Virginia legislators are poised to consider key environmental budget and policy during the 2025 legislative session on Chesapeake Bay restoration, flooding and resiliency, menhaden, oysters, and environmental education.
Governor Youngkin formally recommitted to Chesapeake Bay restoration at a gathering of Bay state leaders December 10 and released an executive directive that outlines Virginia’s role in the next chapter of Bay restoration. On Dec. 18, Youngkin also rolled out his budget priorities for the second year of Virginia’s two-year budget.
“Virginia is still lagging in meeting Chesapeake Bay restoration commitments by a 2025 deadline. But Governor Youngkin’s recommitment to Bay restoration charts a promising path forward for cleaner water and healthier communities in Virginia,” said Chesapeake Bay Foundation (CBF) Virginia Executive Director Chris Moore.
“During the upcoming General Assembly session, the Chesapeake Bay Foundation will support legislative and budget measures that help the Commonwealth meet restoration targets, protect communities against extreme weather, invests in the wise management of living resources, and preserves critical habitat and wildlife,” Moore said.
During the session, legislators must confront new challenges from a changing climate as well as growing demands from development and data centers.
The latest science as well as investments in successful and innovative programs offer opportunities for a healthy and more resilient future for Virginia and the Chesapeake Bay. In addition, legislators may answer long-running questions about the health of iconic species including oysters and menhaden.
Environmental Education Expansion to Keep Virginia Students on Par with Neighboring States
Lawmakers should support $1 million annually for a competitive environmental education experiences grant program as well as expand the program statewide.
- Human impact on the environment and the value of Virginia’s natural resources are essential parts of state education standards, but many school districts aren’t connected to the resources needed to offer the hands-on, inquiry-based learning opportunities that lead to successful environmental education.
- Virginia’s current investments of just 30 cents per student in environmental education lags significantly behind neighboring states, falling 89.2% below Maryland ($2.78 per student) and 48.3% less than Pennsylvania (58¢ per student).
Shield Homes and Businesses from Flooding & Extreme Weather
Invest in Virginia’s Community Flood Preparedness Fund (CFPF): CFPF is the only state program that funds flood protection projects across Virginia. That work could grind to a halt without new investment. The Community Flood Preparedness Fund needs $100 million for the second year of the budget. CBF also urges legislators to allow tribal governments to have access to CFPF.
Support the Stormwater Local Assistance Fund (SLAF): Runoff from roofs, sidewalks, and roadways is a major source of harmful pollutants reaching our waterways. SLAF provides matching grants to localities for projects that reduce polluted runoff, such as stream restoration, rain gardens, and other retrofits. To meet our Bay clean-up goals, the SLAF program needs $50 million in this year’s budget.
Develop Plans for Wetland Protection: In the wake of a Supreme Court decision that rolled back federal protection for wetlands, CBF urges legislators to create a workgroup to develop plans to create and restore these natural water filterers and sponges.
Preserve and Conserve Trees: Another natural sponge that cools our neighborhoods and reduces our energy use, trees are essential elements in Virginia’s fight against extreme weather. Many local governments have expressed the desire to use tree canopy to cost-effectively reduce flooding, manage stormwater, and reduce the health impacts of urban heat islands on their residents. But localities have limited authority to do so. Legislators can help by enabling developers to pay into a tree fund if they can’t achieve mandated canopy replacement, support and expand a tree grant program to include maintenance of both young and mature trees, plus require transportation projects like roads and highways to incorporate trees into their designs and budgeting processes.
Living Shorelines: To bolster Virginia’s resilience from shoreline erosion and other impacts of climate change, CBF supports increased investment in living shorelines and a dedicated, statewide, largescale living shoreline fund. Living shorelines are often created by planting native wetland plants, and grasses, shrubs, and trees at various points along a shoreline.
Protecting and Restoring Key Species
Menhaden: Menhaden are a small fish that are a critical food for striped bass, osprey, whales, and other species, and the target of a major industrial fishery. Virginia needs more data on the Bay’s menhaden population to responsibly manage the fishery and ensure a sustainable population. Virginia legislators previously approved a development of a study on the menhaden population and should now fund this $3 million assessment to get the work started.
Oysters: In addition to serving as delicious cultural fare, oysters provide a host of benefits to the Commonwealth including cleaner waters, shoreline protection, and habitat for blue crab and striped bass. Their restoration supports an oyster industry that has experienced a 52 percent increase in dockside value since 2013.
In addition to $4.5 million for continued oyster restoration and replenishment efforts, investment in an oyster stock assessment is key to continuing efforts to rebuild the Bay’s oyster population. The assessment will help target restoration funding to the most needed areas by estimating the abundance of oysters in Virginia’s portion of the Bay, the fraction of oysters that die each year from natural causes, and the fraction of oysters that are harvested each year.
Mussels: These valuable organisms that filter water and reduce pollution have shown rapid decline with 20 years of signs of recovering struggles. Increased state funding can advance mussel population restoration as well as support the Harrison Lake mussel hatchery.
Durable Future for Clean Energy
To achieve established clean energy goals without compromising farmland or forests, lawmakers should create a body that provides state advisory opinions for localities to consider when evaluating zoning approval for a utility-scale solar project. A regional energy plan should also be required to lay out how Virginia localities will meet clean energy targets.
Reducing Pollution
Practices like fencing cattle out of streams, planting streamside trees and grasses, and many others are the most cost-effective steps Virginia can take to restore the Bay and local streams. At the same time, many of Virginia’s sewage treatment facilities have made important progress in nutrient reductions in recent years due to investments made by the General Assembly.
CBF thanks legislators for their robust investment in the Virginia Agriculture cost-share program as well as wastewater treatment plant upgrades and urges them to keep these programs fully funded in years to come.
Virginia Communications & Media Relations Manager, CBF
[email protected]
804-258-1567
