ISSUE: Expand state funding to $40 million annually for the
acquisition and preservation of open space in the Commonwealth. Open
space of particular concern to the VASWCD includes farmland,
watersheds and forestland.
WHY IMPORTANT: Recent growth in the Commonwealth has reached
a point where farmland is now being converted at an unprecedented
rate. The Piedmont region, including Virginia, has been identified as
the second most threatened farmland region in the United States.
Recent national data indicates that the rate of conversion of farmland
in Virginia has more than doubled to over 93,000 acres per year from
1992 to 1997. In addition, the Commonwealth lost an average of 26,000
acres of forestland to development annually between 1977 and 1992.
This rate of development significantly increases the amount of
sediment flowing into Virginia waterways decreasing flow capacity in
drainage ways, taking up storage volumes in reservoirs and ruining
spawning grounds for marine life.
RATIONALE: The development of suburban land in Virginia has
greatly expanded since 1970 as people moved further away from the
cities; and the suburban areas themselves became employment centers.
Development has brought with it the infrastructure requirements
associated with communities such as more schools; new highways, roads,
and transit systems; and sewer connections. This in turn, is consuming
more natural habitats, forestland, open space and farm land and
destroying scenic landscapes and recreational resources as the cycle
repeats itself.
There has been growing public pressure throughout Virginia to
develop programs to preserve open space either by purchase, providing
expanded incentives to property owners to donate land or by the
acquisition of conservation and other similar types of easements.
Preserving open space and low density land use options such as
farming, provides Virginia with low-cost, low maintenance approaches
for meeting water quality management challenges facing Virginia
waterways and the Chesapeake Bay while also promoting a more
diversified economy.
Soil erosion rates on construction sites generally range from 10 to
100 tons/acre/ year and more. By way of comparison, this rate is as
much as 100 times greater per acre than erosion rates on agricultural
land and perhaps 2,000 times greater than erosion rates from
undisturbed forestland.
Farming has been and continues to be a vital component of
Virginia’s economy, both economically and environmentally. Farmers
generate $19.5 billion in agricultural production for the
Commonwealth. Farms also provide employment for 235,000 people
In Virginia, open space has traditionally been preserved through
governmental actions including zoning, ordinance regulation and fee
simple acquisition and through voluntary private donations and
acquisition of interests in land by private non-profit organizations.
Governmental action regarding land use is traditionally reserved to
localities. Voluntary land conservation efforts are being undertaken
by national, state and local non-profit organizations. This approach
is no longer able to meet open space preservation needs.
Virginia's Open Space Preservation Act, the Open Space Land Act and
the Virginia Land Conservation Foundation laws currently in the
Virginia Code provide the legal basis for acquiring and preserving
open space in the Commonwealth.
In 1999, the General Assembly reconstituted the Virginia
Conservation Recreation Foundation as the Virginia Land Conservation
Foundation, funded with a $1.75 million appropriation for 2000. In
each of fiscal years 2001 and 2002, the Foundation will have $6.2
million, plus $3.4 million in the first year to protect four civil war
battlefields. The Foundation, operating under the direction of the
Secretary of Natural Resources has authority to expend funds for
farmland, forests, historic sites, natural areas, parks and open
space.
Virginia’s land conservation needs far exceed the Foundation’s
current funding levels. Purchasing development rights on just 2% of
the state's farmland would cost about $100 million (assuming a price
of 30% of the land's fair market value). The acquisition of 92,000
acres in state forests, as recommended by the Virginia Department of
Forestry, would cost $87.2 million. The cost of purchasing the top 30
of the 425 globally significant conservation sites identified by the
state Natural Heritage Program is nearly $20 million. Protecting
Virginia’s Revolutionary and Civil War battlefields will likely cost
more than one billion dollars.
Recently passed and pending Federal legislation offers other
sources of funding for open space acquisition in Virginia but in most
cases, requires matching funds from the Commonwealth to leverage and
receive the funds.
LEGISLATIVE ACTION PENDING: In its last session, the House
of Delegates voted 94 - 5 in favor of House Bill 1167 (2000). This
bill was carried over to the 2001 Session by the Senate Finance
Committee. HB 1167 requires that up to $40 million of the state's
share of the recordation tax be allocated to the Virginia Land
Conservation Foundation for the acquisition and preservation of open
space.
There is opposition within the Finance Committee to the concept of
a dedicated funding source for any reason, regardless of purpose.
Senator Chichester, the Chairman, is supportive of open space
preservation efforts but does not favor dedicating a source of revenue
for any one purpose. General Assembly members need to be asked to
support passage of HB 1167 or comparable legislation during the next
session of the General Assembly.
VASWCD POINT OF CONTACT: Greg Evans,
Northern Virginia Soil & Water Conservation District, (703) 644-1227.
Click below for Legislative Papers ...
