signing.
Fully Funding Programs to Achieve Clean Water
The following investments are essential in this year’s budget to protect our waterways:
- $50 million for the Stormwater Local Assistance Fund (SLAF) to help cities and counties reduce polluted runoff from urban and suburban lands. SLAF provides matching grants to localities for projects such as wetland construction, living shoreline installation, and stream restoration work. Each chamber’s proposed budget includes significant investment in SLAF, with the senate recommending $40 million and the house proposing $50 million. We will continue to urge legislators to support the house’s proposed level of funding.
- $100 million in year two of the budget to provide climate resilience funding. With the need for flood resilience funding at an all-time high, it is essential that community-scale efforts to address increasing flood issues continue without interruption. Legislators should prioritize allocating funds to the Community Flood Preparedness Fund (CFPF), which provides vital grants to localities across the state—from Winchester to Hampton, Danville to Fairfax—to build much-needed resilience against both coastal and inland flooding. The senate’s proposed budget commits an additional $50 million in general funds to the CFPF, and CBF will continue working to ensure this investment is secured in the final budget.
- Maintain full funding for the Virginia Agricultural Cost-Share program. Robust and reliable funding is essential for meeting water quality goals. This program provides technical expertise and operational support to farmers who adopt sound, cost-effective conservation practices. The house’s proposed budget commits $26 million to ensure we can fund agricultural best management practices in the years ahead.
In addition to these key investments, it is important for legislators to support the Commonwealth’s fisheries by funding mussel and oyster restoration efforts, expanding and improving the Harrison Lake mussel hatchery, and funding critical science and research on Atlantic menhaden and oyster populations. CBF will also advocate for significant investments in environmental education and literacy.
Protecting Virginia’s Vital Wetlands
The Supreme Court’s 2023 decision in Sackett v. EPA removed federal protections from many wetlands nationwide, especially those that are isolated or lack direct surface connections to other waters. This ruling has left many of Virginia’s wetlands, which play a crucial role in supporting communities, local economies, and ecosystems, vulnerable to loss and degradation. Now more than ever, Virginia’s existing state laws and regulations for both tidal and nontidal wetlands are essential. Wetlands are among the most productive and vital ecosystems in Virginia, offering benefits like flood mitigation, water quality improvement, erosion control, wildlife habitat, and climate resilience.
CBF is urging state and local decision-makers not only to uphold current wetlands protections but also to establish strategies that safeguard these critical areas against impacts from human activity and climate change. Additionally, CBF is calling on legislators to direct the Secretary of Natural and Historic Resources to establish a standing work group to develop strategies for protecting the existing tidal and nontidal wetlands of the Commonwealth, and develop plans for wetland restoration and creation to address adverse impacts from human activities and climate change.
Specifically, CBF is urging legislators to support HB 2034 (introduced by Delegate Simonds), which directs the Secretary of Natural and Historic Resources to establish an interagency policy task force to develop strategies for protecting the existing tidal and nontidal wetlands of the Commonwealth, and develop plans for wetland restoration, creation, and migration to address adverse impacts from human activities and climate change. We are pleased that HB 2034 passed the house and will continue advocating for its passage in the senate.
Providing Localities with Needed Planning and Resources for Utility-Scale Solar Siting
To meet the Virginia Clean Economy Act goals to transition the Commonwealth to renewable energy generation, we need to accelerate the deployment of utility-scale solar. While this deployment will require significant swaths of land, regulations will soon be finalized, as laid out with the passage of HB 206 in 2022, to help minimize impacts on the Commonwealth’s valuable natural resources, especially our most outstanding forest cores.
Many localities considering local zoning approval for these projects lack the necessary planning and expertise to evaluate whether or not to approve these projects. The General Assembly should create a regional energy planning framework that will help all regions of the Commonwealth plan for the renewable energy transition. Additionally, the General Assembly should create an interagency task force to act as an advisory body to localities considering zoning approvals for utility-scale solar projects to ensure localities are evaluating objective information when considering these projects. CBF continues to encourage legislators to support Senator Deeds’ SB 1190 to establish the Virginia Energy Facility Review Board and the Virginia Clean Energy Technical Assistance Center.
Advancing Resilience Across the Commonwealth
The Commonwealth has made significant progress in bolstering climate resilience and water quality initiatives, including the establishment of the CFPF to help localities mitigate flood risks. However, climate change impacts—from sea level rise and more intense storms in coastal areas to severe flooding in regions previously unaffected—pose ongoing challenges and must be addressed. In Hampton Roads, sea level rise combined with land subsidence increases flooding risks for communities, infrastructure, and military installations, while Hurricane Helene recently devastated homes and infrastructure in Southwest Virginia.
To build resilience statewide, CBF has urged legislators to strengthen support for programs like CFPF, make funds accessible to tribal communities, and create a Living Shoreline Fund to expand natural defenses against erosion and storm surge. These measures are vital to protect Virginia’s economy, safeguard public health, and preserve the natural environment in the face of escalating climate threats. Specifically, CBF has been advocating for support of the following bills:
- HB 2077 (introduced by Delegate Krizek) modifies CFPF guidelines to allow federally-recognized tribal governments to have access to the funding. We’re encouraged to see this pass the house and will continue advocating for its approval in the senate.
- HB 1950 (introduced by Delegate Hernandez) and HB 2453 (introduced by Delegate Hodges) would create a Living Shorelines Fund. Unfortunately, these bills have failed to pass out of the House Appropriations Commerce, Agriculture, and Natural Resources subcommittee. CBF will continue to advocate for the creation of this critical fund in future sessions.
- HB 1949 (also introduced by Delegate Hernandez) would direct the Office of Commonwealth Resiliency to study the criteria needed to assign responsibility between the state and localities for each entities’ portion of the cost of CSRM feasibility studies and plan implementation. This bill did not advance from the House Committee on Rules.
Additionally, CBF has called on legislators to support HJ 434 (introduced by Delegate Feggans), which directs the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission to study how localities and others should monetarily contribute to CSRM studies—and whether a separate fund should be created to support these studies. We also advocated for legislators to support HJ 437 (introduced by Delegate Convirs-Fowler), which reestablishes the Joint Subcommittee of Recurrent Flooding. The house adopted both of these resolutions, and we’ll encourage the senate to do so as well.
Investing in Students’ Environmental Literacy
Learning how humans impact the environment and understanding the value of Virginia’s extraordinary natural resources are essential parts of our state education standards, yet many students lack access to outdoor learning opportunities that bring this knowledge to life. Leading educators and the Virginia Department of Education recognize that hands-on, inquiry-based learning has wide-ranging benefits for both environmental literacy and academic success.
We are urging legislators to allocate $1 million annually for a competitive grant program to expand Meaningful Watershed Education Experiences (MWEEs) across Virginia and are pleased to see this investment included in the house’s proposed budget. Increased funding will ensure that all students benefit from hands-on, educational opportunities to learn about their environment. The funding also supports environmental literacy planning and professional development for teachers. MWEEs empower students through immersive learning that strengthens environmental literacy, critical thinking, and academic success in subjects like science, math, and social studies. Currently, Virginia's investment in environmental education falls far behind neighboring states, putting our students at a disadvantage. Expanding MWEE funding statewide will promote stewardship, healthier lifestyles, and equip students with essential skills for the 21st-century workforce.
Implementing an Oyster Stock Assessment
Oysters are not only a cultural and economic cornerstone of the Chesapeake Bay region but are also critical to water quality and shoreline resilience. These natural filters help remove sediments and excess nutrients from the Bay, and their reefs create essential habitats for a variety of marine species.
CBF urged legislators to fund an additional staff scientist at the Virginia Marine Resources Commission to develop a comprehensive oyster stock assessment, which is crucial for the recovery of Virginia’s iconic oyster population and the sustainable growth of this vital industry. By funding an oyster stock assessment, Virginia can gather data to optimize restoration and conservation efforts, helping both the environment and local watermen who rely on healthy oyster stocks. This assessment would allow us to target investments wisely, ensuring that resources are directed toward the most promising areas for growth and restoration. Legislators had the opportunity to make a lasting impact on water quality, marine biodiversity, and Virginia’s economy by supporting this essential initiative.
HB 2521 (introduced by Delegate Lopez) directed the Virginia Marine Resources Commission and the Virginia Institute of Marine Science to conduct a stock assessment of the Commonwealth’s oyster population. While we are disappointed that the House Committee on Rules did not hear this bill and that the associated budget amendment was excluded in the proposed budget, we will continue to advocate for this crucial assessment in future sessions.
Studying Menhaden Ecology, Fishery Impacts, and Economic Importance
Atlantic menhaden, a small yet vital fish found in the Chesapeake Bay, play a critical role in sustaining both the ecosystem and the economy. Acting as a key food source, menhaden nourish popular fish species like striped bass and flounder, which are essential for commercial and recreational fisheries, as well as birds such as osprey. However, the menhaden population faces challenges from low recruitment rates, changing water quality, and climate impacts, which threaten the balance of the Bay’s ecosystem and the many industries it supports.
We urged Virginia legislators to support Delegate Milde’s HB 2713 funding for the Virginia Marine Resources Commission and the Virginia Institute of Marine Science to conduct a comprehensive, three-year study on menhaden ecology, fishery impacts, and economic importance. This research would inform sustainable management, protect local jobs, and ensure a resilient Bay ecosystem. HB 2713 failed to advance during this session, but we will continue working to ensure funding for this important study is allocated.
Preserving and Expanding Virginia’s Tree Canopy
Virginia continues to lose tree canopy at an alarming rate due to development, road expansions, energy infrastructure, and other causes. To address this urgent issue, CBF has advocated for legislators to support Delegate Willett’s HB 2630 which would enable developers to pay into a tree fund if they cannot meet canopy replacement requirements on site. This would provide local governments with additional funds to plant and maintain more trees on public and private property within their communities. This legislation successfully passed the house, and we will continue to advocate for its passage in the senate.
Studying Microplastics in Our Drinking Water
Microplastics are tiny fragments of plastics that contaminate waterways, wildlife, and people, and are the result of plastic breaking down over time. They are a threat to clean water, wildlife, and human health. Due to their chemical properties, microplastics carry several other pollutants with them that enhance their toxicity and pose risks to the environment and public health, including leaching into our drinking water.
HB 1618 (introduced by Delegate Clark) would have directed the Commissioner of Health to convene a workgroup to study the occurrence of microplastics in the Commonwealth’s drinking water and develop recommendations for reducing these microplastics. Unfortunately, this bill failed to advance from the House Committee on Rules. It is critical that Virginia legislators ensure the health of the Commonwealth’s drinking water supplies by understanding what toxins may be present in our water supply, and CBF will continue to work on this important issue in future sessions.
Be an Advocate for Clean Water Policies
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