Though it was a short legislative session, Virginia lawmakers secured significant victories this month for climate adaptation, conservation, and cleaner water—all helping lead to healthier communities and a stronger economy.
This session marked wins for the state’s wetlands, outdoor learning for students, stronger safeguards against disastrous weather, and protecting Virginia’s trees.
But there’s still more work to be done when it comes to the Chesapeake Bay’s most important fish known as menhaden, funding living shorelines, studying microplastics in our drinking water, and protecting homes and businesses from extreme storms.
CBF backed the following bills and budget measures passed by lawmakers, which will now head to Governor Youngkin to consider signing into law:
Protecting Virginians from Flooding and Extreme Weather
- HB 2034 introduced by Delegate Shelly Simonds: This bill establishes a taskforce to protect the state’s existing tidal and nontidal wetlands, which are natural water filterers and sponges. The Supreme Court’s 2023 decision in Sackett v. EPA stripped federal protections from many wetlands nationwide, making Virginia’s existing regulations even more essential.
- HB 2630 introduced by Delegate Rodney Willett and HB 2638 introduced by Delegate Patrick Hope: These bills are especially important as the state continues to lose tree canopy at an alarming rate. Another natural sponge that cools our neighborhoods and reduces our energy use, trees would be easier to preserve and replace under these two bills that answer calls to expand localities’ ability to conserve tree canopy.
- HB 2077 introduced by Delegate Paul Krizek: This bill allows federally-recognized tribal governments access to Community Flood Preparedness funding.
- HJ 434 introduced by Delegate Michael Feggans and HJ 437 introduced by Delegate Kelly Convirs-Fowler: HJ434 directs studies on how state and localities would fund Coastal Storm Risk Management (CSRM) plans. HJ437 reestablishes the Joint Subcommittee of Recurrent Flooding.
- $50 million to provide climate resilience funding. With the need for proactive flood prevention at an all-time high, lawmakers slotted these monies to the Community Flood Preparedness Fund (CFPF), which provides vital grants to localities across the state—from Winchester to Hampton, Danville to Fairfax.
Protecting and Restoring Key Species
- CBF is encouraged to see $250,000 in the state budget to reduce the predatory pressure of the invasive blue catfish in Virginia’s waters on native species like menhaden, striped bass, shad, and blue crabs. These funds will help increase processing capacity of blue catfish so we can get more of them out of the waters and onto people’s plates.
- CBF is deeply disappointed that Omega Protein once again stood in the way of science to thwart good faith efforts to study the health of the Chesapeake Bay’s menhaden population.
Solar Projects: Durable Future for Clean Energy
- To achieve established clean energy goals without unduly compromising farmland or forests, CBF supported legislation to create a state advisory body for localities considering utility-scale solar projects. The legislation also required a regional energy plan. CBF is disappointed this measure did not advance, and remains committed to supporting localities seeking utility-scale solar projects.
Reducing Pollution in Waterways
- $40 million in the proposed state budget 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.
- $31 million to fully fund wastewater treatment plant upgrades and $26 million for the Virginia Agricultural Cost-Share program: 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.
Advancing Environmental Education
- The budget includes an investment of $500,000 to support the statewide competitive environmental education experiences grant program. This ensures that Virginia's youth meet state education standards and stay on par with neighboring states. The state’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 cents per student).
CBF Virginia Policy Manager Jay Ford released the following statement:
“This General Assembly session delivered some significant wins for Virginia’s environment and our communities. Lawmakers prioritized wetlands protection, expanded local authority to preserve vital tree canopy, and secured critical funding for flood preparedness and stormwater management. These victories will bolster our resilience to climate change, protect clean water, and create a healthier Commonwealth.
“Investments in reducing the impact of invasive blue catfish will help control this threat to the Bay’s blue crab population and other native species. However, Omega Protein’s continued resistance to a science-based menhaden study is deeply concerning. This crucial fish is essential for the Bay’s overall health, and we urge lawmakers to prioritize this in future sessions.
“While solar siting legislation did not advance, we will continue to advocate for responsible clean energy development. Protecting our homes and businesses from increasingly severe storms remains a top priority, so we must address the urgent need for living shoreline funding and further explore the impacts of microplastics in our drinking water.”
Virginia Communications & Media Relations Manager, CBF
[email protected]
804-258-1567
