Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Land Conservation topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Senate subcommittee advances bill to set statewide land‑conservation goals, aims for 20% protected by 2035
Summary
Senate Bill 1198, carried by Sen. Deeds, would direct state agencies to recommend voluntary land‑protection goals — including a target to conserve 20% of Virginia’s land by 2035 — and formalizes consultation and reporting requirements. The subcommittee adopted line amendments and voted 5-0 to report the bill.
Senate Bill 1198, introduced by Senator Thomas K. Deeds, would direct state agencies to recommend voluntary statewide goals for land conservation, including a stated target to conserve 20% of Virginia’s land by 2035 by conserving roughly 74,000 acres per year.
The bill’s sponsor said the measure builds on prior, voluntary land‑conservation efforts and tax incentives that helped expand conservation easements in the late 1990s and early 2000s. “And this bill is simply a bill that allows us to set goals,” Senator Deeds said during the Rural Affairs Subcommittee hearing.
Supporters and the bill’s sponsors told the subcommittee the goal is ambitious but achievable. Deeds cited past years — 2007 through 2010 and again in 2014 — when the Commonwealth exceeded the annual rate now proposed, and noted that other states have set loftier targets: some states aim for 30% conserved by 2030 and Maryland has already reached about 30%.
Committee members considered and adopted multiple line amendments that split responsibilities for recommending goals between the Department of Conservation and Recreation and the Department of Forestry, and that clarified which stakeholders the agencies must consult. Under the adopted amendment, the Department of Forestry would recommend goals for agricultural and forest use, while the Department of Conservation and Recreation would recommend goals for recreational and open‑space uses; both would consult private conservation organizations and relevant industry interests when preparing recommendations.
Martha Moore of the Virginia Farm Bureau described the amendments as creating two separate work groups: one focused on agriculture and forestry and another focused on recreation and open space, each consulting those sectors and private conservation groups.
The subcommittee voted to report the amended bill by roll call, with Senators Perry, Hackworth, Celine, Williams Graves and French recorded as voting in favor and none opposed (5–0). Committee members noted there is a budget amendment attached to the bill but that the measure did not require a referral to the finance committee at this time.
Why it matters: The bill would create formal reporting and recommendation duties for state agencies and would, for the first time at the legislative level, set an explicit statewide conservation target. Proponents say voluntary programs and transferable tax credits already underpin Virginia’s land‑protection work; the bill seeks to make goals and reporting more explicit.
What the bill does not do: The measure, as amended and described in subcommittee, does not itself create a new regulatory restriction on private landowners or mandate acquisitions — it establishes a process for recommending goals and reporting to the Commonwealth and specifies consultation requirements. The bill’s adoption by the subcommittee is a procedural step; the measure must still proceed through the Senate process for further consideration.
Votes at a glance: Motion to report SB1198 — approved by roll call, recorded yes: Senator Perry; Senator Hackworth; Senator Celine; Senator Williams Graves; Senator French (5 yes, 0 no).
