Taking Action for Virginia
Policy makes conservation possible
9 in 10 Virginians Agree: More Outdoor Spaces
As Virginia expands to meet housing and energy demands, we must act now to safeguard the lands that sustain us. These landscapes are vital to our communities and the places we call home.
The Virginia Land Conservation Foundation (VLCF) is essential to protecting them. With legislators preparing a new state budget, it’s time to speak up for VLCF.
Sign up to be notified when to take action for conservation funding.
Virginia's Lands and Waters
Nature is essential to Virginia's livelihoods, traditions and well-being. Our lands and waters provide habitat for diverse plants and wildlife. They also support job-creating industries and outdoor recreation; generate food, timber and other commodities; protect clean water; and mitigate climate change.
Nature is the foundation for a thriving Virginia economy and for healthy, safe communities. But increasing development pressures, pollution and climate change threaten Virginia’s critical lands and waters.
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How We Work
The Nature Conservancy’s advocacy is informed by our conservation work on the ground to steward, restore and protect nature. Our approach is science-driven and solution-oriented. We advocate for policies that expand and accelerate real-world conservation impact across the Commonwealth and beyond, from enabling the protection of large-scale landscapes to rapid deployment of clean energy and acceleration of wetland protection and restoration efforts.
We work closely with the executive and legislative branches of government to advance policies that benefit nature. We work at the state, regional, national and even global levels to tackle complex problems and replicate successful conservation policies. Our non-partisan approach and strong partnerships with local communities, state agencies, industry groups and other environmental organizations enable us to achieve policy wins for nature regardless of which political party is in charge.
Funding for Nature
The Nature Conservancy has a long history of leading conservation finance in Virginia—championing programs like the Virginia Land Conservation Foundation (VLCF) and the Land Preservation Tax Credit. These tools have protected thousands of acres of forests, farms and public lands across the Commonwealth.
Join us in advocating for conservation funding through the state budget for:
Virginia Land Conservation Foundation (VLCF): VLCF is the state’s flagship program for conserving natural and working lands. It provides grants to protect farms, forests, historic sites and natural areas that sustain our communities. Continued funding ensures these landscapes remain part of Virginia’s future.
Community Flood Preparedness Fund (CFPF): Investments here help communities reduce flood risks and build resilience in the face of climate change.
Support for State Agencies: Virginia’s natural resource agencies need staff and resources to manage public lands and carry out their missions effectively.
Critical Conservation Needs: From updating freshwater mussel breeding facilities to seizing unique opportunities for land and water protection, funding is essential.
We’re also working with a broad coalition to advance the Virginia’s Great Outdoors Act (VGOA). This landmark proposal would provide dedicated, long-term funding for conservation and outdoor access, ensuring that trails, parks and natural areas are protected and available for everyone.
Are you ready to speak up for nature?
Sign up to be notified of opportunities to take action for Virginia's lands and waters.
Clean Energy and Climate
Climate change is one of the world’s most urgent challenges and an immediate risk to our communities, economy and long-lasting conservation efforts. The Nature Conservancy was part of a coalition that advocated for the Virginia Clean Economy Act in 2021 and continues to defend specific aspects of this legislation and advocate for policies that will help Virginia reach net zero emissions by 2045.
The Nature Conservancy works with policymakers, business leaders and environmental partners to advance a two-pronged approach to climate policy:
Expand the use of natural climate solutions
Reduce greenhouse gas emissions emitted by humans by responsibly deploying more renewable energy, improving energy efficiency and reducing carbon dioxide emissions from Virginia’s transportation sector.
Natural Climate Solutions
Natural climate solutions are actions to protect, better manage and restore nature to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and store carbon. Science led by TNC shows that—combined with cutting fossil-fuel use and accelerating renewable energy—these solutions for climate change can help us avoid the worst impacts of the climate crisis. TNC supports policies in Virginia to restore wetlands and improve forest management on public and private lands, including by returning prescribed fire to fire-adapted landscapes.
Smart Siting
Virginia needs to rapidly build up its solar capacity to meet the goals of the Clean Economy Act and to reach net-zero emissions by 2045. At the same time, we need to minimize the extent to which new solar installations are eliminating forests and farmland from the landscape and impacting sensitive ecosystems.
TNC worked on legislation adopted by the General Assembly in 2022 to require mitigation for the impacts of solar on prime agricultural soils and forest land. TNC provided scientific expertise and advised on best practices during the stakeholder process to craft the new regulations needed to implement this legislation. We also support increasing solar siting on already-impacted lands such as brownfields and old mine sites, and have a pilot project in the Cumberland Forest.
Energy Efficiency
Transitioning to zero-carbon energy is not enough to achieve our climate goals—we must also use our energy wisely to reduce our energy demand. Energy efficiency means using technology to achieve the same result while using less energy, and the potential to improve Virginia’s energy efficiency is tremendous. Energy efficiency is a triple win: the energy with the least environmental impact is the energy never generated, plus energy efficiency lowers energy bills while sustaining thousands of local jobs.
Reducing Transportation Emissions
The largest source of carbon dioxide in Virginia is our personal vehicles—cars, pick-up trucks and SUVs. Electric vehicles emit significantly less carbon dioxide over their lifetime than gas or diesel-powered vehicles. They are an essential component of tackling climate change. TNC supports policies to accelerate the transition to electric vehicles and develop transportation alternatives to traveling by car, like public transit and infrastructure for walking and biking.
Our Team
Nikki Rovner, Associate State Director, nrovner@tnc.org
Lena Lewis, Climate and Energy Policy Manager, lena.lewis@tnc.org
Mikaela Ruiz-Ramon, Public Funding and Policy Manager, m.ruiz-ramon@tnc.org
Recent Stories
Nature Is Common Ground—and Common Sense
The Nature Conservancy remains committed to creating a world where everyone thrives alongside nature for generations to come, protecting and preserving nature.
The Cumberland Forest Project: Conservation at Scale
With many years in the making, this innovative project demonstrates the climate benefits of sustainable forest management while providing positive conservation, community and financial returns.
Mission Possible
In the United States, our way of life depends on conservation and climate policies. TNC’s Mission Possible series shows how people all over the country benefit from policy.