2010 Conservation Briefing Book

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The 2010 Conservation Briefing Book is out. Check it out here.

“The Briefing Book lays out a ‘common agenda’ for conservationists. VCN and its affiliated nonprofits put that agenda into action by educating opinion leaders, by monitoring legislation and endorsing or opposing bills when appropriate, and by helping concerned citizens engage the legislative process” – Virginia Conservation Network.

Our Common Agenda:

Clean Energy
Investments in energy efficiency protect consumers, create jobs and position Virginia for future competitiveness. Making homes and businesses more efficient also makes renewable energy more cost-effective.
• Set meaningful goals through an Energy Efficiency Resource Standard with hard targets
• Establish Inclining Block Rates to send appropriate price signals to residential consumers
• End subsidies for mountaintop removal coal mining and ban the practice of valley fills
• Prioritize renewable energy sources like offshore wind rand solar, not offshore oil drilling

Green Communities
In order to contain infrastructure costs and provide residents with real transportation options,
Virginia must foster sustainable land use.
• Help local governments control sprawling development with Urban Development Areas that require higher density, reward redevelopment, and target infrastructure spending
• Prioritize public investment in rail and mass transit
• Protect farms and forests with adequate funding for the Land Preservation Tax Credit and Virginia Outdoors Foundation

Healthy Rivers
Virginia has programs proven to protect rivers from agricultural runoff and other pollutants. To succeed however, these programs must be adequately funded and enforced.
• Fully fund existing agricultural best management practices (BMP) programs
• Maintain pollution caps on wastewater treatment plants
• Protect local streams from polluted runoff by upholding improved stormwater regulations