The 2007 Virginia General Assembly is underway here in Richmond, and the Commonwealth’s conservationists are speaking out for greater investments in water quality, energy efficiency, and land conservation. More than 100 citizen activists attended Virginia Conservation Network’s Lobby Day on Jan. 15.  Many thanks to those of you who made Lobby Day a success. 

Your representatives will hear from numerous organizations and legions of lobbyists, but yours may the only voice speaking for wildlife, healthy streams, clean air, or open space. Follow up your Lobby Day visit with a phone call or email to your senator and delegate. It won’t take long, but could make a big difference.

Here are some key consensus issues for Virginia’s conservation community:

• Energy – VCN has endorsed a suite of bills to increase the state’s energy efficiency. Green buildings (SB1273, HB2555, HB2656), clean fleets (HB1809) and net metering (HB2708) would help Virginia meet its energy needs without dirty new plants.  By contrast, a botched re-regulation of the electricity market could backfire—forcing ratepayers to pay for dirty new plants we don’t need. VCN urges lawmakers to proceed with caution. Rumor has it that some version of a renewable portfolio standard (SB1275) will be incorporated into a re-regulation proposal, but will it represent a significant commitment to 21st century efficiency and clean generation?
• Citizen Involvement – VCN is committed to public participation in environmental decision making and has endorsed anti–SLAPP suit legislation (SB858, SB1250, HB3194).  The network opposes a last-minute bill that would merge the state’s citizen environmental boards, remove their permitting authority, and hamper public input (SB1403, HB3113).
• Water Quality – VCN has supported a proposal to issue bonds to pay for upgrades to sewage treatment plants (SB771, HB1710) and urges lawmakers to make this crucial investment during this session.  This commitment to the Chesapeake Bay should not be delayed.
• Land Conservation – VCN urges lawmakers to allocate $20 million dollars for the Virginia Land Conservation Foundation, the Virginia Outdoors Foundation, and a state match to local purchase of development rights programs.
• Transportation – VCN supports provisions that enable citizens to better track how the Virginia Department of Transportation spends money, including how much is allocated to transportation alternatives (HB2472, HB2922, SB1259).  Similarly, the network supports bills to expand the authority of VDOT’s Intermodal Office. Our reservations about the priority projects earmarked in lengthy house and senate transportation bills underscore the importance of investing in transit and walkable communities.

Note that there are many other significant legislative and budget proposals (for a full list of bills endorsed or opposed by VCN click here).  We identified more positive proposals than negative this year, but with bills dying daily in committee, it’s up to all of us to speak out in favor of sound environmental policies.

Thanks,
Nathan Lott,
Executive Director

Federal Grant Conference
Date: January 29, 2007 at 10 AM
Location:  Loudoun County Public Schools Administration Building at 21000 Education Court, Ashburn.
Rep. Frank Wolfe is hosting a grant conference for local government officials and nonprofits to help nonprofit officials with the details of applying for federal grants. Participants will learn about the 900-plus competitive federal grants available through 26 federal agencies.
For More Information & Registration:  See www.house.gov/wolf to register

Black Diamonds: Mountain Top Removal and the Fight for Coalfield Justice
Black Diamonds is a portrait of community resistance of a community caught between the national appetite for cheap energy and the enduring sense of Appalachian culture, pride, and natural beauty. Director Catherine Pancake, a West Virginia native and Baltimore, MD resident, recently received the prestigious Paul Robeson Fund for Independent Media Award for this recently released documentary. The Paul Robeson Fund awards grants to documentary films that critically address social issues and whose distribution is used for progressive social justice organizing.
To learn more about Black Diamonds visit www.blackdiamondsmovie.com
To watch a trailer of Black Diamonds, click here http://www.blackdiamondsmovie.com/Trailer.html
To learn how to rent or purchase Black Diamonds (be sure to ask for consumer/individual and activist/organizational pricing!) click here: http://www.bullfrogfilms.com/catalog/bd.html   

NOAA Posts Report that assesses the extent and toxicity of Sediment in the Chesapeake Bay
In a new online report, NOAA announced that the major portion of the Chesapeake Bay, called the "mainstem," has minimal sediment contamination but that there are localized areas of the bay showing elevated contaminant levels...NOAA shares in the widespread public concern that the ecological functions of the bay are becoming impaired and that has the potential to impact human health," says John H. Dunnigan, director of the NOAA Ocean Service. "Understanding the impacts and sources of contaminants to the nation's largest estuary is part of a long-term commitment to understanding the bay's ecosystem. We are committed to working with our federal, state and local partners in restoring its integrity as a sustainable coastal resource."
For more Information (including links to the report) visit http://www.noaanews.noaa.gov/stories2007/s2781.htm

LET YOUR LEGISLATORS KNOW HOW IMPORTANT CONSERVATION IS TO YOU AND YOUR COMMUNITY!
Join other individuals as citizen lobbyists and convey key conservation issues to your representative.
If you are interested in building a relationship with your legislators and learning how to make sure conservation is their priority--then join a Legislative Contact Team!
For More Information Contact:
Mike Kaestner, Program Coordinator
Virginia League of Conservation Voters – Education Fund
Phone: (804) 225-1902
Email: mkaestner@valcv.org
or
Suzanne Ankrum, Program Coordinator
Virginia Conservation Network
Phone: (804) 644-0283
Email: suzanne@vcnva.org