The FY25 grant round of the Virginia Land Conservation Foundation closed on August 28, 2024. The Board will meet in November to award the funding.
Learn more about the application process, requirements, and scoring in the FY25 VLCF Grant Manual.
A total of $13,549,172 is available for grant funding as follows in the five categories:
Farmland Preservation | $2,604,182 |
Forestland Preservation | $2,604,182 |
Historic Area Preservation | $2,849,430 |
Natural Area Preservation | $2,799,696 |
Open Spaces and Parks | $2,691,682 |
To get a preview of the application for each of the five categories on the WebGrants Management Portal, view the PDFs below:
A virtual Grant Workshop was held to explain the grant process and different categories.
View the video of the workshop. https://youtu.be/1OchEBJfnKI
In 1999, the General Assembly and governor restructured the Virginia Land Conservation Foundation to fund protection of:
State agencies, local governments, other public bodies, state and federally-recognized Indian Tribes 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 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 (state agencies may receive 100%) pursuant to specific criteria defined in each category.
The VLCF Board and DCR submit an annual 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 2023.
Since the beginning of the program in 2000, VLCF has awarded 356 grants totaling more than $118 million to protect more than 156,000 acres across the commonwealth. To learn about the projects that have been funded, search the interactive map below.
The board met on Nov. 13, 2023, to award almost $15 million to 29 projects across Virginia. See the FY24 VLCF Grant Round press release and list of awarded projects. Download the meeting materials and project descriptions and recommendations of the Interagency Task Force.
Here is the FY24 Grant Manual. Applications were due by Aug. 18, 2023.
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:
If you have any questions, please contact Suzan Bulbulkaya at Suzan.Bulbulkaya@dcr.virginia.gov.
Visit our State and Federal Grants page to learn more about other land conservation grant opportunities.
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.