The finalized 2021 Land Conservation Pre-Proposal Grant Requests report shares the results of the pre-proposal grant round that closed in November 2021.
Check back for updates on the next VLCF grant round.
In 1999, the General Assembly and governor established the Virginia Land Conservation Foundation to fund protection of:
State agencies, local governments, other public bodies, and nonprofit land trusts are eligible to receive matching grants from the foundation to purchase land or conservation easements.
The Virginia Land Conservation Fund receives funding from the state’s annual budget. The Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) provides staff and administrative support. An interagency taskforce reviews and recommends grant applications to the Virginia Land Conservation Foundation. Grant awards are based on applications for 50% or less of total project costs pursuant to specific criteria defined in each category.
The VLCF Board and DCR submit a biennial report of the Virginia Land Conservation Foundation to the governor and General Assembly. This report summarizes VLCF Board activities for the two-year window, provides information on funded projects, describes how funds are allocated, and tracks the amount of land conserved in the commonwealth. The last report was issued in December 2020.
Since the beginning of the program in 2000, VLCF has awarded 287 grants totaling more than $72 million to protect more than 100,000 acres across the Commonwealth. To learn about the projects that have been funded, search the interactive map below.
On October 27, 2021, the VLCF Board awarded funds for the FY22 grant round. See the press release for the $7.5 million in grant awards.
The FY22 grant round was divided into five grant categories with equal funding:
A virtual workshop was held on June 30, 2021, to explain the grant process and the different categories. You can watch the meeting here.
FY22 Grant Manual and application. Applications were due on Aug. 9, 2021.
In the grant manual we recommend using the VIMS Social Vulnerability Index to identify underserved communities in Virginia. Here are a few more models recommended by others that may help you with your project’s application:
Visit our State and Federal Grants page to learn more about other land conservation grant opportunities.
Most recently, the VLCF Board met in person on October 27, 2021 to approve of the VLCF Stewardship Fund disbursement and award the FY22 grant round. See the press release for grant awards.
The VLCF Board met virtually on June 10, 2021, to announce the FY22 grant round and to award the second FY2021 grant round. (See past board meetings below to view recordings.) See the press release for grant awards.
The board met virtually on Feb. 5, 2021, to award the first round of the FY21 funding for land conservation projects. (See past board meetings below to view recordings.) This grant round consisted of $3,406,250 of state funding.
The board met virtually on Dec. 10, 2020, to award the second grant round for the FY2017 Dominion Surry-Skiffes Creek available funding ($1,145,829). This restricted grant round is for historic preservation and land conservation to mitigate impacts from the Surry-Skiffes Creek-Whealton Transmission Line Project. Here is a list of the applications and grants awarded. (See past board meetings below to view recordings.)
Additionally, the board approved and submitted the 2020 Pre-Application report to the 2021 General Assembly.
Virginia Land Conservation Foundation Board of Trustees
Thurs., Jun. 10, 2021
Virginia Land Conservation Foundation Board of Trustees
Fri., Feb. 5, 2021
Virginia Land Conservation Foundation Board of Trustees
Thurs., Dec. 10, 2020
Virginia Land Conservation Foundation Board of Trustees
Tue., Sept. 22, 2020
Meeting notices and records of previous meetings can be found on the Virginia Regulatory Town Hall website.
A subcommittee of the VLCF Board met virtually on March 26, 2021.
At its Oct. 27, 2015, meeting, the VLCF Board of Trustees adopted guidance for resolving disputes related to the interpretation or administration of conservation easements in accordance with ss10.1-1021.2 of the Code of Virginia. This is the final guidance document.
In 2009, the VLCF Board amended the Land Preservation Tax Credit (LPTC) Conservation Value Review Criteria to verify the conservation value of donated land or conservation easements that result in tax credit applications of $1 million or more.
Board members can find information regarding FOIA, travel regulations, open meetings, and more on the Resources for VLCF board members page.
If you have questions, email Suzan Bulbulkaya, Land Conservation Manager, at suzan.bulbulkaya@dcr.virginia.gov or call 804-371-5218.