1) Increase Operating Funds for the 47 districts: Soil and Water Conservation Districts are the local program delivery mechanism for nonpoint source pollution control throughout the Commonwealth.
Currently, the district appropriation is $12,141,091. This includes funding for:
- District Central Operations
- Administrative Assistance
- Technical Assistance to implement agricultural and urban best management practices (BMPs)
- Technical Assistance to operate and maintain 104 flood control dams
- Technical Assistance to implement Resource Management Plans including review & verification
- Support for environmental education programs
Operational funding needs should align with the based upon the annual “budget template” requests. Without adequate funding, conservation districts continue to find it especially difficult to meet the critical need to retain highly trained, experienced and skilled employees who are the primary delivery mechanism for programs to meet the Commonwealth’s water quality goals established by the Governor and General Assembly. Strong local conservation districts are needed to play a key role as Virginia intensifies its efforts to reduce nonpoint sources of pollution throughout the Commonwealth and to meet the goals of the Chesapeake Bay TMDL. As efforts to reduce nonpoint sources of pollution intensify, district funding needs to increase.
Former Governor Northam’s proposed budget keeps level funding for admin/ops funding. We have pursued the following amendments to increase by $3.6 million.
§ Senate SB 30 – Admin/Ops – Increase by $3.6 million – Introduced by Hanger
§ Senate SB 30 – Admin/Ops – Increase by $3.6 million – Introduced by Ruff
§ House HB 30 – Admin/Ops – Increase by $3.6 million – Introduced by Bloxom
§ House HB 30 – Admin/Ops – Increase by $3.6 million – Introduced by Gooditis
2) Establish a dedicated and adequate, secure and stable source of funding for the Virginia Natural Resources Commitment Fund (VNRCF) commensurate with the most recent Agriculture Needs Assessment Report and the most recent Chesapeake Bay and Virginia Waters Clean Up Plan Report: Currently the VNRCF is funded on a year to year basis, oftentimes relying entirely on unpredictable, year-end state budget surplus.
We support the creation of a dedicated revenue source for those on-the-ground practices (BMPs) and the retention of certified professional employees which represent front-line efforts to meet Virginia’s challenges outlined by the Chesapeake Bay Watershed Improvement Plan (WIP). Twenty years after the creation of the Water Quality Improvement Act and more than eleven years after the creation of the VNRCF, Virginia’s commitments to the WIP and TMDL Virginia are highly reliant on high-performing SWCDs. To carry out district responsibilities, the retention and adequate compensation, commensurate with the workload, of seasoned, highly valued, and highly competent employees are not only the top priority for conservation districts but an essential ingredient to Virginia’s success. We support a minimum of $35 million annually for a stable, reliable cost-share program while realizing the full cost according to the 2019 Agriculture Needs Assessment and VirginiaForever Five Year Plan has been identified as greater than $100 million.
Former Governor Northam’s proposed budget provides full funding at needs assessment level for cost share. We are asking for support of this funding and no budget amendments were needed.
3) Increase support for urban best management practices as a means to addressing WIP and TMDL needs: Request $2,000,000 in total for the Virginia Conservation Assistance Program (VCAP).
The program complements the Agricultural BMP Cost-Share Programs. SWCDs, with appropriately qualified, trained, and experienced staff, are well-positioned and capable of implementing a voluntary urban BMP cost-share program for private, commercial, and residential landowners. Virginia’s Phase III WIP recognizes the program as a key means to meeting urban water quality improvement needs. We request a funding increase of $1M per year, for total program levels of $2M.
Former Governor Northam’s proposed budget provides $4 million for VCAP. We are asking for support for this funding and no budget amendments were needed.
