VCN
E-NEWS: April 30, 2004
NEWS
ITEMS
VETO SESSION UPDATE
The General Assembly has passed a revenue bill and the
budget conferees will now be working on how the money
will be spent. We will let you know as soon as we hear
about natural resources spending.
Last week the General Assembly convened for the Veto Session.
The Governor made amendments to three of our priority
bills. The General Assembly supported one of the Governor’s
amendments and rejected the other two.
HB 549 (May) – HB549 establishes an additional recordation
fee, on deeds, of $1.00 to be used by the Virginia Outdoors
Foundation for open spaces preservation. The Governor
made a couple minor amendments that were upheld with no
debate. SB 670 (Newman) – SB670 would require the Culpeper
Transportation District to cover all costs of the 29 Bypass
if the road is not built. This bill runs contrary to the
decision-making processes that are in place and continues
to advance a project that will have dire environmental
consequences. The Governor amendments would have slightly
improved the bill. The Senate voted 15-25 against the
Governor’s amendments. A number of organizations are now
asking the Governor to veto the bill.
HB 639 (Abbitt) – HB 639 allows the building of a landfill
in Appomattox County within in 5-mile of a water supply
and on a wetland but includes language that requires all
future requests to go through a much more strenuous environmental
test. The Governor amended the bill to require a re-enactment
in 2005. The amendment was rejected in the House on a
31-67 vote
DEQ NOTICE OF PUBLIC
COMMENT PERIOD ON PERMIT FEES - - notice has been provided
for the public comment period on various permit fee programs
administered by DEQ. These include VPDES, VPA, VWP, Hazardous
Waste, Solid Waste, and Air permit applications. Since
the amount of the permits was established by legislation,
there is little to comment on. One area in which there
is still some flexibility deals with the discounts to
be allowed for environmental excellence as performed by
the permit seeker. Another area for comment deals with
the process for assessing and collecting the permit fees.
The public comment period starts on April 26 and ends
on May 7, 2004. Details can be found on the Regulatory
Town Hall Site or the DEQ website - - www.deq.state.va.us
- - where the process is highlighted on the home page
NUTRIENT MANAGEMENT TRAINING AND
CERTIFICATION REGULATIONS
DCR published a "Notice of Regulatory Action on Department's
Nutrient Management Training and Certification Regulations"
in the Virginia Register on April 5, requesting comments
until May 13. This may sound innocuous but it considerably
stiffens "nutrient management plan content and development
procedures to enhance nitrogen and phosphorous management
provisions in order to protect water quality."
As is known:
1) The Chesapeake Bay is formally designated as impaired
by EPA because of high nitrogen and phosphorous pollution,
2) Non-point source pollution is larger than point-source
pollution, and
3) Agriculture accounts for most of the non point-source
pollution and is the largest contributor to pollution
of the Bay.
Nutrient management plans for both nitrogen and phosphorous
must be enacted and enforced if the Bay is to be improved.
Without this, and other, action, such as mandating 100-foot
buffers, agricultural pollution cannot be controlled.
These regulations target all fertilizer, but especially
phosphorous-rich animal products such as poultry waste,
animal manure and municipal sewage sludge.
Concerned citizens are urged to make their positions known
during the comment period. The announcement of intention
is available at: www.townhall.state.va.us
under the regulations scheduled for publication in the
next Virginia Register.
Note: There is a briefing meeting and hearing on this
item at the Henrico Government Center on May 6, 2004 at
7:00 p.m.
VDOT Subdivision Street Standards -
Regulatory Changes:
During the work on the new VDOT policy on bicycle and
pedestrian accommodations, many questions were raised
on how comments could be made regarding the update of
the subdivision street requirements. It is anticipated
that the proposed updated requirements will be posted
in the Virginia Register on May 3, beginning the official
60-day public comment period. VDOT will host five regional
public hearings during that time. Details on the submitting
comments and the hearings can be found on VDOT’s website
at http://www.virginiadot.org/projects/ssr-rev.asp.
NOAA/FISH AMERICA ROUNDATION REQUEST
FOR PORPOSAL
The NOAA / FishAmerica Foundation Request for Proposals
is now open. It will close on May 28, 2004 at 5 pm.
Applications should be sent directly to FishAmerica Foundation.
"The partnership requests proposals for local efforts
to accomplish meaningful on-the-ground restoration of
marine, estuarine and riparian habitats, including salt
marshes, seagrass beds, mangrove forests, and freshwater
habitats important to anadromous fish species (fish like
salmon and striped bass that spawn in freshwater and migrate
to the sea). Emphasis is on using a hands-on, grassroots
approach to restore fisheries habitat across coastal America.
" "Non-profit organizations such as local sporting
clubs and conservation associations and local and state
governments may apply for funding."
This RFP features:
Approximately $600,000 for Community-based Habitat Restoration
Projects. Emphasis is placed on marine and estuarine projects
from the West Coast as well as projects in the Chesapeake
Bay watershed.
Funding range between $5,000 - $50,000
Stricter permitting and compliance language including
seeking better information for NEPA review
Minimum Monitoring Requirements
The Request for Proposal and FAF will be posted soon on
the RC
website
SAVE THE DATE - - August 11th and
12th are the dates for the VMRC's further consideration
of the King William Reservoir Permit. Details should be
on the Commission's web site soon. http://www.mrc.state.va.us
CALENDAR
MAY
IS BIKE MONTH PROCLAMATION-SATURDAY, MAY 1
Make plans to attend the presentation of the Governor’s
Proclamation by Lt. Governor Tim Kaine on the Capitol
grounds in Richmond at 9:00 am Saturday, May 1. Everyone
will be given a copy of the Proclamation to take back
to their locality and present to elected officials. Join
Lt. Governor Tim Kaine for a 45 minute bike ride after
the presentation. For a flyer on the event, go to http://www.bikewalkvirginia.org/documents/proclamationflyer04.pdf
Even if you cannot attend the event on May 1 you can still
present a copy of the Governor’s “May Is Bike Month Proclamation”
to your elected officials. Simply attend a May meeting
of your Town or City Council meeting, or Board of Supervisors,
and present a copy of the Proclamation to each member.
You may want to thank your elected officials for a recent
bike project in your community. . You can download a copy
of the Proclamation at
http://virginiadot.org/infoservice/bk-calendar-may.asp
Please let BikeWalk Virginia (info@bikewalkvirginia.org)
know if you would like to present the Proclamation in
your community. They will send you additional material
to give to your elected officials! They need 5 days notice
for mailing.
WETLAND RESTORATION OPPORTUNITIES-
Tuesday, May 4th 2004
Hampton Roads Planning District Commission,
Chesapeake, Virginia
Register Now for the Workshop on Voluntary Wetland Restoration
Opportunities in Virginia!
The third of four workshops on Voluntary Wetland Restoration
Opportunities in Virginia, will be held on Tuesday, May
4th, 2004 at the Hampton Roads Planning District Commission
Regional Building in Chesapeake, Virginia. The main purpose
of the workshop is to encourage voluntary wetland restoration
and enhancement on private and public lands through the
education of Virginia citizens on available technical
and financial opportunities.
This workshop is part of on-going efforts to establish
a Virginia Citizen Wetland Education, Outreach, and Monitoring
Initiative, funded through a grant from the EPA to the
DEQ and the Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay (Alliance).
This initiative will provide public education and outreach
concerning wetland restoration in Virginia and wetland
assessment monitoring of created, enhanced, and restored
wetland areas.
Leaders of natural resource associations and organizations
including watershed, civic, land trust, state, federal,
and local governments have been invited to participate
in the workshop. We strongly encourage private landowners
who are interested in a wetland creation, restoration
or enhancement project on their land to attend this workshop.
The Hampton Roads workshop is one of two scheduled to
occur across Virginia; one remaining workshop is additionally
planned for the Roanoke area on Wednesday, September 22nd.
The workshop is free for all participants. Registration
is required. Lunch will be provided (optional) for $ 10
per-person, pre-paid with registration.
Agenda highlights include:
· Defining Wetland Restoration and Enhancement
and the tools available for identification of sites with
restoration potential
· Technical and Financial Assistance available
for Voluntary Wetland Restoration and Enhancement within
Virginia
· Case Studies
Up-to-date information may be obtained from the Alliance
for the Chesapeake Bay's Calendar of Events on their Website
at www.AllianceChesBay.org/events.cfm.
Please distribute this information to anyone else you
think may be interested.
For specific questions regarding the workshop, please
contact Hadley Milliken (hmilliken@acb-online.org)
or Stacey Moulds (smoulds@acb-online.org)
of the Alliance at 804.775.0951.
INAUGURAL
CAPITOL-TO-CAPITOL RIDE-SATURDAY, MAY 15 Join Secretary
of Transportation Whitt Clement, and cyclists from all
over the Commonwealth for the inaugural Capitol-to-Capitol
Century/Half Century Ride on Saturday, May 15th. Riders
will start simultaneously from Richmond (Dorey Park) and
Williamsburg (Jamestown High School) and meet in the middle
at the Charles City Courthouse Green at 11am. The route
is the TransAmerica (old Bike Route 76) along the historic
and Route 5 Scenic Byway. This is also the proposed route
for the VIRGINIA CAPITOL TRAIL, which parallels the James
River on the Peninsula between our colonial capital in
Williamsburg and our modern capital in Richmond. There
will be Rest Stops located at all three points (Williamsburg,
Richmond, Charles City) hosted by Williamsburg Area Bicyclists
(WAB) and Richmond Area Bicycling Association (RABA) and
volunteers from Charles City County. Limited SAG support.
Route opens at 7:30 a.m. closes by 5:00 p.m. There is
no fee for the inaugural ride, but all riders must register.
For updated information online see: wabonline.org or raba.org.
To volunteer, contact Doug Ellis (doug07@cox.net)
BUILDING A BETTER REGION CONFERENCE-MAY
17
Friends of the Richmond Region:
I am pleased to tell you about a great opportunity for
Richmond coming on May 17th. Called Building A Better
Richmond Region, this conference will feature Andres Duany
and Anton Nelessen, two of the world's premiere architectural
and planning talents and founders of the New Urbanism.
During this full-day event, we will learn about some of
the tenets of New Urbanism, how it can help to create
great places while protecting sensitive areas and enhancing
public spaces. More importantly, we will hear what it
takes to make it happen in the Richmond Region.
This event is a win-win-win for all involved. Elected
leaders will learn how to combat difficult growth issues
with the tools they learn here. They can then take these
tools and put them to work in their jurisdictions to help
allow smart growth to happen. Developers, architects and
builders will learn of ways that other places are being
built that attract people and profits. They will also
learn that New Urbanism requires more than simply adding
porches and alleys. Environmentalists and concerned citizens
will find that New Urbanism allows growth to happen while
preserving what is important. As important, it will show
how it works from the rural fringe to the urban core,
and everywhere in between.
Please take the time to visit the conference website at
www.betterrichmond.com and while you are there, register
for this great event.
Please also pass this information along to those that
you know would benefit from attending. We look forward
to your participation in this event and look forward to
your help in making this a truly Better Richmond Region!
Yours Truly,
Dave Anderson, David.Anderson@timmons.com
Conference Chair
Building A Better Richmond Region
Future Vision for CBLAD - - - On
May 19, 2004 at 10:00 in CBLAD conference room (Monroe
Building, 17th Floor, downtown Richmond), there will be
a meeting of the CBLAB Policy Committee. The committee
will be discussing their future vision for CBLAD, as input
into the Agency's current strategic planning effort, and
preliminary thoughts on the regulation revision process.
This meeting is open to the public. VCN member organizations
are encouraged to attend, observe, and participate.
14TH ANNUAL HEARTWOOD FOREST COUNCIL-May
28-31
Friday, May 28 to Monday, May 31: 14th Annual Heartwood
Forest Council, this year in Fort Valley, Virginia (between
Edinburg & Luray in the Shenandoah Valley). Join folks
from across the East concerned with protecting the nation's
forests, air & water. See http://www.heartwood.org/
for details, program, and on-line registration. Hosted
by Virginia Forest Watch.
JOB ANNOUNCEMENT
Land Conservation Specialist
Position
The position
detailed below is under recruitment. To be considered,
the Human Resources Office at the Virginia Department
of Conservation and Recreation must receive your state
application and/or resume by the close-out date listed
below by 5 p.m. United States Eastern Time by fax at (804)
371-0315, or by mail addressed to the Department of Conservation
and Recreation, ATTN Human Resources Office, Suite 402,
203 Governor Street, Richmond, VA 23219. Equal Opportunity
Employer.
Env. Spec. II, position #00037 - The Department of Conservation
and Recreation, Director's Office, is seeking a Land Conservation
Specialist to coordinate statewide land conservation activities.
DUTIES: Provides expertise and leadership in the promotion
of land conservation, to include educating landowners
about land conservation options and opportunities for
preserving open spaces and important land resources. Promotes
the Department's and the Commonwealth's various land conservation
programs. Serves as a liaison to a diverse array of land
trusts and conservation groups with complimentary missions
and attends meetings and fosters working relationships.
Provides technical and fiscal assistance related to grant
opportunities, easement design, and other land conservation
tools and techniques. Demonstrates a comprehensive working
knowledge of land preservation and conservation programs
and tools to provide information to individuals, organizations,
and localities on state and federal law and local ordinances
and on potential land conservation opportunities. Serves
as a statewide repository and clearinghouse for land conservation
information through oversight of an agency maintained
land conservation website.
QUALIFICATIONS: Undergraduate degree related to land conservation,
land management, natural resources, or related field preferred
with professional level experience in land conservation
promotion, real estate transactions, marketing, and coordination
of complex programs in job related disciplines. Knowledge
of: conservation programs; conservation program tax incentives;
real estate and estate laws; grant resources, application
and management processes; marketing principles; GIS; Virginia
Outdoor Plan; and data management techniques. Ability
to: communicate effectively; coordinate complex ventures
among diverse parties; organize successful public events;
compile, manage, analyze and report detailed data; and
work with agency web coordinator to create and maintain
associated web site content. This position is located
in Richmond, VA. Travel is required. Salary range: $35,695-55,000.
Closing date: Tuesday, May 11, 2004.
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VCN's mission is to protect the Commonwealth's air, lands,
and waters for the benefit of the people, as guaranteed
by the Virginia Constitution.
If
you have an item that should be included on this list,
please send it to Jim Wamsley at jwamsley5@comcast.net
. VCN E-NEWS is emailed the second and fourth Friday
of every month, except during the session when it is weekly.
Deadline for submissions is Thursday.
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