VCN
E-NEWS: February 27, 2004
THE
WEEK IN REVIEW
NATURAL RESOURCES FUNDING: The matter of funding for natural
resources remains alive in the budget arena. The Senate
budget is very favorable and the House budget is not.
There is a $75 million difference. The Senate budget has
at least $30 million in dedicated funding for land and
water conservation with the source of funding being from
a sales tax increase. Of the other original VCN supported
funding bills, only one remains. It is HB549 (May) that
provides funding for support of the Virginia Outdoors
Foundation conservation easement program. It is now before
the Senate Finance Committee.
WATER RESOURCES: Controversy surrounding the proposed
King William Reservoir won't go away. This past week an
arrangement was made resulting in VMRC agreeing to hold
an additional hearing regarding its permit. [Visit the
VCN website for a newspaper article - on the Issues Update
page.] Also, a bill in the Senate and a bill in the House
have been held with the suspicion that some mischief pertaining
to the reservoir issue or the VMRC authority issue may
come about through attaching an amendment.
RAIL AUTHORITY and I-81 ITEMS: Senator Edwards bill, SB413,
has run into some problems in the House because of concerns
over its fiscal impact. However, the Senate budget amendments
provide start-up costs of $75,000 per year. The fiscal
impacts will be heard in a House Appropriations subcommittee
meeting on Monday (3/1) morning. The other bill related
to I-81, HB 905 (Wardrup), has not been placed on the
Senate Transportation docket due to the opposition that
has surfaced. Thus, we have held off on our final alert
on this bill - - - look for the VCN E-Alert early next
week.
BUDGET CONSIDERATIONS: The VCN Board met on Friday, February
27, 2004 and took positions on several budget amendments.
These will be written up early next week and posted on
the VCN website by mid-week.
2004 VCN STATEMENTS OF POSITION - - Visit the VCN Website
[www.vcnva.org] and go to the White Papers and Issues
page for the updated position statement. It is updated
as of February 27, 2004. If that update is not there when
you first check, check a little later. It will be up soon.
On Friday, February 27th at a Special Meeting, the VCN
Board took a position of opposition to SB 651 (Norment).
There is adverse language pertaining to the environmental
considerations in this bill which otherwise addresses
Electric Utility Restructuring. The intent of the opposition
it to have the adverse language removed. Go to the VCN
Issues and White Papers page for talking points and a
fact sheet.
ACTION ALERTS
Watch for ALERTS on the following topics: * Watch out
for an alert on SB 670 (Newman) this weekend (yep, another
one) * Watch out for an alert on SB 651 (Norment) re environmental
aspects of the Electric Restructuring bill also this weekend
* Watch for an alert on HB 905 (Wardrup) on Monday.
* SB 252 - - Go to our Action Alert page (www.vcnva.org)
and view the alert on SB 252, Operation of Bicycles and
Similar Vehicles (Deeds). This bill would make bicycling
safer and protect bicyclists' rights in Virginia by amending
six sections of the Code of Virginia to 1) clarify a two-foot
minimum safe passing distance for (motor) vehicles (Sec.
46.2-838); 2) allow bicyclists to signal right turns and
stopping with either the right or left arm (Sec. 46.2-849);
3) allow bicyclists to ride two abreast when not impeding
"the normal and reasonable movement of traffic"
(Sec. 46.2-905); 4) remove the authority for local mandatory
sidepath ordinances (Sec. 46.2-905); 5) cite the current
(CPSC) helmet safety standard in the section (46.2-906.1)
that allows local bicycle helmet ordinances; 6) direct
that all transportation on wheels move with (not against)
other traffic (Sec. 46.2-932); and 7) allow (steady or
blinking) lights and reflectors, and other enhancements.
After VCN E-Alerts arrive in your e-mail box, they are
then posted on our website, but it may take a day for
them to get there. All the alerts have links to where
you can get more information. Please respond to the ALERTS
and help our member organizations who are following these
critical issues.
NEWS
Check out the VCN website - NEWS page for recent articles.
CALENDAR
***Virginia's Congressional Delegation March
4, 2004
What:
VBF Visits Virginia's Congressional Delegation
When:
Thursday, March 4th
Where:
Washington, DC
Information:
This event is free, and all concerned Virginia Cyclists
are encouraged to attend. Contact VBF's President for
more information.
Allen Muchnick, President Virginia Bicycling Federation
PO Box 5621, Arlington VA 22205 muchnick@capaccess.org
703-271-0895
***Promoting Smart Growth - New River ValleyMarch
4, 2004
A
Symposium: Promoting Smart Growth in the New River Valley
Smart Growth & Environmental Protection
Keynote
Speaker: Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
Thursday,
March 4, 2004, 8:00PM
Burruss
Hall, Virginia Tech
#####
Achieving Smart Growth: Monday, March 1, 2004, 7:00PM
Donaldson
Brown Auditorium, Virginia Tech
Dave
Cieslewicz, Mayor of Madison, Wisconsin
#####
Designing Smart Growth: Friday, March 19, 2004, 3:00PM
Squires
Student Center, Virginia Tech Room 150
John
Frece, Designer of the Maryland Smart Growth and Neighborhood
Conservation Initiative
For
more information contact: smartgrowth@vt.edu
***Water Quality Monitoring Quality Assurance / Quality
Control Session
Saturday,
March 06, 2004
10:00
AM - 3:00 PM
Nike
Park - Carrollton, Virginia
Groups and individual monitors will join together for
a early afternoon social event to share their experiences
in water quality monitoring. Participants are encouraged
to bring pictures and use the Alliance's interactive database
to track trends in data using graphs and other tools available
on our website.
Following the social and buffet lunch, provided by the
Alliance, the monitors will participate in a lab practical
demonstrating their proficiency in the Alliance's water
quality monitoring protocols. The lab practical will include
testing for parameters like: air and water temperature;
water clarity using secchi disks and transparency tubes;
dissolved oxygen; pH and salinity. Replacement testing
chemicals and equipment will be distributed to monitors
whose equipment needs calibration.
Registration Status: Open Organization: Alliance for the
Chesapeake Bay Cost: Free Contact: Jessica Blackburn -
(804) 775-0951 or Stacey Moulds / (804)775-0951
*** Wildlife Center Open House
Sunday:
March 7, 2004 and Sunday: March 21, 2004
Waynesboro,
Virginia
These Open House days give people a chance to see our
wildlife rehabilitation center in action. There is no
charge for the Open House, but reservations for the tours
are required. Tours on each day run at the following times:
12:30 pm, 2:00 pm, 3:30 pm. Located in Waynesboro, Virginia,
WCV is just 1/2 mile off I-64. Dates are subject to change,
so please call (540) 942-9453 for reservations and directions.
E-mail information to wildlife@wildlifecenter.org.
*** March's "Green Breakfast"
Date:
Saturday March 13, 2004
Time:
8:15 AM - 10:00 AM
Uncle
Louie's Restaurant, Norfolk, Virginia
8:15am
Breakfast Optional (from the menu or a la carte)
9:00am
Presentation: "Learn to Landscape the Bay-Friendly
Way"
Learn
about Bay-friendly gardening techniques that help protect
the environment and water quality of our Bay and its tributaries.
The guest speaker will provide specific information about
native plants, which are better adapted to local conditions
and therefore require less watering, fertilizer, and chemicals.
Native plants can save homeowners money and time and can
even increase the presence of wildlife and butterflies
in your yard! To RSVP, contact Christy Everett in CBF's
Office in Hampton Roads (ceverett@cbf.org or 757/622-1964)
***March's "Save the Bay Breakfast"
Date:
Saturday March 27, 2004
Time:
8:30 AM - 10:00 AM
Sandy
Bottom Nature Park, Hampton, Virginia
8:30am
Coffee & Bagels (donations suggested)
9:00am
Presentation (free and open to the public): "Landscape
the Bayfriendly Way" To RSVP, contact Christy Everett
in CBF's Office in Hampton Roads (ceverett@cbf.org or
757/622-1964)
***15th Annual Environment Virginia Conference
Where:
VMI: Lexington, VA
When:
March 30, 2004 & April 01, 2004
Time:
All Day
Please
mark your calendar for the 15th Annual Environment Virginia
Conference March 30 through April 1, 2004 at the Virginia
Military Institute (VMI) in beautiful Lexington, VA. Field
trips, workshops, seminars, and plenary sessions will
cover important issues which will include air, water,
and waste. Registration fee discount available for registration
before January 30.
For up-to-date program, workshop, and registration information,
please visit our Web site: www.environmentva.org or contact
Environment Virginia 2004, Virginia Military Institute,
502 Cocke Hall, Lexington, VA 24450 (540) 464-7551.
***OUTREACH OPPORTUNITY Environmental Fair Mount Vernon
Unitarian Church Sunday April 18th 11am-2pm You are invited
to join other environmental groups in outreach to the
Mount Vernon Community. Contact jwamsley5@comcast.net
703-751-6086 for details.
***The Oak Hill Fund is pleased to offer forty $600 scholarships
for qualifying Virginia organizations to attend the 2004
River Network River Rally to be held at Wintergreen Resort
in Nelson County, Virginia, May 21-25. For complete information
on this opportunity, please go to www.oakhillfund.org
and click on the "*Temporary Request for Proposals"
link.
Thank
you,
Jason
Halbert,
The
Oak Hill Fund, www.oakhillfund.org
Save the Date!
May
21 - 25, 2004
Wintergreen
Resort
Please
plan to attend the 5th Annual River Rally and join river
lovers from across the country for four days of learning,
sharing and celebration. This year, River Network will
host the River Rally on May 21 through May 25 at the Wintergreen
Resort in the scenic Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia.
This
event is the only comprehensive national conference for
persons working to understand, restore and protect rivers.
Staff, volunteers and board members - experienced and
inexperienced -will learn about how to raise more funds,
get more people involved in their organizations, watershed
science, hands-on watershed protection skills, and much
more. Over 80 workshops and nine field trips will help
participants learn from and celebrate the successes of
watershed efforts across the country. Afterwards, May
25th will be your chance to travel to our nation's capital
for River Lobby Day. This optional day will be organized
by American Rivers, so that Rally participants can share
their perspectives on the urgent needs of our nation's
water resources with the people making decisions in Washington,
D.C. General Registration includes most meals and four
nights' lodging as well as shuttles from Charlottesville
airport. Group discounts are offered. Rally registration
is available on line in January at www.rivernetwork.org
or, to request a brochure; contact the River Network office
at (503) 241-3506. Scholarships are available, but requests
for scholarships are due in early March, so please register
soon. Rally registration questions should be directed
to riverrally@rivernetwork.org
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