Approved by VASWCD Board 9/26/13; For Approval of Full Membership 12/10/13
VASWCD Legislative Agenda for 2014 Session
1. Increase essential operating funding to $180,000 per district per year - Soil and water
conservation districts are the local program delivery mechanism for nonpoint source pollution
control throughout the Commonwealth. This operating funding level reflects the minimum funding
level necessary as shown in the Attachment D budget need submissions by SWCDs to DCR for
FY15. Previously, the Virginia Soil and Water Conservation Board recognized and approved
minimum of $124,000 plus $500 for each elected/appointed district director is required per year by
each SWCD to meet their essential operating costs. Budget requests itemizing need were asked of
SWCDs by the Soil & Water Board this year and new figures show a need in the $180,000 range on
average. 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. In future years, as essential costs rise, the
minimum amount needed for operational funding will increase. 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 non-point sources of pollution intensify, district funding needs to increase. As
noted in DCR’s Strategic Report 2010-12 (pg. 43); “For Virginia to achieve its Chesapeake Bay
TMDL, and other water quality goals, increased funding to the Districts for service delivery and
increased constituent outreach will be a critical element.”
2. Support increasing resources to meet State TMDL Programs in the Chesapeake Bay &
Southern Rivers
a. Fund Agricultural Best Management Practices Cost Share Program for FY 2015 at $30
million and for FY16 at $50.6 million in accordance with the Agriculture Needs Assessment
Report.
b. Provide technical assistance funding to districts for FY 2015 at $10.4 million and FY16 at
10.8 to ramp-up infrastructure needs toward implementing the cost share program at $100
million per year.
c. Additional engineering support to implement the Agricultural Best Management Practices
Cost Share Program requires 6 additional field engineers and one professional engineering
supervisor at a start-up cost of $1,075,000. The USDA Natural Resources Conservation
Service does not have engineering resources to meet the demands of an accelerated state cost
share program.
3. Support with seed funding of $500,000 the establishment of a Virginia Urban Best
Management Practices Cost Share and Tax Credit program that complements the Agricultural
BMP Cost Share Program. SWCDs, with appropriately qualified, trained and experienced staff, are
well-positioned and capable of implementing and administering a voluntary urban BMP cost share
and tax credit program for private commercial and residential landowners. The program would be
carried out in a manner similar to the Agricultural BMP program. The program should include an
array of BMPs, including low impact development practices.
4. Dam Rehabilitation. Twelve SWCDs in Virginia own and operate 104 small watershed dams.
Necessary financial resource assist conservation districts in meeting state requirements and
providing for public safety and flood control. A recent study shows that 50 of these dams do not
meet Virginia Dam Safety Regulations. Four of these dams are currently in the process for
rehabilitation. As local sponsors of these federally funded projects without the means to levy
funding, Districts need adequate state support. Districts support a state program to rehabilitate
the remaining 46 dams over the next 20 years at a cost of at least $147 million.
5. Information Technology needs demonstrate that architecture development is estimated at
$100,000 with yearly costs of $650,000 for share resources and $350,000 to meet local district
needs. DCR has some grant funds available and has agreed to work with the VASWCD IT
Committee.
6. Soil and Water Conservation District Signs - Districts have a mixture of signs across the
Commonwealth and often have conflicts with the regulations of the Virginia Department of
Transportation. To achieve some consistency with appropriate signs for districts there needs to be
an authorization in the Code of Virginia. The Code currently provides Ҥ 33.1-355. Excepted signs,
advertisements and advertising structures. The following signs and advertisements, if securely
attached to real property or advertising structures, and the advertising structures, or parts thereof,
upon which they are posted or displayed are excepted from all the provisions of this article save
those enumerated in §§ 33.1-353, 33.1-356, 33.1-360, subdivisions (2) through (13) of § 33.1-369
and §§ 33.1-370 and 33.1-375: (8) Signs containing 16 square feet or less and bearing an
announcement of any county, town, village or city, or historic place or shrine, situated in this
Commonwealth, advertising itself or local industries, meetings, buildings or attractions, provided
the same is maintained wholly at public expense, or at the expense of such historic place or shrine;”
The VASWCD supports an amendment to the Code of Virginia to authorize signage announcing soil
and water conservation districts.
7. Establish technical resources for shoreline erosion control to reduce such impacts to the waters
of Virginia and the Chesapeake Bay, to aid in meeting the mandated nutrient and sediment reduction
goals for the Bay TMDL, and to provide citizens of the Commonwealth with unbiased shoreline
erosion reduction techniques, funding for the Department of Conservation and Recreation’s
Shoreline Erosion Advisory Service (SEAS) program at an annual level of $200,000 is required
for two full time DCR SEAS employees, related equipment (cameras, GPS equipment, survey
equipment, office, etc.), and travel expenses.
8. Support geographical representation on the State Water Control Board. With the transfer of
stormwater management, TMDLs, erosion and sediment control, Chesapeake Bay Program, districts
support representation on the Board from all regions of the state.
9. Support increased funding for the Chesapeake Bay Restoration Fund Grant Program.
Currently Code of Virginia 46.2-749.2 stipulates that $15 of each $25 fee collected for the sale of
Special Chesapeake Bay Licenses plates, beyond the first 1000 plates sold, be credited to the Grant
Program. Suggested are code revisions that would allow for a 50¢ fee increase per annual
registration renewal, to be credited to the fund. This would enable expansion of the program.
10. Resource Management Planning (RMP) Legislation authorizing RMPs was enacted by the 2011
Session of the General Assembly. The Chesapeake Bay Act provided approximately 25 state funded
planners at the district level to implement that program in the eastern section of Virginia. Based
upon the Chesapeake Bay program which is not currently funded, an estimated 25 district positions
are needed to initiate the RMP program until a demand for services can be established. Adequate
funds are needed to support soil and water conservation roles in this new program. The 25 positions
are estimated to cost $75,000 each for a total annual cost of $1,875,000. In addition there needs
to be 2 environmental positions at the state level to manage the program at an annual cost of
$148,000.
Legislative Contacts:
Kendall Tyree, VASWCD Executive Director
7308 Hanover Green Drive, Suite 100 ∙ Mechanicsville, Virginia 23111
Phone: (804) 559-0324; Fax (804) 559-0325
Email: Kendall.Tyree@vaswcd.org
Website: www.vaswcd.org
Donald Wells
Legislative Committee Co-Chair
8036 Dunwoody Road
Mechanicsville, Virginia 23111
Phone: (804) 746-0148 Cell (804) 690-1934
Email: dwells1943@aol.com
John Peterson
Legislative Committee Co-Chair
9304 Lundy Court
Burke, Virginia 22015
Phone: (703) 455-4387 Cell (703) 505-1782
Email: jwpeterson@cox.net